Not all companies saw a workforce reduction amid the Covid pandemic. RVDA-endorsed software provider KPA reported an increased worker demand that presents new challenges within the RV space.
KPA offers human resource (HR) and Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) computer software to businesses in multiple industries. The company’s Human Resources Consultant Brianna Stashak discussed main issues that her department is currently tackling, the second being immense growth seen in the RV and automobile sectors.
“We are working with employers who doubled their businesses size,” Stashak said. “There is now more demand for workers. [Companies] hit a milestone and do not realize they have to offer Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) now that they have more than 50 employees.”
While some KPA clients in certain industries were working with layoffs and staff reduction, Stashak said other sectors were experiencing exponential growth.
“There are growing pains that deal with online applicant tracking, face-to-face or online interviews and how to do background checks,” Stashak noted. “There are also unique situations, drug testing and onboarding for remote employees instead of in offices, along with payroll questions. We need to keep it organized.”
KPA offers training courses and webinars that cover best practices, performance management and documentation, which are all considered consistent HR concerns, Stashak said.
Depending on infrastructure, some companies who experienced rapid growth did not have an HR department to depend on, she noted. KPA provides information to businesses going through “growing pains.”
“There is a lot of growth and uptick in reasonable accommodation requests,” Stashak said.
She noted many businesses are working with a hybrid workforce, where staff members include essential workers in-office and remote workers. An uptick in online training offers more ways for companies to track an employee’s training completion and compliance.
“It was eye-opening for employers to realize that they didn’t reduce productivity by people working remotely,” Stashak said.
“There is a heavier reliance related to technology and compliance,” she added. “[KPA] offers features where employees can login to one area and access all their forms and documents. Employers can quickly run reports.”
