HR efficiency is essential in times of crisis

The economic crisis brings the spotlight onto HR performance

In a context of economic crisis, galloping inflation, and energy costs that we can barely cope with, the need to review expenses, in general, has already come to the attention of everyone, whether people or companies.

If we are not very careful during this period and if we do not prepare diligently for what is to come, we risk having big financial problems that some of us will not be able to cope with. In this sense, the efficiency of processes and all activities in a company, moreover, is absolutely necessary to be able to survive in the market during this period.

Acquiring the best talent

The same is true for HR departments. They have the difficult task of attracting the right talent at the lowest possible cost and with minimum effort. Here, then, are the main approaches that an HR department must have in order to successfully manage the processes of recruiting and retaining top talent in a difficult market context. 

P.S. In case you're wondering why a PR and marketing consultancy is giving their opinion on such a topic, well, because we're involved in various employer branding projects with our clients, but also because we're the kind of company attentive to market trends and we like to pass on information that can be useful to others.

Digitisation and automation are a "must"

After two years of remote work, in 2022, digitisation is already a reality, which has touched almost all aspects of human resources management.

In the near future, advanced HR technology solutions will continue to significantly change the dynamics of the workplace through automation. Thus, carrying out monotonous tasks such as going through CVs, creating reports, informing employees and many others have been reduced from the duties of the HR department.

Companies need to invest more and more in automated payroll systems and various modern programs so that HR staff can focus on satisfying employees and creating a satisfying environment for them.

Moreover, an all-in-one cloud-based HR software is no longer a "nice to have" but rather a "must have" to streamline time and streamline processes.

HR employees will thus be able to focus on learning a single core employee management application using integrated single-view applications instead of learning numerous new software platforms. Having a central site for employee communication reduces communication gaps and information loss.

Increasing the speed of recruitment

It is quite common for an HR professional to be turned down by a suitable candidate who has accepted another role because it took too long to receive the offer.

In a competitive market, the ability to quickly move candidates through the recruiting process can make the difference between receiving a negative response or a positive response from a candidate who seems perfect for the open position.

Not only does speed provide an edge over other companies in winning top talent, but speed is also simply what today's candidate is used to getting in the age of speed.

A company that does not have such a capacity can be seen as not adapted to the present, which is a big minus for attracting any employee.

HR departments need to have all the necessary tools to react in real time. And a well-designed recruitment process is imperative, without the need for approvals from multiple directions to make final decisions.

Streamlining the onboarding process

Many companies have been forced, for the first time in 2020, to hire people without ever meeting them in person, and although we are now much more confident and familiar with online meetings and video calls, creating a positive team spirit is still a challenge then when limited by virtual spaces.

The way a new employee is perceived by colleagues is essential - for a confidence boost from the start. That's why HR departments around the world will make creating a positive onboarding experience one of their biggest priorities this year.

This includes launching mentorship programs, organising more hybrid social media events, identifying effective feedback models, and introducing colleagues through interesting videos.

Research by Glassdoor has found that an effective onboarding process can improve employee retention by up to 82%.

Data analysis and active listening

As the workforce evolves, HR departments are increasingly using data and data analytics as part of their decision-making process.

HR needs to move away from intuition and embrace data to make informed and confident decisions. HR must be a vital source of value generation and therefore must be trained in analytics and strategy.

The more organisations keep track of metrics like turnover rate, absenteeism, hire rate, candidate pool diversity, employee acceptance rate and more, the better they can strategise their staffing needs and uncover solutions to difficult problems that sometimes arise unexpectedly - like the COVID-19 pandemic.

HR managers will continue to be increasingly driven by big data, from personalized marketing plans to real-time data to monitor and adapt to evolving trends. As such, HR will need to take a more marketing-like approach, tailoring its communication and policies to achieve this.

Adopting cyber security practices for a secure work environment

With billions of devices connected to the internet and containing sensitive data, cybersecurity has become a hot topic, not only for businesses, IT and HR but for every individual.

Employees need to learn how to secure not only sensitive company data, but also their own personal data - personally identifiable information, health information, banking data, and intellectual property.

Companies have witnessed new cyber security challenges, especially since the implementation of the remote work model. In recent years, there has been an alarming increase in cyber threats, with phishing and malware being the most common threats.

Along with specialised IT teams, HR teams must ensure that employees are properly trained to guard against possible attacks that could harm the company or even themselves.

The complexity and scale of business objectives in 2023 are driving companies to be increasingly flexible and adopt unique human capital management solutions to keep pace with workforce expectations and realities.

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Lighthouse PR, based in Bucharest, and its management team sit on the EU SME Development board and the CMO Council. It is also a valued member of the prestigious Crisis Communication Network Europe.  It is the only member in Romania and SEE, with network offices in 14 countries across the EU.