In this day and age, one section of workforce that needs to be constantly evolving is the human resource personnel, popularly known as the HR. This is primarily due to the drastic changes brought about in organisations over time.
This has led to the HR department facing an existential crisis. However, things are not that bleak as they seem to be. Appropriate changes in its structure and functioning, within the right time period, can do wonders for the HR and its respective organisation.
Here is a broad classification of some of the crucial issues that need to be concentrated upon- change management, leadership development, HR effectiveness measurement, organisational effectiveness, compensation, staffing- recruitment and availability of skilled local labour, succession planning, learning and development, staffing-retention, benefits costs- health and welfare.
Among these, there are specific problems that need to be focused at the earliest, and those which can bring about positive effect on the company as a whole. The first is the challenges associated with employee recruitment and retention. Attrition is turning out to be a crucial task for HR personnel world over, as the employees of today do not think twice before putting their papers. As a result, retaining the existing workforce is highly important. And how does one do it?
Experts say that the management must be able to strike a balance between compensation, work environment and opportunities for growth, that can help turn disgruntled employees into a happy bunch. A recent survey showed that solutions offered by outsourcing companies are remarkably different than that of the staffing companies.
This, is precisely what needs to be accepted and followed by organisations who insist on doing the recruitment with its own set of people. This is a disadvantage in its own way, as the entire process will only add to the existing costs incurred by the firm.
So what needs to be done is, managements need to outsource their activities to another consultancy, that is sure to do a better job of it. The next area that needs to be given importance is the grooming section.
A majority of companies bite the dust, due to the absence of charismatic and skilled leaders. The significance of a worthy leader is often undermined in many firms. However, if this is rectified, then the job is half done. It is here that the HR department comes into the picture. It is the core responsibility of the personnel to identify and train prospective employees who can lead the organisation from the front in the coming years.
As ultimately its the growth numbers that matter. And it is effective leadership that can inspire, motivate employees in work, apart from contributing to the overall welfare of the company.
Moving on, it is the productivity of workers that needs attention. Also, it is here that many firms commit mistakes, as at the end of each task, they only look at the final result, without taking into account the efforts that went into the same.
The management needs to analyse and dissect the results, and also keep a tab on the contribution of each employee in the said work. Only then, will those who have worked to their fullest, be identified, while others who just beat around the bush too, can be differentiated from others.
On the other hand if the reason behind low productivity stems from the fact that are fewer professionals, then the onus is again back on the HR department, as it is its personnel who need to ensure that the company has talent at its disposal.
At the same time, if it is found that the workers lack in technical skills, then it is the responsibility of the human resource personnel to provide adequate training, and ensure that they gel into the work environment with ease.
