Indeed HR managers encounter several challenges in the workplace and struggle with productivity issues. These challenges include:
- Engaging the workforce
- Attracting talent to the organization
- Managing relationships
- Training and development activities
- Talent retention
- Diversity in the workplace
HR managers have their hands full with the above activities and club it with other recruitment tasks (that we haven’t mentioned). How can HR managers increase productivity in organizations? This is one of the most pressing issues that are most concerning to managers.
10 ways HR managers can increase productivity at the workplace
Productivity tip #1
Invest in automation tools
Isn't it draining to perform repetitive tasks in a loop? Imagine your HR team is neck-deep in piles of resumes and sorting candidates manually. These time-consuming yet important chores are necessary. However, this can be different if you use some resume parsing tool to automate the mundane so you may focus on the extraordinary.
Productivity tip #2:
Conduct an employee survey
Discover the roadblocks that hinder productivity by conducting an employee survey. Start by asking the obvious questions:
- Are you happy at work?
- How will you rate your experience of working with us?
- Do you understand the company career ladder and promotions?
- How would you rate your work-life balance?
Include questions about the workplace setting, distracting elements (if any), expectations from employers, etc.
Only ask questions about your company's offerings. However, the overall purpose is to identify and eliminate what is impeding staff productivity.
Productivity tip #3:
Embrace work flexibility
According to the Gartner 2021 Digital Worker Experience Survey, 43% of respondents claimed that flexibility of working hours helped them achieve more productivity, and 30% said that spending less or no time traveling made them more productive. So, how does a flexible work option help employees and managers? They reduce situational stress, allowing for better attention and productivity, resulting in happier employees and lower costs.
Some best practices to consider when developing a flexible work program for your company include the following:
- Define structured policies and processes
- Communicate effectively with distant employees and set up a communication mechanism with them
- Empower and train the managers to provide support to employees
Productivity tip #4:
Invest in employee engagement
When organizations invest in employee engagement, they experience better work outcomes and enhanced team compatibility. Although we understand that not one solution fits all, figuring out which approach will work best for your organization is essential. A few good ways to keep employees in high spirits are:
- Provide training and coaching
- Act on employee feedback
- Recognize and reward your employees
- Give credit to the individual or team involved
Productivity tip #5:
Use your phone and social media as little as possible
Diversions can help boost your performance and productivity but only to a certain level. If used excessively, distractions such as mobile and social media can hamper your daily work. Therefore one can lower the use of mobile and significantly increase work performance.
Productivity tip #6:
Make the most of your candidate pool
Make the most of your candidate pool, as you may find passive and active candidates in your talent database. Therefore, you have a well-documented and managed candidate database when the need arises.
Invest in a world-class ATS that allows you to save all information on candidates for future reference and quickly identify the best candidates in your candidate pool by using various criteria and keywords.
Productivity tip #7:
Promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace
Organizations that promote DEI take a major step towards addressing the threat to business continuity. In today's context, when the workforce is dispersed and employees work remotely, it's crucial to make amends to hiring biases. How can organizations overcome unconscious bias and promote DEI initiatives?
- Manage bias and foster more inclusive environments.
- Provide a fair opportunity for each employee.
- Actively engage in the diversity effort.
- Learn about different cultures, religions, and backgrounds represented by your colleagues.
- Hire individuals from diverse backgrounds
Conclusion
HR managers have significant challenges that lay ahead of them in 2023 and an equal amount of opportunities to reshape HR functions and strategies.
Finding innovative ways to address HR problems fosters collaboration with other company executives. HR issues are connected to larger changes in the business model and operations. These productivity tips will help you manage the workforce and foster DEI initiatives.
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