Working 9 to 5 - are you happy?

What is the biggest challenge for Human Resources (HR)?

There is an old saying that the next hardest thing to finding a good employee is keeping that employee. That is changing as morale and productivity have become of great focus.

A survey backing up this change was completed by ComPsych Corporation which focused on what will be the challenge for HR for the next six months. In the lead was employee morale and productivity.

With the downturn in the economy the employees of many companies saw cut backs on staffing and little or no raise. 2009 was a tough year for the front lines. Staff has been asked to do more and get paid less. The Christmas bonus wasn't there nor the Thanksgiving turkey. Many employees are becoming fed up.

How does a manager deal with a tight budget and work overloads? To try and control workplace discontent has become the biggest issue. Richard A. Chaifetz, Chairman and CEO of ComPsych stated, “The morale and productivity issue has far surpassed concerns over health care legislation and organizational change.” “Managers must take steps to ensure employees receive recognition and that workloads and other issues related to morale, such as opportunities for growth and development, are addressed,” he added.

When asked what the biggest challenge would be for an HR manager this month, the answers were:

31% – Maintaining employee productivity and morale
26% – Dealing with health care costs and new legislation
16% – Finding qualified candidates
14% – Handling organizational change
13% – Retaining top performers

What is important to you as an employee? Are you ready to change jobs or your career path? Are you content with your current situation?

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