The 3 major workforce pain points for Canadian firms 

The Canadian Trends in Workforce Management survey released recently by management solutions provider Kronos Inc., collected data from 205 participants made up of managers, directors and executives with human resources, finance and operations functions in their organizations.

The survey emphasized the need for automation in the workforce, a business that Kronos is involved in. However, the survey will be very useful for decision makers because it takes a closer look at what organizations perceive as their major pain points and how it is impacting their performance. The survey investigated two main interest areas: The workforce management activity challenges faces today by organizations; and the automated processes and tools in place to support those activities.

The survey suggest that implementing automated workforce management tools and processes can help organizations reduce cost, boost productivity and enhance efficiency levels.

A large majority of organizations surveyed are struggling to get a better handle on workforce costs and productivity, according to Kronos. The workforce management activities most commonly cited as presenting major challenges are:

1. Having access to real-time costs and productivity data

2. Assessing labour performance across product lines/business units

3. Assessing the cost of absenteeism

According to the survey findings, the least commonly implemented automated tools and processes, which represent areas of opportunity for cost savings and efficiency gains, include:

1. Dashboards to provide real-time insight into cost, productivity, overtime, and absences

2. Mobile (tablet, phone) timesheets

3. Labour forecasting software based on historical/seasonal sales or production demand

4. Automated call list generation to replace absent employees

5. Electronic alerts and controls for paid and unpaid leave

Organizations typically seek three primary benefits by automating workforce management activities: cost control, improved employee productivity, and better workforce planning, the survey concluded.

While the survey revealed a wide variation in the number and types of automated processes and tools Canadian organizations have in place to support workforce management activities, the vast majority of participants are still in the tactical phase of the workforce management technology maturity model.

Organizations need to think in terms of making step-by-step improvements as they move up the maturity curve to address more complex challenges, according to Kronos.

Shared responsibility, properly governed, can help ensure that multiple viewpoints are considered when establishing workforce management strategies and policies, and when implementing supporting tools and processes, the survey found.

Click here, to download the Canadian Trends in Workforce Management