subject: 4 Top Issues Facing Hr Professionals In Today's Hr Market [print this page] HR professionals fulfil a variety of functions in any organisation, incorporating payroll, recruitment policies, online induction, legal issues, company structure and matters of confidentiality, to name a few. They are also faced with a large number of ethical and sometimes moral issues when it comes to dealing with sensitive staffing matters, not the least of which include confidentiality and privacy.
As a profession, they must adapt to ever-changing economic and political climates, not to mention the vagaries of company policies that can be set without reference or input from them. The challenges therefore are many, but some issues stand out for more urgent attention. Here is a list that will start your thinking:
An immediate issue to be confronted is that of rebuilding staff confidence after the difficult years that followed the global financial crisis. Staffing levels were battered and salaries remained largely stagnant, having a negative impact on morale and output generally. It is a continuing challenge to capitalise on the emerging economic recovery and rebuild staff morale, while at the same time planning for the expansion which will inevitably follow.
In addition, increasing pressure on staff salaries will be a sensitive area to manage within the overall context of economic growth. Whilst employees will be expecting increasing rewards as the economy improves, there are competing interests from employers who see their industries as still being in difficult circumstances, where growth does not necessarily mean increased capacity to pay higher wages in the short-term.
Particularly in small companies, which often employ family members or have long-term employees, you need always to be conscious of favouritsm or nepotism. Salaries need to be justified by the work that all employees perform and managers need to be sensitive to ethical issues such as gender, racial and religious equality. All employees need to keep their skills up-to-date. A good way of doing this is to set up regular training sessions and keep the content in your Training management software current and relevent to the issues of the day.
Ageing populations bring with them the potential for new threats of ageism, whether against older people or against younger people. Managing tech savvy Gen X and Gen Y workers can be a challenge for baby-boomer managers, yet these young people bring enthusiasm and important skills. At the same time, advanced economies need older people to remain in the workforce for longer periods, and their needs must be considered. Balancing this can be a difficult path for any HR professional when it comes to promotion and salary issues.
Whilst the above matters stand out as prominent issues, there will continue to be ongoing concerns about communication and training approaches. These have to be adapted to cater for improvements in technology, whilst at the same time taking into account the varying degrees of skill with which staff can manage such new technologies.
OH & S induction practices will also still occupy the minds of most HR professionals for many years to come, as technology increasingly impacts on workplace practices.
