Pay dissatisfaction, lack of appreciation and poor work-life balance are corporate America’s top frustrations — according to the nation’s HR professionals.
A new survey of 1,000 HR professionals revealed the biggest challenges facing the workforce today, along with the pain points HR problem solvers feel in their departments.
Twenty-nine percent of respondents said feeling dissatisfied is the most common source of dissatisfaction for workers at their company, along with being underappreciated (26%), poor work-life balance (25%) and dissatisfaction with benefits (23%).
And according to the survey, the most common types of issues brought up in the HR department are rooted in poor communication (44%), rule violations (40%), toxic negativity (38%) and gossip (37%).
Training and onboarding 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 romance-related conflicts.
Run by Talker Research and commissioned by isolved for HR Professional Day in September. 26, the report also found that only 9% of HR professionals complete their to-do list every day.
Almost half (42%) of respondents work overtime, while 28% feel overwhelmed by their workload, estimating they would need to outsource 31% of their tasks to manage effectively.
To facilitate this, more than three-quarters of HR professionals surveyed (77%) said it is important for them to be trained to use AI (artificial intelligence) in their work roles.
Of those whose companies have already adopted AI, 81% said it is being used within their HR department’s workflow. And 34% of HR tasks are handled by AI, on average.
Seeing how this frees up space for other pressing issues, more than eight in 10 (81%) of those using AI to simplify and automate daily tasks reported increased capacity for interpersonal connections.
“In the ever-evolving HR landscape, efficiency is key,” said Amy Mosher, chief people officer at Isolved. “It is imperative that HR leaders advocate on behalf of their departments for advanced tools and resources that empower HR professionals to truly support workers. This study found that HR roles are incredibly challenging, especially when it comes to solving interpersonal issues. Providing HR departments with better tools and resources will allow them to be fully present so they can better address sensitive challenges effectively.”
The stories from the survey revealed some of the problems America is looking to HR to solve and ranged from the expected to the sad to the weird. In fact, 41% of HR professionals surveyed said that many of the interpersonal issues they are tasked with solving would shock the average person.
One respondent reported having to prevent strange rituals in a colleague’s office, while there were a few cases where employees brought unconventional pets, such as snakes or large reptiles, into the office without prior approval.
Other unusual occurrences included stalking incidents, dealing with an interviewee’s irate mother, and reports that the workplace was haunted, leading to requests for office exorcisms.
Given these challenges, 30% of HR professionals feel mentally drained, 24% are burned out, and 34% are considering a career change.
Mosher added, “AI advances and the adoption of better resources can ease the burden on an already stretched HR department, allowing for better productivity and happiness within companies.”
Finally, when asked what they wish the rest of corporate America knew about HR professionals, 57% said they simply want everyone to know that “We’re people, too. We have hard feelings and days at work, just like everyone else.”
CORPORATE AMERICA’S GREATEST FRUSTRATIONS
- Dissatisfaction with salary 29%
- Lack of assessment 26%
- Poor work-life balance 25%
- Lack of opportunities for career advancement 24%
- Dissatisfaction with benefits 23%
- Lack of support from leaders 19%
- Low morale 17%
- Dissatisfaction with paid leave 17%
- Lack of support from managers 16%
- Unrealistic expectations from clients/customers 16%
- Staying profitable in a competitive industry 16%
- Lack of transparency from leadership 15%
- Lack of connection within the workplace 15%
- Failure to evolve as workplaces in adopting new ideas and systems 14%
- Poor values/culture 10%
Survey methodology:
Talker Research surveyed 1,000 US HR professionals; the survey was commissioned by isolated and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between July 26 and August 6, 2024.
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