A human resources (HR) management department’s responsibilities have expanded and become more complex in recent years. Moreover, HR is just as pressured as other departments within a company to find ways to work more efficiently and lower costs.
Here are some of the most significant challenges that these trends are creating for HR departments — in companies of all sizes in the full range of verticals — which software developers can help solve:
1Hiring employees
Ravi Raj, the CEO and Founder of Passage AI, says this represents one of the largest challenges HR departments have to overcome. “Most HR departments find it difficult to identify the right people for the company’s needs,” says Raj.
Also, people with specialized skills may be in short supply. Raj says artificial intelligence (AI) technology can benefit HR departments to locate the right talent. “AI is being used to identify the best candidates for a position,” he says. “AI has essentially become a more efficient work ‘matchmaker’ and helps HR teams identify passive candidates that could be a great fit for the company.”
Raj adds, “HR professionals are using AI and machine learning software to automate repetitive tasks like sifting through hundreds of resumes every day, entering data and approving vacation requests, so their time is freed up to support existing staff as well as reach out to and pitch potential candidates.”
2Retaining employees
Once a company finds the best people for their team, they need to shift their focus to retaining them and making the investment they’ve made in recruiting and training pay off. Raj advises “creating and maintaining an environment that fosters camaraderie, collaboration, and innovation within the organization” to increase employee retention rates.
It may also be helpful to give employees a voice through communications platforms that enable them to suggest improvements or point out disconnects — and enable managers to assure them that they hear them.
3Workforce planning
HR departments are also responsible for keeping a big-picture view of the workforce. They can benefit from software that helps them analyze the current workforce, forecast labor needs, identify gaps and find the best ways to fill them. Workforce planning will ensure labor is optimized by making the best use of the company’s current resources.
4Managing documentation
HR departments must have all employees complete forms required by law, keep records of information related to healthcare and other benefits — and comply with corporate paper-reduction policies.
Raj suggests, “HR departments can manage information and records by securely storing them in the cloud. Doing this will ensure regular backups, monitoring and access anywhere anytime.”
Solutions you provide can enable searchability, archiving, and finding obsolete records so they can be destroyed.
5Data security
Raj points out that most HR departments have made data security a very high priority. “Employee information like compensation, performance and age is very sensitive. When such data gets leaked, it can lead to a lot of chaos and morale issues within the organization, so HR departments make data security an integral aspect of how they manage HR records,” he explains.
The security and access control solutions you provide can help HR departments protect their systems and employee data.
6Compliance and legal issues
Laws and regulations related to employment and benefits change and increase. The compliance burden can be substantial, especially for small HR departments in businesses that are subject to numerous laws.
Providing software solutions that help HR departments manage compliance requirements and reporting can deliver ROI by saving time and avoiding costly issues such as fines or defense against legal action.
Must-Have HR Software Features
When you design software for HR departments, there are some other features to keep in mind. Software should include or integrate with tools that allow HR professionals to monitor and evaluate their workforces. The solution should also alert the HR department when required documentation is missing or incomplete, and provide a way to communicate with employees.
HR departments are looking for solutions. Is your company up to the challenge?
