A company’s human resources department is responsible for more than just hiring employees and handling conflicts. Human resource departments must also manage benefits, payroll, and wages, employee engagement, training, and understanding of workplace laws, among many other things. This means there are plenty of challenges to overcome within human resource management in an organization. Today’s technology has made it much easier to juggle multiple responsibilities and see better results in areas such as employee retention, communication, and even cost management.
Productivity
One of the biggest challenges in HR is making sure employees are engaged and on task. HR productivity tools help to manage workflow, increase collaboration, and streamline the flow of communication. Tools such as Slack, Skype, and other IM systems help employees connect with people in other work teams in the same department and with remote workers quickly and efficiently. This kind of technology is essential for helping employees ask questions or follow up on tasks that move entire projects forward.
Hiring and Retention
Hiring is just one half of the HR department’s job. Retaining the best talent is a huge priority for HR departments. It can also be one of the biggest challenges faced. More and more employees have options when it comes to where they work, when they work, and how they work. Millennials are becoming a larger part of the workforce and studies show that many are open to new job opportunities even when they are employed. It’s important, then, that HR departments ensure their company is an attractive and meaningful place to work.
One of the most appealing things about a job for many millennials is the ability to work remotely, either full-time or occasionally. Email and IM software have made this much easier, but one of the best software solutions that help to keep remote employees on task and connected to the rest of the company is Basecamp. This is a centralized software that allows employees to log in from anywhere and see due dates and deadlines for both individual and group projects and assignments. It also allows managers the benefit of monitoring projects and altering work priorities, all without having to rely on endless emails and chats to communicate about workflow.
Additionally, software such as GoToMeeting makes it easy for employees to virtually join onsite meetings, or connect with and meet clients who they work with.
Benefits
Between payroll, PTO, health insurance, and 401K contributions, managing benefits is one of the major challenges involved with human resource management in any organization. It used to be the case that to find out how much paid time off you had or what your insurance deductible was or what your 401k contribution was, you had to directly ask the HR department or HR manager to give you a summary. With benefits administration software, employees are given a username and password upon hire to track their own benefits at any time. This change in human resource management not only saves HR departments time but also empowers employees, which is good for employee engagement.
Health and Wellness
Another change in human resources due to technology is how the concept of employee health and wellness is handled. Companies now know that wellness goes beyond just paying for a portion of an employee’s health insurance; encouraging health at the workplace gives a continuous boost to productivity and creativity and keeps health care costs down for employers.
Companies such as Kersch Health partner with organizations to help manage their health and wellness programs. Kersch uses Bluetooth technology to connect a KAM device or a Fitbit, which tracks user movement and logs calories burned with a user’s phone to help encourage movement and fitness. Employees earn points throughout the year, which they can cash in for money off their insurance deductible in the following year. Programs like these not only encourage employee health and shows they value their employees, but also helps businesses save money on their bottom line, due to reduced absenteeism and other health issues. It also gives HR departments an easy way to implement wellness programs and reap the benefits without adding major responsibilities to their already busy lives.
The challenges of human resource management in an organization might feel daunting to HR professionals, but HR departments don’t have to have all the answers or do it on their own. Technology allows for the implementation of programs and software so HR issues can be managed more easily. In turn, employees can focus on their projects and HR departments can ensure productivity and engagement for years to come.
