What HR Issues and Challenges are Addressed by Contemporary HR Professionals and Line Managers? A Survey Evidence from the Czech Republic

Abstract

Research purpose. Succeeding in a changing business world means being familiar with emerging business trends, including issues and challenges related to human resources (HR). The paper investigates HR issues and challenges addressed by HR professionals and line managers of businesses in the Czech Republic. The investigation aims to uncover which HR issues are faced most often and which HR challenges are expected in the coming years to identify existing and potential HR issues and challenges that businesses should deal with to meet their needs. Design / Methodology / Approach. The investigation is founded on the reanalysis of data from the 2023 HR survey carried out by the Grafton Recruitment Czech Republic staffing agency at the end of 2022. The original data were provided by the co-author representing the staffing agency. The reanalysis was used to utilize the original data, to evaluate responses depending on the business type (manufacturing, non-manufacturing) and size (small, medium-sized, large), and to verify hypotheses concerning realized and planned changes in the number of employees. The original online survey addressed roughly a thousand clients of the staffing agency. The responses were obtained from 478 businesses across the Czech Republic that responded to thirty questions about their HR policies and plans. The reanalysis covers eight questions about their HR roles, issues, and challenges. The original data were not modified. To verify hypotheses, a non-parametric chi-square test of independence for a contingency table was used. To evaluate the degree of dependence between variables, a contingency coefficient was used. Findings. The surveyed businesses most often face HR issues of employee resourcing. The HR challenges they expect in the coming years concern the development of the employer brand, the introduction of digital and AI technologies, or the introduction of innovative organizational arrangements to hire suitable employees or replace the missing employees. The findings revealed a dependence between realized and planned changes in the number of employees. The realized increase and decrease in the number of employees referred to the planned increase and decrease in the number of employees. The findings revealed no significant differences in responses depending on the type (manufacturing and non-manufacturing) and size (small, medium-sized, and large) of businesses. Originality / Value / Practical implications. The findings bring original perspectives on existing and potential HR issues and challenges addressed by surveyed businesses in the Czech Republic. The findings contribute to the present theory and practice of employee resourcing by confirming the value of HR professionals and line managers in addressing staffing issues. The findings can be applied in the design of HR service delivery systems in different businesses by highlighting HR issues and challenges that businesses should focus on.