Author: Dee

5 min read

There’s a hotel in Tokyo where you’ll find dinosaurs instead of employees at the check-in desk. Room service is catered by machines, and the prehistoric animatronics deliver your baggage to you room. It’s a hotel with very few human staff members. Turns out, there’s a lot of tasks that a robot dinosaur can do just as well as a person.

One skill we haven’t yet managed to automate, is empathy. And now employees in Ireland are heading back into the office, business leaders – specifically those in HR – must lean on their empathetic skills in order to build a location independent model that actually works.

Employees are experiencing a whole host of complicated emotions in the run up to the great return. Some can’t wait to reconnect with their colleagues in person. Others dread drudging back to the office, after discovering the perks of remote work.

Employers are conflicted. In Ireland, any member of staff has the right to request remote working, but there’s no legislation just yet. The national remote work strategy provides a roadmap for employers and employees alike, but hybrid working still feels like new territory.

Concerns around health, wellbeing, productivity, and culture are felt by employers and employees alike. As employees decide on whether or not to vaccinate, making sure everyone feels safe and supported will only be possible through deep understanding and communication.

Remote working has given individuals the opportunity to spend more time with their families, avoid lengthy commutes, and rediscover old hobbies and passions. At the same time, many individuals have been isolated, disconnected and disheartened by a lack of in-person collaboration, and rarely switching off from work.

HR teams will have to exercise their empathetic capabilities. Because work has never felt this personal before. Employees are in different environments, using different equipment, with different personal lives to manage. The unity that comes with being in the same place, on the same chairs, with the same people feels like a distant memory.

Bringing them all together again, whether that’s in the office, remotely, or a combination of the two, is no mean feat. Policies and systems need to speak to the collective group, while addressing individual needs. Processes need to be cohesive for remote and in-house workers, to ensure no one is alienated for their choice of location.

Most importantly, businesses shouldn’t let location get in the way of maintaining engagement and retaining top talent.

Man drinking coffee while working from home

Understanding the cultural shift

The return to the office (or continuation of remote work) should serve businesses and employees alike. Making this a reality will likely fall into the hands of HR leaders, who will need to grasp how employees’ perceptions of work have changed during the pandemic.

In a study by the Office of National Statistics (ONS), employees cited improved work life balance as the greatest benefit of home working. Instead of fitting life around work, people are now choosing fit work around life.

The challenge for businesses is how they speak to the individual wants and needs of employees. Provide a blanket policy on home working, and you’ll marginalise the employees who don’t have access to a good remote working environment. Demand that all staff return to the office, and you’ll alienate the individuals who were just as productive outside of it.

The likeliest scenario is that some of your employees will want to come into the office, and others will want to work from home. Plenty of them will choose a combination of the two. According to a remote working national survey, 94% of employees wanted to continue working remotely beyond the pandemic.

These changes to working culture have also been reflected in government policy, where all employees in Ireland now have the right to request remote work. Along with the national remote work strategy, which provides a roadmap for employers and employees alike, legislation is expected as early as September 2021.

Returning with empathy and flexibility

Remote working during a pandemic isn’t quite the same as remote working outside of a global crisis. If your perspective on working from home was defined by the last 18 months, it’s probably inaccurate.

Employees would have faced personal pressures that likely remained unknown during the pandemic. Behind a screen, and without the in-person contact that comes with a physical workspace, it’s much easier to mask those difficulties.

It’s important to consider how these remote working experiences have changed employees’ priorities. Searches for remote jobs hit a record high last year, and individuals will continue to seek out businesses with a flexible approach to location in the future. Brands demonstrating rigidity in their working policies are likely to fall behind their open-minded competitors in the search for talent.

The most powerful thing HR leaders can do to ease the transition towards hybrid or office working is to ensure structures are there to support open, collaborative, and trustworthy relationships with all workers. Regardless of where they choose to set up their desk.

Keeping tabs on employee information through a centralised HR system can aid this understanding. If HR leaders have a good knowledge of how and where employees like to work, they can design a strategy with those things in mind.

Employee data can also be used to stimulate conversation; if productivity has dipped for some remote workers and peaked for others, HR leaders might want to discuss how this can be addressed. Beyond the pandemic, employers should look to assess their working locations on a regular basis. Not just in light of the pandemic, but in response to employee responses and performance data.

Using an HR platform with performance management features makes monitoring a breeze. Guided by the metrics, HR leaders can assess the impact of their remote working and hybrid working structures, and design solutions that speak to unique challenges posed by this transition.

The use of tech forms part of a wider perspective – the right tools and systems can enable empathy, instead of impeding it. Employees who wish to take control of their schedules can embrace project management tools and platforms that work for them. Given the freedom to manage their work in a way that suits them, employees are likely to feel more engaged and trusted by their bosses. Which is a win for everyone.

Speak to HRLocker about returning to work and managing your remote employees.

Vaccinations in the workplace – Why you must express empathy was last modified: September 27th, 2023 by Nikki O Hagan

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4 min read

Managing and monitoring staff absence sucks a lot of time from HR departments or those responsible for people management, especially in small businesses.

When the busy summer holiday months come around, or when winter and back-to-school bugs tear through your headcount, you need something to make life easier. You need to ensure that your team receives timely, accurate responses and has sufficient data to base decisions on that enhance your management approach.

You need Absence Management Software if...

  • You’re spending time recording leave and absence: Whether you already use absence management software or not, you need to be aware of the time the process takes on both sides—yours and your employee's.
  • You’re regularly making and correcting mistakes. Your staff is getting too little or too much leave according to their entitlements. Are there regular differences of opinion on this?
  • You have requests filed by paper and left on your desk. Or have trouble finding them in your inbox. Is your system watertight enough to avoid any ‘what’s the latest version of that file – and where is it?’ issues?
  • During busy request periods, can you systematically and instantly see which request was filed first and who has priority? 

If you're still unsure, ask yourself these questions:

  • Have you got an official Absence Management Policy in place?
  • Are you accurately recording sick days? Are there trends and patterns? Are they plain to see at a glance? When you see certain individuals are regularly sick on a particular day of the week, you can act accordingly to work with that individual to find a solution to overcome the cause.
  • How are you recording the causes of absence? Do you have a repository at your fingertips of all the sick notes you need for each absence related to each staff member?
  • If you had a legal case from a past or present employee, for example, would you have all their files in one place, with accurate, complete record-keeping of their work patterns, punctuality, and absence levels?

If the answer is no, help yourself with Absence Management Software

If absence records have self-service elements,  such as uploading doctors’ notes or certificates, you will have even more free time. If you use timesheets, you’ll know who was at work or not to check the system on who should have recorded a day off and why.

Self-service elements also offer other time-saving benefits, including allowing employees to check their own leave balances without needing to request information.

 

 

When these checks and self-service elements can be made using any device, from a desktop browser to a mobile app, without operating-system-dependent issues that slow down the process, you will have brought your request and response times in line with modern expectations.

Knowing patterns of absence can allow you to plan in advance for busy periods and have more economical, suitable replacements in the wings ahead of time.

Absence software automation will help illustrate up-to-the-minute leave balances with either visual presentations or data exports.

Setting up an absence management system should be intuitive and fast. There’s no point in having a super system if it takes too much time to set up and deploy—plus the team has to like the experience, and the leadership team should have positive buy-in.

Even if you have efficient manual paper-based systems now, how can you be sure annual leave calculations are correct and made consistently?

Part-leave-year calculations are notoriously difficult to get right. A management system will deliver instant responses using consistent methods.

Do you have any idea how much absences cost you? Without a reporting function, you won’t be able to track missed days with the specific costs associated with an employee.

If you make compensation, benefits, and salary details reportable alongside missed days, you will have all the data you need at your fingertips.

We often hear that the ability to track and act on repeated unnecessary costs, such as absences, delivers almost instant ROI to customers. Let alone the usual admin-associated savings.

Of course, not all absence is associated with checking up on staff or trying to pinpoint troublesome team members.

Being able to measure jury service days, and the impact of maternity or long-term sickness leave, allows you to review your policies and make provisions for cover to ensure a happy team feels supported and valued so that morale levels are kept high and that nobody is feeling stretched to provide cover.

Successfully managing employee absences using holiday management software is vital to anyone running a business, especially a small business.

Staff absenteeism affects productivity, costs money and has a massive influence on well-being and company morale.

The more control you have over absence management, the more you and your team will reap the rewards.

Absence Management Software – Why You Need it was last modified: July 28th, 2025 by Agile Communications

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3 min read

Good management of Human Resources is crucial for your company’s success. The HR department is responsible for the management of ethical issues beyond economic performance, improving effectiveness and ensuring that your organisation is moving towards the proper path.

Human resources represents the moral section of your business. They are skilled in establishing and promoting policies that will help your company run smoothly and may, in this circumstance, improve your business’s sustainability and, with that, the environment.

Why Improve Sustainability?

Establishing a sustainability plan for your organisation won’t only help the environment but it will also improve the lives of future generations. Making your business more sustainable will, in addition, allow you to save money. For instance, by being more green and deciding to consume less electricity, your bills at the end of the month will be lower.

Sustainability means bettering your present and your future while helping others and the world.

Save the Planet Protest

By practising sustainability, your company's image will truly become more favourable to the public. This may help you gain more customers as well as make it more attractive for your current employees and future ones. It’s a marketing and recruiting strategy on its own. Everyone wants to feel like they matter and that their actions are making a difference for themselves and those around them.

Having sustainability as a core value and a part of your company culture will not only help the environment, but also your business—it's a win-win.

Learn More

Click here for more information on sustainability in the workplace

How Can HR Help Your Company’s Sustainability?

HR ensures that everything is running smoothly within your company. They are responsible for facilitating the dialogue between managers and employees as well as making sure that your company culture is being rightfully followed. HR is the right department to be in charge of establishing a sustainability plan due to its primary responsibilities:

 

HR Tasks
With that said, how can HR make your organisation more sustainable?

 

Evaluate your workplace habits

Where to start? First, you should review your workplace practices to identify what your organisation is doing right or wrong and whether it takes sustainability into consideration.

Establish sustainability goals

Make sure to create a sustainability plan for the company. The HR department should join efforts with leadership to define the company’s social purpose and how it can be achieved.

Talk about the company’s sustainable goals during recruitment and onboarding

Don’t forget to mention the company’s sustainability goals during recruitment and onboarding. This way, you can better ensure that the people you're hiring are the right match for your company and its culture.

interview

Employee awareness and training

As part of the HR department, ensure that everyone is well-informed about sustainability and receives the right training to help your organisation reach its sustainability goals. A big part of making the company more sustainable depends on its employees and their behaviours.

Take the first step

At first glance, there are obvious and easy things that you can implement right away that will have a big impact. For example, go digital and eliminate all paper - think pamphlets, forms, company information, reports, CVs, and more. Nowadays, most things can be saved online, which will make your life a lot easier!

Motivate your employees

Reward people! Join sustainability goals with performance reviews and reward the staff. This will ensure that you are being taken seriously and that the company’s sustainability goals are just as important as any other KPI.

Give time for volunteer work

Allow employees to join company volunteer schemes and take time off to support charities and community initiatives.

Empower employee ideas

Make sure to listen to everyone! Allow employees from every level to give their input on the matter and contribute any ideas they may have.

HR and Sustainability… How are they related? was last modified: August 6th, 2025 by Agile Communications

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2 min read

Over the past few years, hybrid and remote working have become normalised. The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform finds that remote working is likely to have a positive impact on the Irish economy and society.

According to the paper 'An Evaluation of the Impacts of Remote Working', published in missions savings made from reduced transport usage are likely to exceed any extra household emissions. The paper estimates that remote working has the potential to save 164,407 tonnes of CO2 a year, with an equivalent monetary saving of €7.6m.

Environmental Benefits

One potential benefit of remote working is reducing the need for commuting. This lowers the transport carbon emissions, which helps in achieving the emissions targets as set out in the Climate Action Plan (2021).

In addition, remote work reduces office emissions. The paper by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform found that, depending on people’s behaviour, the environmental impact could be:

Environmental impact (tonnes CO2) from remote work (2022-2026) by the DPER
Year 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 Full period

Reduced transport emissions

-207,262 -207,262 -207,262 -207,262 -207,262 -1,036,310

Increased household emissions

49,817 49,817 49,817 49,817 49,817 249,085

Reduced office emissions

-6,961 -6,961 -6,961 -6,961 -6,961 -34,805

Total environmental impact (tonnes)

-164,407 -164,407 -164,407 -164,407 -164,407 -822,036

Equivalent monetary benefit (€)

7,562,722 8,220,350 8,968,207 9,646,376 10,259,112 44,656,769

Another benefit of remote working in terms of sustainability is the reduced use of office supplies. Remote working digitalises the exchange of documents between coworkers or external partners, which means a massive reduction in paper use. As well, it will increase productivity due to better time management strategies.

For more information on Sustainability in the Workplace, click here.

Does Remote Work Help with Sustainability? was last modified: July 29th, 2025 by Agile Communications

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2 min read

Microsoft Resellers are continuously on the lookout for innovative products that not only complement their existing portfolio but also offer a significant advantage to their clientele. HRLocker emerges as a leading HRIS platform, providing a notable opportunity for resellers to augment their service offerings.

Integrating IT with HR Seamlessly

For businesses today, the seamless integration of IT and HR functions is increasingly critical. HRLocker’s integration with the Microsoft ecosystem facilitates a smooth merger of these vital areas. This capability is not merely a technical enhancement; it represents a strategic shift that enables clients to manage their employee data securely and efficiently, substantially increasing the value brought by resellers.

Broadening service capabilities

As the landscape of legal, security, data, and GDPR requirements becomes more complex, the necessity for comprehensive solutions grows. HRLocker equips resellers to broaden their services to address these evolving needs, positioning them as integral partners in their clients’ paths to growth and compliance, especially within the SME sector in the UK and Ireland.

Cultivating client trust

The foundation of the client-reseller relationship is built on trust. When resellers align with HRLocker - renowned for its exceptional customer support and dedication to integrity - they enhance the trust placed in them by their clients. Promoting HRLocker is more than just product selling; it involves providing a dependable solution that supports the long-term objectives of its clients.

Simplifying HR management

The decision by resellers to adopt HRLocker into their portfolio is often driven by its user-friendly interface and comprehensive functionalities, which significantly streamline HR management. This simplicity helps client adoption and guarantees a positive user experience, benefiting resellers through increased client satisfaction and loyalty.

The Strategic Advantage of Partnering with HRLocker

For Microsoft Resellers, selecting HRLocker is more than an expansion of their product line—it symbolises a strategic partnership that enhances their service delivery and adds immense value for their clients. HRLocker distinguishes itself with a supportive ecosystem and a commitment to making HR management straightforward and effective, proving to be a great addition to reseller portfolios.

The integration of HRLocker into a reselling portfolio not only diversifies the service offerings of Microsoft Resellers but also solidifies the trust and reliability they have with their clients.

Microsoft Resellers are encouraged to explore the benefits of incorporating HRLocker into their service offerings.

Get in touch today at modernworkplace@hrlocker.com for more details.

Drive Client Success with HR Tech Solutions for Microsoft Resellers was last modified: July 29th, 2025 by Agile Communications

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1 min read

Payroll reporting in Ireland is subject to a unique set of regulations and requirements that HR managers must be well-versed in to ensure compliance and accurate compensation for employees. Here’s a concise guide on what HR managers need to know about payroll reporting in the Emerald Isle.

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1 min read

Gone are the days when we could just wing it and hope the account manager knew what they were doing (who are we kidding? We couldn’t do it back then either!). Project management is its own entity and needs to be treated as such.

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5 min read

Learning and development is a hot topic for employers right now, especially since employees are desperate for new opportunities to grow their skill sets.

In recent years, employers have been leaving their staff to source training courses that pique their curiosity. This might seem like a generous offer from employers, but it can easily turn into the opposite. If their development has no practical application in the business, training can be in vain. And there’s a chance employees will feel disregarded if their development efforts aren’t rewarded. Rightly so!

Self-selected programmes that fail to equip employees with the skills they need to thrive are unfair. And employers end up recruiting for roles they could have filled in-house with targeted training.

From the outside, self-directed development looks like a progressive move, but there are far better ways to structure a learning and development program. With budgets shrinking and the cost of hiring skilled people expanding, companies need to plan their learning and development programmes strategically. And tying them in with succession planning might be the best move yet.

Let’s explore why.

Why Start Planning Now for Future Roles?

Given the dramatic twists and turns of the past few years, you wouldn’t be blamed for thinking that planning is futile. After all, could you have predicted how your company operates now just five years ago?

But highly skilled jobs can’t be taught overnight. And if you want to fill your leadership positions later down the line, having someone prepped and ready will make things so much more seamless.

Future roles might require complex technical skills or advanced soft skills that can’t be taught quickly. If you wait too long, you’ll be cramming heaps of learning and experience into a short period. By constructing a long-term learning and development program, you can cultivate skills at a sustainable pace.

Business Meeting

Faced with an ageing workforce that’s soon to be retiring, capturing organisational knowledge and passing it on to the next generation is crucial. Experienced employees have tonnes of learned experience to share, and businesses should put systems in place that ensure this knowledge doesn’t get lost.

What’s more, actively including your existing teams in succession planning could help with retention. Instead of going through the expensive process of hiring externally, you provide fresh opportunities to your internal pool. We already know that people seek employers who prioritise learning and development – so don’t miss the opportunity to satisfy your existing teams.

And last but not least, preparing for future roles now will ensure business continuity in the future. When a leader leaves, you need someone ready to take the reins, especially if they’re in a business-critical function, where a period of no leadership could damage business outcomes.

What Does Succession Planning Involve?

There are three key stages to succession planning:

  1. Identifying organisational objectives
  2. Evaluating existing staff in line with those objectives
  3. Implementing a learning and development programme

Starting with your company objectives, you can deduce which skills and roles will be needed to meet them. Don’t panic if they’re skills and roles you don’t already have in-house – that comes along in the third stage.

By evaluating your existing staff in line with those objectives, you can map the work that needs to be done to get them to the next level. For example, if you know you’re going to have a greater need for data analysis or data analytics skills, you should implement programmes that focus on those skills.

Consider who’s ready and who could be ready in the next few years. Don’t forget that planning for the future, so it’s okay to put people forward who aren’t quite ready yet. Matched with the proper role and a comprehensive learning and development programme, you can get them where they need to be.

Tennis Claa

Existing employees are already steps ahead of external candidates. They’re familiar with your culture, have formed vital coworker relationships, know what has and hasn’t worked during their time with your business, and have access to company-specific knowledge. All things that can take months – even years – to cultivate when hiring someone new.

With your objectives identified and staff capabilities assessed, you can design a learning and development programme that moves people closer towards those future roles. Instead of self-directed learning options, structuring your development programme in line with organisational goals will help you direct skills and attention towards the stuff that matters.

And your people will still get a say in what they learn. The beauty of succession planning is that you’ll probably need to fill a handful of roles at the company in five or so years. So you still give your people agency over what they learn – you’ll just be narrowing down the options a tad.

Learning and development programmes work best when people are interested in what’s being taught. The easiest way to guarantee this is by providing training for a variety of desirable skills and future roles, so individuals can pursue something that fits them.

Don’t be afraid to adjust your succession planning and development initiatives in line with changing goals. Succession plans should be agile and adaptable, in keeping with modern business. If you identify new skills or roles that could become fundamental to your business, update your succession plan accordingly.

And most importantly: measure progress. If you’re running a three-year programme for your next cohort of department leads, make sure they’re ready to step up to the plate when the time comes.

Learning and development programmes that lack direction aren’t impactful for your business. Succession planning is an opportunity to intercept the challenges of tomorrow, today. With targeted training, you can equip single employees with a library of skills. And serve your future business plans in the process.

Succession Planning: Why Start Planning Now for Future Roles? was last modified: August 15th, 2025 by Agile Communications
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5 min read

As you’d expect, there are variations between jurisdiction and sectors, but generally, the answers are:

  • If the results of screening checks, either positive or negative, can be reflected in the person conducting the role you are filling, then you can require checks before you hire and include them as a reference check before offering a contract. That’s a reasonable practice.
  • If you want to check on people already working with you, that’s a different issue. The answer:  it would be best practice to officially inform them. (A company-wide document distribution and an electronic signature tool are ideal).

But, beware of creating a negative-culture vibe. However, if checks are a genuine business requirement, such as to meet compliance or are standard in your industry, or come at the request of a vital client for example, then no problem. In this case, as well as document distribution, you should explain the reason in a town hall-style address to the team, after which you should be fine.

 

Why Do Employers Check Applicants’ Credit History

  • Positions that involve finance and banking are under separate regulation and compliance. Such as the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA),
  • To gauge the trustworthiness of staff that will be trusted with handling cash or with responsibility for spend or buying. A poor credit rating could arguably indicate they have limited ability to be entrusted with managing budgets. Many firms cite the prevention of theft and reducing liability as reasons to request permission to run checks
  • Security (especially National Security) roles need a higher degree of background checks that, in some states may well involve creditworthiness too. For example, many checks for clearance levels such as the UK’s Security Vetting Services Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), CTC (Counter Terrorism Check) or Defence Business Services National Security Vetting (DBS NSV) can involve credit screening

 

It’s important to bear in mind that, outside of regulatory situations, if there’s room to individually judge situations you might appreciate that poor credit scores may not necessarily be the fault of an individual (E.g., poor scores due to an acquired address, as a result of a past or present partner or in a divorce situation etc.).

It’s also advisable then to consider if the check is discriminatory in this respect. In fact, in the US many states do see credit screening as a form of discrimination.

Employers also use legislation to not offer positions to those not already in jobs as many unemployed people do not have the same credit profile as those in work. So offering jobs only to those already in relevant roles is a loophole often used.

Whatever your situation, you should always check with full consent and be aware of when where and how to publish separate requests for full consent and when a simple checkbox on a form is or is not acceptable permission.

 

Pre-Employment Candidate Background Screening – Credit Referencing

HRLocker works with many HR Consultants and one question has come up several times:

Q: If we want to run credit checks on our existing and new employees, do we have to ask permission?

This type of question comes with a secondary query along the lines of if so, what’s the process for informing staff that we intend to run reports on any disqualifications or judgements against them?

A: The first question I’d ask in response is: ‘What is the business purpose?’

 

What Do Employers Look for in Background Checks Involving Credit Scores?

And what can they see or not? Again, this varies from country to country, but checks are most likely to be contracted to 3rd parties, often bundled with other searches, such as for criminal records, certifications, licenses etc.

Also, it’s very unlikely that they’ll see an actual score since they’re not extending any line of credit. Lenders will see an actual score or information related to the ability to pay, employers will usually see a reference listing information such as judgements, orders, liens, bankruptcy or disqualifications.

In the U.S. the difference between the 3-digit score and a report is marginal but hiring managers are looking for how much credit you have – and use -and to see if you are habitually a late payer. Whether you agree or disagree on whether this is ethically correct or fair to not separate work and personal lives to this extent, they are likely investigating to see if you are a disorganised individual or not.

 

A report enquiry should also not influence your ability, or ‘footprint’ your profile, to be granted credit in the future.

You should not worry about data privacy either because employer checks, despite having permission granted, also contain limited information on your details to prevent exposure to identity theft from within the organisation.

If a credit check is run it’s likely only to be in the final stages of the application/offer process. So likely other references and stages of the interview will have already been run, so the check may not have a major say on a final hiring decision. Many people are still hired despite any ‘marks’ against their credit score.

You should also be wary of using information wisely. How far back (say 7 or 10 years, depending on the jurisdiction) can you legally consider any criminal or bankruptcy information or record in your area of legislation? If in doubt, take advice from a legal specialist in your sector and geographical location.

Once again, when you explain why you run checks, it could be good practice to clarify that you will be diligent and stick to the original purpose and reasons for the checks. Explain that you’ll be considerate and confidentially hear explanations of any ‘unavoidable’ or  ‘negative’ information that is out of a team member or applicants’ control.

 

Outline that results will be treated and interpreted sensitively and individually and remain in line with the primary reasons for credit checking.

Overall, be diligent that you are not liable for any wrongful denial of opportunity through how your checks are conducted. Consider offering the chance to reapply if requested once any concerns are addressed. Similarly, if you are applying for jobs, look into your credit and see if you can ‘right any wrongs’ before sending applications.

If you can’t reasonably justify the check, don’t run it.

Do You Need to Ask Permission to Check Employees Credit? was last modified: March 1st, 2024 by Crystel Rynne

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4 min read

Staff members of non-profit organisations are some of the most caring, compassionate people you’ll ever meet, which makes it even more important that they understand the challenges within their organisations. Whether you’re an HR leader, a volunteer coordinator or working in an administrative role with the HR team, this article will help you to gain insight into what role HR plays, what they do each day, and the pain points these departments face.

Recruiting

It’s no secret that nonprofit organisations face recruitment challenges. Nonprofits can’t offer some of the perks of public and private sector companies, which makes it harder to attract talent. Plus, people attracted to nonprofits often have a passion for helping others, so they might not be motivated by base pay. But while higher wages aren’t an option for most organisations, there are steps you can take to keep your organisation competitive in terms of recruitment.

Attracting Talent in Today’s Competitive Market

Employee Performance

Not all employees are created equal. Some may need more training than others or require coaching in certain areas to help them better meet organisational goals. It’s important to understand when and how you should step in and offer guidance. Not doing so could lead to bigger problems, such as staff churn or performance not matching up to management’s expectations. Regular catch-ups with employees also allow your staff to have a voice and air anything they might want to chat about in their work environment. You must understand when and how to manage employee performance in a way that is most beneficial for your business and its overall success.

HR admin working

Reducing Costs

Nonprofits have to be incredibly careful with how much money is being spent, especially regarding human resources. However, it can be hard for organisations to cut costs in a way that doesn’t adversely affect morale or lead to higher employee turnover. If you want to preserve what you already have and keep your employees engaged and happy, you mustn’t cut costs in ways that impact productivity. One of the most effective things you can do is look at areas where process improvement will decrease cost without leading to a degradation of quality.

Managing and Identifying Volunteers

In several ways, running a nonprofit is akin to operating a business. One big difference, however, is that you’re going to need help from volunteers who are willing to pitch in and do a lot of work for no monetary gain. Your HR team needs to be able to quickly identify these individuals—and keep them in the organisation where they bring a lot of value. These people are the lifeblood of most nonprofits, yet managing them can sometimes be a time-consuming process for HR.

Managing Your Offsite Employees

One of the largest pains we hear from our nonprofit clients is managing employees who don’t work in one location, your main office or headquarters. Software that allows your team to clock in remotely via phone or tablet helps companies manage their off-site employees efficiently. All of the data collated gets saved into a centralised HR system such as HRLocker and allows for easy management of timesheets (which are a mandatory requirement), working time  (such as different shift patterns) and holidays. All this information is easily exported and made ready for payroll. When everything is managed in one place, it makes the end-of-year reporting a breeze.

Click here to find out how HRLocker can help you manage your offsite employees!

group of nonprofit employees

Vetting and Clearances

Let’s face it, we’ve all been there, managing and storing vetting and clearance certificates can often be a laborious full-time job that nobody enjoys. Garda vetting, clearance forms, certificates, and expiry dates are crucial for your full-time employees and volunteers. This is a pain point felt by many in this sector, and it presents a challenge to keep up to date. Automating this time-consuming task is often at the top of the list for many HR professionals in the nonprofit sector.

A Single Source of Truth

Single source of truth (SSOT) is a concept used to ensure that everyone in an organisation bases business decisions on the same data. Creating a single source of truth is straightforward. To put an SSOT in place, an organisation must provide relevant personnel with one source that stores the data points they need.

Most nonprofits rely on a single source of truth that helps manage all of their important information in one place. Whether it’s recruitment, certification management, HR documents, timesheets, or holiday management, it all comes under the remit of the HR team. It is so important to be able to pull all that information together quickly to create reports that can help support grant applications, for example. Finding a solution to help you manage this process should be at the top of your list to overcome these challenges.

Top HR Challenges for Nonprofit Organisations was last modified: August 21st, 2025 by Agile Communications
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