Rethinking HR practices in a changing world; are we still managing people the old way?

In conversations across offices, factories, hospitals, schools, banks, and even roadside workshops, one message keeps resurfacing: work is changing faster than the way people are managed. Employees speak openly about stress, widening skill gaps, and growing job insecurity.

Employers, on the other hand, express concern about productivity, staff retention, and regulatory compliance. These are not abstract complaints. Research across both public and private sectors confirms that these challenges are real, measurable, and steadily increasing.

In Ghana, several studies on human resource practices in public institutions paint a revealing picture. Research involving organisations such as the Ghana Health Service and the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies shows that, for many decades, HR units functioned largely as administrative departments.

Their primary responsibilities centred on record-keeping, payroll, and promotion processing. Advancement was frequently based on years of service rather than demonstrated performance, while training opportunities were irregular and often dependent on donor funding rather than strategic workforce planning.

Evidence from municipal health institutions in northern Ghana further highlights the consequences of this approach. Although many workers demonstrated strong commitment to their roles, there was little evidence of structured career planning or succession management.

Employees often lacked clear information about the skills, competencies, or experience required for progression. As a result, a workplace culture developed in which employees waited to be promoted rather than actively building their capabilities.

Although the nature of work has evolved significantly, these historical practices continue to shape how people are managed today, particularly within the public sector. This historical approach created a culture in which people “waited to be promoted” rather than actively developing their competencies.

These patterns still influence many organisations today, especially in the public and private sectors. In view of this, understanding this legacy is essential for explaining why many organisations struggle to adapt to contemporary workforce demands and why reforming human resource management has become both urgent and unavoidable.

Talent Management: What the Education Sector Reveals

Research conducted in Ghana’s colleges of education provides a valuable example of how talent management operates in practice. A study assessing talent attraction, development, engagement, and retention found something surprising. While institutions focused heavily on recruiting qualified tutors, recruitment alone had little impact on performance.

What made the difference was engagement. Colleges that encouraged staff participation in decision-making, sponsored further studies, and recognised performance saw better teaching outcomes and staff commitment. Where tutors felt ignored or stagnant, performance suffered, regardless of qualifications. This mirrors what many private companies experience: hiring talent is easy compared to keeping people motivated and growing.

National skills gap analyses conducted by Ghana’s technical and vocational authorities show consistent shortages in technical, digital, and soft skills across sectors. Manufacturing firms report difficulty finding technicians who can operate automated equipment.

Service-sector employers complain that graduates struggle with communication, teamwork, and problem-solving. A study involving employers in the construction and manufacturing sectors found that many companies had to retrain new graduates for up to a year before they became productive.

In contrast, firms that partnered with training institutions or ran internal apprenticeship programmes significantly reduced onboarding time. The evidence suggests that organisations waiting for “perfect graduates” are often disappointed, while those that invest in training gain loyalty and competence.

Technology and AI: Lessons from Banking, Telecoms, and Education

Research on HR technology adoption among Ghanaian HR professionals—particularly in banking, telecommunications, and higher education—reveals a significant gap between awareness and actual use. Many respondents claimed to be using “AI,” but further analysis showed that most were only using basic HR software for payroll and attendance.

Banks that adopted data-driven recruitment tools reported faster hiring and lower turnover, especially for sales and customer service roles. In contrast, institutions relying on manual recruitment processes faced delays and higher mismatch rates.

One university HR department reported that digitising staff records reduced processing time for promotions and leave approvals by more than half. These examples show that technology works when it is properly understood and applied, not when it is adopted in name only.

Studies published in Ghanaian and African HR journals increasingly show a strong link between HR practices and employee well-being. Research involving both public and private organisations found that training opportunities, fair compensation, and supportive supervision significantly improved psychological and social well-being.

In one study of local government workers, employees who reported unclear job roles and excessive workloads also reported higher stress and absenteeism. Meanwhile, private firms that introduced flexible schedules or wellness programmes experienced improved attendance and morale. What was once dismissed as a “soft issue” has now become a measurable business concern. Burnout is expensive, and research proves it.

Research conducted within Ghana’s Local Government Service provides a necessary caution. While many reforms focused on motivating staff through allowances and incentives, studies found that motivation alone did not significantly improve service delivery unless HR systems were strengthened.

Where job descriptions were outdated, training was inconsistent, and performance appraisal was weak, service quality remained poor despite motivated workers. This reinforces a key lesson from the research: good intentions must be backed by systems.

 

The Informal Sector Reality: Small Changes, Big Impact

In Ghana, the informal sector is not a side story; it is where most people actually work. From the seamstress on the street corner to the small workshop assembling metal parts, informal businesses keep the economy moving. Yet when it comes to managing people, many of these businesses are still finding their way.

In many cases, there are no written contracts, no clear job descriptions, and no formal training systems.

Employment relationships are often based on trust, verbal agreements, and routine practices. While this flexibility helps businesses survive in challenging economic conditions, it usually leads to misunderstandings, particularly around pay, working hours, safety, and expectations.

When these issues arise, workers leave, tensions increase, and productivity suffers.

What is striking, however, is how small changes have made a significant difference for some Ghanaian small and medium-sized enterprises.

Consider a small manufacturing business in Greater Accra. With fewer than thirty workers, the company was experiencing frequent resignations and uneven performance.

Rather than introducing complex systems, the owner focused on the basics by formalising recruitment processes, providing brief training sessions for new staff, and using simple written agreements to clarify roles and pay. As a result, staff turnover reduced, and employees became more committed to their work.

Similar experiences can be observed in markets such as Makola in Accra and Kejetia in Kumasi. Traders who clearly communicate daily rates and payment timelines at the outset report fewer disputes and improved working relationships.

At Suame Magazine, some artisans have introduced basic safety briefings for apprentices and have clearly agreed on training periods and responsibilities.

These modest steps have helped to reduce injuries and ease tensions between masters and trainees.

The lesson is straightforward: effective human resource management does not have to be complicated or expensive. Businesses do not need a complete human resource department to treat workers fairly and communicate expectations clearly. Even simple measures such as written agreements, basic safety training, and transparent pay structures can make work smoother for everyone involved.

These examples demonstrate that professional human resource practices are not reserved for large corporations or multinational firms. Within Ghana’s informal sector, practical tools support business growth, reduce conflict, and build trust. In many cases, small changes can produce the most significant impact.

Conclusion: What All Sectors Must Do

Across all these studies, one thing stands out: HR professionals in Ghana must become strategic partners, not just administrators. The future of work will reward organisations that use data, invest in skills, embrace technology, and put people at the centre of decision-making. Organisations that fail to adapt risk losing talent to migration, disengagement, or competitors. Those who adapt stand to gain resilience, innovation, and trust.

The evidence from research and real workplaces across Ghana leaves little room for debate. The challenge facing the world of work is not theoretical, and the solutions do not belong to one sector alone. Every employer—public or private, large or small, formal or informal—has a role to play in reshaping how people are managed.

First, organisations across all sectors must move beyond viewing human resource management as a support function. Research consistently shows that workplaces that treat HR as a strategic partner—one involved in planning, decision-making, and performance management—are better positioned to retain talent, improve productivity, and manage change. This applies as much to ministries and local assemblies as it does to banks, factories, schools, NGOs, and small businesses.

Second, investment in continuous skills development can no longer be optional. Waiting for perfectly trained graduates has proven ineffective. Public institutions should institutionalise regular training and competency-based promotions, while private companies and SMEs should embrace on-the-job training, mentorship, and partnerships with training institutions. Even informal-sector enterprises can benefit from basic skills training and apprenticeships that improve quality and efficiency.

Third, technology must be adopted thoughtfully, not fearfully. Digital HR systems, even at a basic level, can reduce inefficiencies, improve transparency, and support better decision-making. Organisations that cannot afford advanced systems can still digitise records, recruitment, and performance tracking using affordable tools. The key lesson from research is that technology works when it supports people, not when it replaces them.

Fourth, employee well-being must be treated as a productivity issue, not a welfare add-on. Evidence shows that clear job roles, manageable workloads, fair pay, and supportive supervision reduce burnout and improve performance. Across sectors, leaders should normalise conversations about mental health, encourage work-life balance, and create environments where employees feel valued and heard.

Fifth, compliance with labour laws should be seen as protection, not punishment. Public agencies, private firms, and SMEs alike benefit when employment practices are transparent, fair, and lawful. Regular policy reviews, basic HR audits, and staff education on rights and responsibilities can prevent disputes and build trust, even in smaller and informal workplaces.

Finally, collaboration across sectors is essential. Government, educational institutions, employers, professional bodies, and labour organisations must work together to close skills gaps, modernise HR practices, and prepare the workforce for future challenges. No single institution can solve these issues alone.

In the end, the future of work in Ghana will not be defined by technology or policies alone, but by how deliberately organisations choose to manage, develop, and support their people.