Salary dissatisfaction, lack of recognition and poor work-life balance are the fundamental frustrations of U.S. corporations, in line with human resources experts in the country.
A brand new survey of 1,000 human resources professionals revealed the biggest challenges facing employees today, in addition to the pain experienced by those tasked with solving HR problems in their departments.
Twenty-nine percent of respondents said feeling underpaid is the commonest source of worker dissatisfaction at their company, along with undervaluation (26%), lack of work-life balance (25%), and dissatisfaction with advantages (23%).
The study found that the commonest problems reported to HR stem from poor communication (44%), breaking rules (40%), toxic negativity (38%), and gossip (37%).
Training and upskilling talent (39%) and finding the right talent (36%) top the list of HR challenges. Meanwhile, 31% of HR professionals often deal with workplace etiquette issues, and 20% often mediate conflicts related to romance.
Hosted by Interviewee research The report commissioned by isolved on the occasion of Human Resources Specialist Day on September 26 also shows that only 9% of HR specialists complete their to-do list every day.
Nearly half (42%) of respondents work outside working hours, and 28% feel overwhelmed by the workload, estimating that to administer effectively they’d have to outsource 31% of their tasks to external entities.
To combat this, greater than three-quarters of HR professionals surveyed (77%) said it was vital that they were trained in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in their jobs.
Of those whose corporations have already implemented artificial intelligence, 81% said it is used in the workflow of their HR departments. On average, 34% of HR tasks are handled by artificial intelligence.
Seeing this unlock space for other pressing matters, greater than eight in 10 (81%) of individuals using AI to streamline and automate on a regular basis tasks reported an increased capability for human connection.
“In an ever-changing HR landscape, efficiency is critical,” said Amy Mosher, chief human resources officer at Isolved. “It is imperative that HR leaders advocate on behalf of their departments for advanced tools and resources that enable HR professionals to truly support employees. This study found that HR roles are extremely demanding, especially when it comes to solving interpersonal problems. Giving HR departments better tools and resources will enable them to be fully present so they can more effectively address sensitive challenges.”
Stories from the survey revealed some of the problems America expects HR departments to resolve, ranging from expected to sad to downright bizarre. In fact, 41% of HR professionals surveyed said that many of the interpersonal problems they were tasked with solving would shock the average person.
One respondent reported having to forestall strange rituals in a colleague’s office, while there have been several cases where employees brought unconventional animals, reminiscent of snakes or large reptiles, into the office without prior permission.
Other unusual incidents included incidents of stalking, contact with the interviewee’s indignant mother, and reports of a haunting in the workplace, which led to requests for an office exorcism.
Given these challenges, 30% of HR professionals feel mentally exhausted, 24% are burnt out, and 34% are considering a profession change.
Mosher added: “Advances in artificial intelligence and the use of better resources can reduce the burden on an already overburdened HR department, enabling better productivity and satisfaction in companies.”
Finally, when asked what they wanted the remainder of corporate America to know about HR professionals, 57% said they simply wanted everyone to know that “We are people too. We have feelings and hard days at work just like everyone else.”
Corporate America’s Biggest Frustrations
Image source: Talker Research