What do clowns, claws, and compliance all have in common? Hopefully, the answer is not that they all cause you to tremble in fear! While we can’t do much to help you with your coulrophobia, our guide can help you face the horrors of HR. Not only will we spell out the major concerns, we’ll be the proverbial mob to your Frankenstein monster and help you tackle the issues haunting you this Halloween.

Plagued by Paperwork…“Nothing will stop it!”

Much like the Blob, paperwork is that slow-moving monster that devours everything in its path. If you’re still having new hires fill out a stack of papers and then mailing, faxing, or filing that info, you’re going to be up to your eyeballs in unnecessary paperwork. That paperwork is only going to grow as employees get transferred, promoted, and leave the company. What started out as a single neat filing cabinet has slowly grown to take over the office (and next, the world!).

Freeze your paperwork creep by making your HR digital with Zenefits. Our platform is not only free to use, it’s also paper-free! You can issue hiring letters, administer benefits, and keep track of PTO dates all online. Employees can enter in all of their necessary information, choose their insurance, and even view their insurance card on their phone. Don’t let paperwork eat you alive!

Recruiting Nightmare…“It’s a full moon!”

According to a SHRM poll, recruiting is one of the top 5 concerns for HR professionals. The real fear with recruiting is getting all the people you need, when you need them. If you only recruit once in a blue moon, or only as a need arises, you’re going to find yourself facing some hairy hiring situations!

Rather than waiting for an employee to leave the company, it’s better to always be on the hunt for the best talent out there. For example, you can include a general ad on your careers page with the phrase, “We’re always looking for new talent,” which allows people of all skillsets to apply to your company at any time. Or, create a LinkedIn page just for potential candidates to chat with current employees, similar to Riot Games. Such communication keeps candidates continually engaged and grows relationships, which can, when the need arises, turn into job opportunities.

Treating recruiting as an ongoing process, then, can be a silver bullet to your hiring concerns. Further, you can look internal and develop the talent you already have–you never know what a person can transform into if encouraged. Don’t let recruiting worries turn you into an animal!

Swamped with Compliance…“Braaains”

It feels like everywhere you look there is a new compliance regulation and what started out as a single concern is spreading, with no sign of slowing down. Sometimes the issues are slow moving, shuffling towards you, and you have time to prepare, while other times they seem to come at you at superhuman speed. If you let it, compliance can eat up all your time and drain the life out of you.

But, this doesn’t have to be the case–you can fight back against the seemingly never ending wave of compliance. For instance, most states have their own department of labor websites that outline specific compliance issues. They even go so far as supplying you with resources to help you stay compliant, like required posters.

At Zenefits, we’ll also make sure your compliance is a no-brainer–we’ve got a number of resources and guides, as well as free-to-use tools that help you take a bite out of your compliance requirements. Make sure your compliance problems stay dead!

Concocting Culture…“It’s alive!”

Creating a culture that attracts talent and plays a part in employee retention is not an easy task, yet it is one of the top issues facing HR pros today. What can be even worse than no culture, is when companies try to force culture by sewing together a patchwork of ideas that don’t resonate with employees. You can’t just buy a ping pong table, some bagels and schmear, add a little lightening and declare that your company culture is alive!

So, how do you create and cultivate culture? You don’t need to be a mad scientist to figure it out, because often times the little things go a long way: if employees have ideas for happy hour hangouts, office parties, or other team building activities, managers should encourage employees to share their suggestions. Managers should also enable and empower those activities by not taking them over, but providing resources and support to make them happen. The creation of culture should be collaborative–every Frankenstein needs an Igor.

Think about what is important to your company and foster those things by putting time, money, and energy into them. Encourage the people you have and think about your cultural ideals when hiring. Cultivating culture can be a great way to make sure you keep your mob from turning angry. It’s important to cultivate an organic culture–don’t create a monster!

A Looming Lack of Leaders…“What a terrible curse!”

With a large number of Baby Boomers looking to retire, HR professionals know that they’re going to face a lack of leadership in the upcoming decade. Unfortunately, resurrecting experienced leaders isn’t an option. Rather than being cursed with a shortage of managers, you need to begin to think now about employee retention and development so that you aren’t in a bind in the years to come.

One place you can look is the growing population of millennial workers. Recruiters may think that they aren’t likely to stick around, so what’s the point in pumping time and money into them? Such an attitude becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy: no one invests in millennials because ‘they won’t stick around’ and millennials don’t feel invested in, so they don’t stick around.

Don’t bury your potential leaders with doubt, rather make your employee’s development a priority. For instance, schedule coding classes during the workweek and pay for that time and the class. Or, pay for employees to attend leadership seminars. The money you spend now, can pay dividends.

Develop a program that ensures your current employees will be with the company for the next millennium and avoid getting wrapped up in worry over a lack of leaders!

Hair-Raising Retention Rates…“I want to suck your blood.”

Employees are the lifeblood of your company, and if you lose them, you’re likely to be starved for talent. Retaining the people you have is an issue that can drain even the most seasoned HR vet. So, how do you mesmerize your key employees to stay? A single tactic isn’t going to be the nail in the retention coffin, rather, go with a multi-pronged approach.

For example, every year you should review your benefits and salary package to ensure you are staying up to date with the market and with your competitors. You should also consider offering more fringe benefits like a flexible work schedule so that if employees prefer to spend their nights working and their days sleeping, for whatever reason, you can accommodate.

Keeping those you count on will also require you to invest in them by promoting their education and growth and transforming them into the leaders you need. Don’t be afraid to place a stake in your employee’s future!

This Halloween, if you’re still haunted by a number of traditional HR headaches, who you gonna call?

The post 6 Issues Haunting Your HR and How to Exorcise Them appeared first on Zenefits Blog.