Which aspects of Russian society were most in need of reform at the outset the reign of Nicholas II?

The most pressing problem when Tsar Nicholas II came to
power in 1894 was how Russia would respond to the changes that came about because of
industrialization.  Russia was industrializing (albeit slowly) during this time and
these changes were causing social disruption.

Most
significantly, the new factories brought terrible working conditions to Russian
workers.  These were worse than those of most other contemporary countries.  These
conditions, coupled with low pay, long hours, the fact that labor unions were illegal,
and other such things meant that the urban workers were primed to
rebel.

It is also worth noting that the agricultural sector
was not much better off.  Peasants farmed small plots inefficiently and some large
landowners held large amounts of land, thus making the smaller peasants
unhappy.

This means that there was inequality and
unhappiness among peasants and workers -- not a good situation, and one that needed to
be reformed.