(From Bloomberg BNA) -- Human resources professionals will likely face several talent management issues in 2013 while also dealing with myriad federal regulations and the many requirements of the Affordable Care Act, experts told BNA. 

In general, the top issues for HR professionals in 2013 will be similar to those they faced in 2012, 2011, and 2010, Peter Cappelli, director of the Center for Human Resources at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, told BNA Jan. 5.

“One thing that is striking about the list \[of 2013 issues\] is how many of these are employee relations/compliance issues,” Cappelli said. “If you take that away, the rest is all talent management. This suggests something about what the world of HR is about these days.”

Retaining Top Employees

In light of recent changes in the economy, the issue of retaining and rewarding the best employees will be at the forefront in 2013 for HR professionals, Jennifer Schramm, manager of the Workplace Trends and Forecasting Program at the Society for Human Resource Management, told BNA Dec. 12.

“It still remains to be seen how rapid economic growth may be … but based on the assumption of growth, there will be a lot of people that will start looking for new jobs,” Patrick Wright, professor of business management at the University of South Carolina's Darla Moore School of Business, told BNA Jan. 3.

“The perception is always that the grass is greener on the other side,” he added.

Wright said that in times of economic recession, employees typically feel under-appreciated. As the economy improves, he said, employees will want to consider all of their options.

“Employers need to identify key employees from entry-level to upper-level management and take the appropriate steps that are unique to their businesses to retain these individuals,” Lonnie Giamela, a partner in the Los Angeles and Irvine, Calif., offices of Fisher & Phillips LLC, told BNA Dec. 28. “It's thinking outside the box,” he said.

Flex Time, Telework, and Other Tools

Giamela recommended employers consider merit pay increases, projects that increase an employee's responsibilities, or fringe benefits like flex time, telecommuting, or technologies to keep employees happy.

For example, he said, a young employee who lives in a city but wants to work at a company in a suburban area may want some sort of transportation benefit or transportation subsidy. “Employers will need to do these kinds of things more and more to incentivize employees to stay,” Giamela said.

Bob Carragher, the senior state affairs adviser in SHRM's Governmental Affairs division, said Jan. 9 that work flexibility will be a big topic for HR in 2013.

“It's an area that has started to catch on in the Congress,” he said during a meeting of the Human Resource Association of the National Capital Area, the Washington, D.C., chapter of SHRM. “The president and particularly the First Lady are very interested in more and more employers embracing \[flexible work options\].”

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