The HR department plays a critical role in managing a company’s workforce. Its responsibilities range from recruitment, training, retention, productivity, payroll, and health and safety. It is also responsible for managing HR issues relating to diversity, discrimination and disciplinary processes, as well as ensuring a positive experience for all employees.
With so many roles and responsibilities, it can be difficult to stay on top of everything. It is therefore vital to have access to the right data at all times so that your HR professionals keep their finger on the pulse. The right HR software solution can help you centralise your data and streamline your processes. This can help you increase productivity and performance and improve the overall employee experience.
- Common HR Issues: Employee Retention
- Employee Recruitment
- Productivity and HR Issues
- Payroll and HR Issues
- Disciplinary Processes
- Diversity and Discrimination
- Health and Safety
- Factorial HR to Effectively Manage HR Issues
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Common HR Issues: Employee Retention
Improving retention levels is a top priority for all HR departments. Between recruiting and onboarding, replacing an employee can cost 50-60% of an employee’s yearly salary. As an employer, it is important to identify why some people leave your company, and why others stay. Are there any HR issues impacting your retention levels? What can you do to prevent employees from leaving in the future?
You also need to create a solid employee retention plan. By prioritising employee retention, your HR team can reduce costs, keep your best talent, and enhance the culture and profitability of your business.
Consider the following:
- A fair remuneration policy: are your employees receiving a fair salary in line with industry standards?
- Incentives: do you offer any incentives to help attract and retain top talent? Bonuses are the obvious solution, but more creative incentives such as stock options, flexible working solutions, wellness programmes or sabbaticals can help boost your retention levels even further.
- Culture: have you nurtured a culture in your organisation based on transparency, learning and development? Do you value employee input? Are your employees happy and engaged?
Factorial’s all-in-one software solution can help you provide your employees with a more collaborative and engaging work experience. You can use the software to design your incentives policy and manage your salary review. You can also use the platform to distribute regular employee surveys. Not only will this help you gather valuable feedback but it will also help your employees feel valued and appreciated.
Employee Recruitment
Employee retention starts with employee recruitment. If you find the right people for your company from the start then they will be more likely to stay. Your recruitment policy should go beyond skills, qualifications and experience. You also need to make sure that the people you hire are a good fit for your culture and environment.
Start by conducting an audit of your recruitment and onboarding processes. You should also review your job profiles and budgets. Are you investing enough in making sure you find the best candidates for your business? Having the proper process in place for selecting candidates is crucial.
You might consider using an Applicant Tracking System (ATS). An ATS is essentially a platform that is responsible for collecting candidate information, allowing the recruiter to easily organise and hone in on the applicant pool. This can help you manage the hiring process better and optimise and automate your processes as much as possible. It can also save you time and money in the long run as you are more likely to find the right person for the job.
Productivity and HR Issues
Many HR issues these days relate to employee productivity. This is especially relevant since the start of the pandemic and the rise of remote working. With many people working from home, you need to ensure you have an effective and measurable system for measuring employee output. Solutions usually include features for tracking and monitoring progress reviews, reporting, goal setting, real-time feedback and rewards for improved performance.
There are many factors that can impact productivity:
- Low motivation levels
- A lack of training and resources
- Poor working practices
- A lack of support and guidance
The first step to address this issue is to carry out an analysis of productivity levels in your company. Which departments are experiencing issues? What could be affecting productivity? Can you trace the source? Once you have conducted your analysis you might consider implementing a software solution to effectively track and monitor performance levels in your company. Performance management software will also help you establish clear KPIs so that your employees know what is expected of them. You also need to make sure you conduct regular staff appraisals. This will help you identify any potential issues with HR in advance and take steps to address any problems before it becomes a bigger problem.
Payroll and HR Issues
As an HR professional, it is vital that you maintain records about salary, benefits, bonuses and attachments of earnings. You also need to make sure you pay your employees what they are owed, taking into account factors such as sick leave and holiday pay. If you fail to effectively manage your payroll processes then it can lead to a number of HR issues. If employees regularly receive incorrect or delayed payments then it can have a huge impact on productivity, morale and retention levels, not to mention the extra work that will fall on the shoulders of your department.
Factorial’s software solution can streamline your payroll processes, saving your time and money. With our solution, you can manage everything that affects your company monthly payroll, including medical leave, time off, and contract updates. You can track changes that affect your employees’ payroll by generating personalised reports. What’s more, your data will always be protected thanks to a powerful encryption system and single access for each user.
Disciplinary Processes
Another important HR role is managing internal disciplinary processes. If you have concerns about an employee’s work, conduct or attendance then the issue needs to be addressed as soon as possible. Failure to address HR issues such as these will not only affect the employee in question, but it will also have an impact on other employees within their department. For example, if an employee is persistently late or unproductive, then it will be on their colleagues to pick up the slack. If ignored, this could eventually impact the performance of the entire department. Be proactive, not reactive.
When it comes to disciplinary processes, there are a few things to consider. Firstly, make sure you have a clearly defined procedure for managing disciplinary issues, and apply it consistently throughout your company (no exceptions!). Secondly, keep a record of all communications so that you have written evidence of your claims. Thirdly, hold regular meetings with the employee in question so that both parties can voice their concerns and work together to find a solution. Finally, a reliable document management system can help you maintain accurate, reliable and secure records of all stages of the disciplinary process.
Diversity and Discrimination
Diversity, equity, and inclusion is a strategic approach organisations adopt to create a more diverse and inclusive workforce. It aims to create a working environment that benefits all employees, regardless of gender, ethnic background, socioeconomic background, and mental and physical ability, among others. Aside from nurturing an inclusive work environment, an effective diversity and discrimination policy can also protect you against any potential claims of unfair dismissal. It also helps you ensure compliance with the Equality Act (2010) which states that employees must not be discriminated against due to age, race, sexuality, gender or gender identity.
Make sure you have a clear policy for diversity in the workplace. This policy should be communicated to all new and existing employees and included in your employee handbook. You should also provide regular training so that your employees are aware of any unconscious bias. Encourage employees to stand up to inappropriate behavior. Finally, keep a record of demographics as well as any workplace incidents which could involve discrimination. If any issues arise, make sure you record all information in your document management system and store it for future reference.
Health and Safety
HR issues related to health and safety at work must be a priority for your department at all times. If you don’t address any identified issues, it could impact the wellbeing of your employees: your most important asset. And don’t forget that H&S includes mental health awareness, more relevant than ever with rising levels of employee burnout as an effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. Time tracking software is a good way to identify employees who are regularly working long hours or overtime.
As an employer, you have a number of legal obligations relating to health and safety. You must ensure compliance with regulations including The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (1999), The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations (1992) and The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations (1992). If you work in manufacturing then you also need to be aware of regulations relating to PPE, handling machinery and accident reporting.
You need to conduct regular risk assessments, and make sure all workers are safe at all times. You also need to ensure employees have access to adequate facilities and an ergonomic working environment. Appoint managers to oversee workplace health and safety, provide workers with occupational H&S training, and create and distribute a comprehensive health and safety policy. And most importantly, keep detailed records of all H&S incidents. Health and Safety is no accident!
Factorial HR to Effectively Manage HR Issues
As we have seen, Factorial HR offers a number of solutions to help you effectively manage all your HR processes. The number one thing to consider with any of the HR issues we have discussed is easy access to data. This will help you provide a swift resolution to any problems that may arise.
With Factorial’s integrated software solution you will have the storage, retrieval and analysis tools required to respond to employment issues and improve efficiency at every level of your company. Our features include time tracking, time off management, applicant tracking systems, shift management, performance management, reporting and analytics, and document management. And what’s more, our platform is intuitive and super easy to use. This saves valuable time for you and your employees so that you can focus on the bigger picture: the bottom line of your business.
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Written by Cat Symonds; Edited by James Fisher
