Managing
change, too much paperwork, and motivating staff, are the three work issues
keeping HR professionals from a decent night’s sleep.
Research
into the top concerns of HR managers – conducted by HR and IT specialists,
Snowdrop Systems – found 40 per cent of them lay awake at night worrying about
work.
More
than half of the 120 HR professionals surveyed believe their job is more
stressful now than it was a year ago, with 60 per cent admitting they are now
more anxious about work than they used to be.
Although
two-thirds worry about being burdened with too much administration and
motivating staff, it was change management that they really lost sleep over,
with 67 per cent citing it as their main concern.
Chief
executive of Snowdrop Systems Michael Richards said it was no surprise that the
inherently stressful task of managing change topped the list. But he was
surprised that “too much administration” came a close second.
“Addressing
the issue of ‘having too much administration to do’ requires a concerted
effort, he said. "The starting point is to question the way everything is
done, when it is done and crucially, by whom.”
The
top concerns of HR professionals
Issue %
Change
management 67
Having too much administration to do 66
Motivating staff 66
Own career progression 61
HR being taken seriously by the board 56
Employment legislation 54
Performance management 51
Absence management 43
Cost control 43
Finding and keeping talented people 41
Benchmarking 30
Succession planning 30
Data Protection Act 24
Diversity 21
By
Paul Yandall
