Human Resource Management Issues

What human resource professionals need today is, a complete makeover in all the areas from recruitment, hiring, training, employee development to technology, retention and termination. It has become an increasingly challenging and complex area to deal with.

Today, the social media has literally set up a podium for everyone to voice out their comments and ideas. We are accustomed to discussing our personal and professional issues on the web. When it comes to a professional setup, the HR department should not only take disciplinary action, but also investigate and assist in solving any underlying problems.

Plan the recruitment process carefully, and take inputs from the recruitment staff of the organization. These procedures can be quite expensive for the company, so the recruiter should question himself whether new people are required or not.

List out the attributes you are looking for in a potential employee. Educational qualifications, relevant experience, certifications, ability to work in a team, and leadership qualities are some of the possible attributes.

The attitude of a person is also a critical matter to be considered while hiring. This can be measured by using the psychometric test.

The mode of advertising for a position should be such that it attracts the best and brightest, and renders a competitive salary range for the position. Recruiting through the Internet is the latest technological trend, that pools up candidates throughout the world.

From scheduling and holding interviews via telephone or Skype to verifying the candidate's employment history, as well as determining whether the candidate has any criminal records or not, are some of the issues that an HR professional has to grow through.

The newly hired employees may or may not have the required job skills or knowledge about the organization culture. The objective should be to provide employees with high-quality training and impart domain knowledge for the employees to undergo their specific roles.

Training is one of the most common issues that the human resource department faces, and is also considered a necessary component for employee development.

Establishing policies and procedures in itself is not enough. The HR personnel should implement them consistently, fairly, and promptly. It is also important to be transparent and make employees feel valued and connected.

A safe, supportive, and productive work environment should be created and maintained. There should exist employee handbooks and policy manuals. The organization should be compliant with existing legislative and regulatory requirements.

Workplace issues such as sexual harassment, drug and alcohol abuse, workplace bullying and verbal abuse should be clearly spelled out. Imagine a company, where all employees understand why the company exists and the difference they can make in the world.

The employers and HR management must make sure that a higher position is offered to a well-deserved, committed and hardworking employee.

The HR personnel should go out of the way to reassure the employees who are overlooked, to continue working efficiently and willingly. Implement programs to help increase employee motivation and productivity.

The interests of the stakeholders must be taken into consideration. Retention of key employees and cultural integration are among the critical issues. For the transition process to be smooth and efficient, the human resource department should be included in all decision-making processes right from the start to end.

One of the toughest tasks a human resource professional faces is balancing the in-house employees to continue being focused and productive, even when half of the jobs are being outsourced or merged to independent contractors outside the company.

Attrition usually adversely affects the company. This is a very complex issue for the organization, which stands a chance of losing their good employees. Comprehensive and systematic exit interviews could help determine the cause of attrition.

Reasons for leaving could be many -- lack of career growth opportunities, lack of appreciation, a more attractive job offer, stress from overwork, illness, or injury.

The job should ideally be challenging and interesting, with adequate monetary benefits. There could be special incentives for employer loyalty, and contingent measures should be taken to protect the employees and their families from injury, illness, or death.

The right compensation will attract and retain the required employees. Compensation determination should be a systematic and transparent process. The compensation should be competitive in the market and commensurate with the job profile and the efforts the employee.

For maintaining the reputation of an organization, the management should clearly communicate the grounds of dismissal and specify the necessary notice period.

An employee could be terminated for various reasons -- incompetent or non-performance, unethical behavior or business practices, incorrect documentation, economic downturn, escalations or absenteeism.

When an employee is fired or terminated, the benefits such as health insurance, life insurance, dental plan and employee product discounts should also be disconnected. Here, the HR personnel has to conduct a thorough investigation and also keep a record of the employee's recruiting and termination dates.

These were some issues that pose a challenge to the human resource professionals. They can be dealt with systematically, only when a comprehensive HR policy is in place, keeping in mind that there is very little room for errors, and any given mentioned issue is more than enough to push any company over the edge to failure.