COVID-19 crisis has shifted business policies and employee preferences about remote work. While before, some managers and team leaders were reluctant to this way of working, the pandemic convinced them that it might actually be the best option. After 2020, the working culture of organizations shifted and even now, when the business sector is planning to resume operations, a lot of companies are considering continuing with remote collaboration between employees or adopting a hybrid model for the upcoming months.

These changes have influenced the way HR professionals do their jobs, bringing many challenges to their strategic planning and day-to-day activities. And it seems that the situation will not go back to normal anytime soon, which is why, as an HR expert, you must find out how to navigate each scenario and decide which one is the most suitable for your business reality.

Both employers and employees have changed their views on work, and that is why new solutions that can facilitate daily activities must be implemented. Fortunately, technology is your friend. There are plenty of software apps you can start using, but the ideal choice is going for a custom solution to help your HR department handle the workforce.

What are the greatest challenges of managing remote staff?

Because of the restrictions and social distancing recommendations, companies that moved their activity remote have been dealing with difficulties in managing remote staff. Uncertainty represented a threat for everyone, both businesses and people, which is why ensuring a stable work environment, even in remote conditions, has become a priority for organizations that need to keep growing despite the pandemic. For HR people, there have been many issues in terms of community engagement and work culture, but here are some of the most common ones:

Fortunately, these obstacles can be overcome through a joint effort, but also through the implementation of optimal software solutions. The demand for custom apps for HR departments has increased considerably during the past year, and for good reason: a tool that is suitable for your company can work wonders and imperceptibly improve activity. Here is what custom HR software can do for you:

Reduce the risk of mistakes
Using custom software to manage certain activities in the HR department will reduce the risk of human errors especially in some of the most laborious areas of the department, such as payroll or leave days. Automation will replace manual operations, and this is definitely a game-changer for HR professionals, who will no longer find themselves under the pressure of not making any mistake.

Ensure transparency
With the new remote working pattern, both managers and employees need to rethink the way they see the professional environment and build trust. With custom software, which answers the particular needs of your company, you can give everyone access to the same information, to eliminate communication bottlenecks between teams and team members. This way, everyone will be on the same page as far as information is concerned.

Improve performance
A custom software solution will significantly increase the efficiency of your HR team and thus enhance performance. Manual data entry will disappear, as well as paperwork, which was already a serious issue for companies even before the pandemic. Repetitive tasks will be replaced by more time to think about strategies and initiatives that can grow the business and keep employees engaged.

Empower workers
Since the data will be available to every employee, they will be able to manage certain administrative tasks themselves. For instance, they can handle their leave requests or attendance sheets, see approvals or remove demands, in certain circumstances. Team leaders can accept requests automatically because the entire flow is pre-established through the application.