The past couple of years taught us that living with the pandemic caused companies to consider options out of necessity that they had not embraced before.
Options became trends, and some were adopted permanently. Here are 10 trends in the human resources world for 2022:
- Employee well-being: Employers are having to consider the well-being of their associates in more ways and more often. No longer is only Joe from accounting struggling with depression. The entire world has been contending with a variety of concerns and needs support from employers with financial, social, emotional, career development, and family issues.
- Hybrid and remote working: The World Economic Forum reported that 98% prefer to work remotely for the rest of their careers. Even reluctant employers saw that remote employees could be accountable and perhaps even more productive. Hybrid working models continue to be in place, gathering associates in person when needed for communication, collaboration, and camaraderie.
- Remote learning: Greater emphasis is being placed on e-learning to ensure associates are comfortable with new technology and ways to communicate with each other and customers. E-learning can be accomplished with video lectures, virtual classrooms and on-screen examinations to keep employees engaged and on track.
- Working parents expecting flexibility: The emergence of different strains of COVID-19 left parents feeling they were taking one step forward and two back when it came to schooling, child care, and accompanying challenges. Parents want to know what resources employers are going to provide to assist them. Non-parents with their own challenges want wellness programs applicable to them.
- Benefits to curb The Great Resignation: A report by Paychex and Future Workplace indicated that 62 percent of employees cited well-being benefits as a factor when deciding whether to apply for a new job. When employees are leaving for a “better opportunity,” it now means more than just higher pay.
- Hiring based on hard-to-find skills: Employers are hiring based on a candidate’s ability to bring specific skills to the workplace, focusing on the specialized skill and not the prerequisites traditionally required of applicants.
- Digital tracking: In the Work From Home (WFH) world, employees are no longer tracked by when they scanned an identification card for facility access. Human resource departments are depending on virtual tools to confirm tasks from timesheet attendance to proof of training completion, depending on the level of monitoring preferred.
- Virtual employee experiences: Even from the comfort of their own homes, employees can feel isolated. Companies are creating fun cyber experiences where employees can casually add a dose of levity, whether a game or trivia contest about their fellow associates. Doing so can enhance the comfort level with each other and the ability to collaborate, which leads to better work.
- HR automation: Compliance and recordkeeping are staples of the HR world. Take a look at what can be automated to free the staff for detailed analysis and crucial projects.
- HR role changes: Where a human resources officer may have formerly been operating in a silo more than desired, human resources are being included more often on teams and in processes to ensure associates are supported by their companies in an ethical manner.
These trends demonstrate the need for human resources to remain a proponent of lifelong learning, technological fluency, empathy and trust.
