The pace of change in the workplace today comes at breakneck speed. Both workers and the organizations they work for are constantly seeking to upgrade skills and their knowledge base. Many feel the need for a nearly constant effort in order to keep up and stay relevant. In a recent article appearing at Forbes.com, a report conducted by Deloitte showed that 45% of the executives who participated in the survey said that learning for career growth and being compliant with government reporting were urgent problems for their organizations.
Even though today many workers can have a career life that extends 60 years, business leaders are finding that learning is a constant and that the half-life of newly learned skills is constantly being shortened. Executives and managers are increasingly looking to human resource professionals with the task of helping to enhance the careers of workers within their organizations and to help navigate the business in an increasingly competitive global marketplace.
HR professionals increasingly have to fulfill a number of roles that keep a business running smoothly in a number of areas. This is especially important in an era where compliance and making the wrong move can throw an entire operation into chaos.
Members of the nine-person Forbes Human Resource Council listed a number of challenges that they face on a day to day basis and how a business can be prepared to respond should the situation arise. Some of these areas are:
- Compliance, Education & Processes – Government mandates at every level have made it necessary for businesses to keep close tabs on far more information about their workers than ever. Lack of compliance adds steep price to a company’s bottom line, so education and processes are a must. According to LeRae Jacob, at Creative Door, human resource professionals have to be knowledgeable about compliance requirements and have processes for them in place to keep it all running smoothly.
- Have Solutions in place that Minimize Risk – Bridgette Wilder of Media Fusion suggests a three-pronged approach so that an organization can stay compliant and be able to pay for required benefits or be able to provide required data to the appropriate reporting entities. 1) Assess the risks in each area of compliance. 2) Identify and centralize resources and have standard operating procedures in place in order to manage those risks. 3) Document due diligence for each area of compliance.
- Understand the challenge of First Amendment Rights vs. Public Behavior of Workers – Social media has changed nearly everyone’s lives. However, when workers voice controversial opinions or behaviors online or in public, those opinions or actions can be construed as being those of their employer. In recent months, workers with controversial views even in exercising their First Amendment Rights have caused backlash not only personally but also against their employers. Such a situation can potentially lead to termination for an employee, even if they were off the clock. According to John Feldmann of Insperity, companies need to have a clear social media policy in place that is explained during the onboarding process.
- Choose Words with Care – Tiffany Servatius of Scott’s Marketplace knows that compliance words such as “harassment” and retaliation are hot-button issues for many. She also suggests that the way in which these words along with the word “discrimination” are often used too loosely in the business world. Company policies and guidelines should be specifically worded regarding these matters so that additional issues don’t arise as a result.
- Keeping Good Compliance Records & Worker Goals Aligned – John Mauk of WLR Automotive group advises that organizations need to ensure that workers understand their role with regard to compliance. If an employee doesn’t understand the relevance of compliance, it simply will not be a priority for them. When employees grasp the importance of compliance standards along with their other job responsibilities they more easily grasp why consistency in compliance is relevant. They also are more likely to participate in both organizational and personal goal setting.
- Maintaining a Balance – It can be a real challenge to make an organization a great place to work while still being able to keep track of all of the local, state and federal regulation requirements toward compliance. Most companies, if they want to stay relevant and be regarded as a good place to work will both have a respect for the rules and be able to create initiatives within their organizations for workers to advance their careers. In order to accomplish this, Rick DeVine of TalentSky, Inc. says, “Balance is the key.”
Many business managers find themselves feeling overwhelmed when it comes time to wrestle with issues of compliance and being a great place to work for their employees. HR professionals can do a great deal of this work, but even they may need help at times. Working with a PEO company can help you stay compliant and give you access to all of the relevant human resource data you need when you need it.
At EinsteinHR we work closely with our clients in order to ensure that they are in compliance with all federal, state and municipal requirements. Of course, we are also committed to helping you find the right person to fill any openings you have at your small to medium-sized company. We can help you get them up to speed with training and onboarding so that you can focus on running your business.
EinsteinHR also offers services to assist you in the administration of payroll, benefits, worker’s compensation and other benefits. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation to find out how we can benefit you.