A company is made of people. And people, for the most part, are unpredictable. One day they might choose to behave in a particular fashion, whereas, the other, they will take a completely different approach. This is perhaps the biggest reason why businesses face so many issues related to human resource management. It is also a reminder of the importance of working with an HR professional.
After all, if you want to paint the outside of your house, you can do it yourself over the weekend. But if what you require is excellent results, it would serve you better to hire an exterior home painting services provider. A creditable firm will not only make your house beautiful but also ensure all surfaces are washed and rid of mold and mildew.
But why is someone with vast knowledge and expertise in HR needed in every organization? The answer is very simple. Only a qualified individual will know how to handle the many employee-related challenges a firm faces daily.
Let us look at some of them.
Low Employee Motivation
There are many reasons why employees within an organization lack motivation. Among others, the workload is too high, or there is a clear lack of appreciation coming from either immediate bosses or upper management.
In the former, when a staff member is completely burnt out, he will no longer have the desire to do anything that is not forced upon him, no matter how small or trivial it might seem. In the latter, the feeling of not being appreciated creates a sense of worthlessness. As a result, the person feels there is no purpose or reason for doing his best.
Both issues can be fixed with adequate communication. The HR manager could explain that the amount of work is temporary and will be rewarded. In terms of appreciation, simple actions like saying a few words of encouragement or an extra day off will do wonders.
Recruitment
No matter what kind of background a candidate has, there are no guarantees she will be a successful employee. She could be an Ivy League graduate from a university as prestigious as Harvard or Yale. She could also have years of experience in a specific field along with a long list of accolades.
Still, what one person did in the past doesn’t necessarily translate to the present and future. People change over time, and some work environments might be suitable for one individual more than the other.
So, how does an HR manager tackle the issue of recruitment? How can he evaluate a person based on potential?
The answer can be divided into two parts. First, he needs people management experience and a keen eye for talent. Second, he can make use of modern, AI-based HR tools to make this process easier and more effective.
Change
Change in life is constant. From the moment we are born to the last breath we take, people experience all kinds of changes. Some are physical, while others are emotional or in circumstance. We leave our parents to go to college and pursue our careers, and then we build families of our own.
The same can be said from a business perspective. And it doesn’t have to be dramatic changes like a merger or acquisition. It doesn’t also always mean life-changing events such as the covid-19 global pandemic the world is now experiencing.
Change can be subtle. There might be a new boss running the department where we work, or a new branch may open. One of our best colleagues and friends might be promoted, leaving us alone to handle more responsibilities and deal with more pressure. Or it might be us who is leaving.
No matter the situation, the key for HR managers is to make this process as clear and straightforward as possible. One way to do this is to announce upcoming changes as early as possible. Another is to define what the changes will represent and how both individuals and the company as a whole will move forward with this process.
There are many challenges HR managers face regardless of the industry in which their organizations are. Three of the biggest ones are low employee motivation, issues with recruitment, and the proper management of change. There are also others such as facing uncertainty, deciding what kind of incentives to provide staff with, and dealing with insubordination.
Whatever the case may be, solving these issues is not an easy task. Many enterprises have great ideas and even better execution but fail due to problems with employees.
Still, the solution starts with putting in place clear communication channels that enable everyone to voice their opinions and understand where the firm is heading and why it is going in that direction.
