The COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t just changed our view of humans. It also changed what is expected of human resources managers. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated changes in the way we work — and prompted a slew of HR trends to which the entire human resources function must respond in a coordinated way.
So what has HR been busy with since the beginning of 2022?
Hybrid working
Hybrid working is the new normal. A staggering 82% of employers plan to continue with remote working post pandemic, according to Gartner. And recent McKinsey research showed that the majority of employees want their organisation to offer a mix of working styles – enabling them to work both remotely and in the office. This shift to hybrid work will be a massive driver of transformation and one HR leader must be prepared to support.
Upskilling – Reskilling
A recent study conducted across the US has shown that only 34% of HR leaders actively invest in reskilling their workforce. However, the predictions show us that this figure will increase in the coming years. More tech and non-tech businesses will play a decisive role in preparing employees for the jobs of the future. Obtaining and strengthening the right skills will change the game. Mastering new technologies will help companies get the best outcomes.
Redefining Employee Experience
Employee experience is no longer a HR buzzword, but it has become an important driver in productivity and engagement at the workplace. Employee engagement is the peak of employee experience efforts. It’s very clear. Improving the employee experience is possible by keeping employee engagement in focus.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Reaching and retaining talent is getting harder and harder. Despite this fact, you still do not have a DEI strategy? HR leaders say they struggle to hold business leaders accountable for DEI outcomes. Progression of underrepresented talent often stalls in the middle, as these groups experience slower rates of promotion and worse perception of leadership potential. In order to address DEI outcomes, Gartner suggests that HR leaders adapt a consequential accountability DEI strategy and ensure that this is measurable.
Development of management teams
All of these goals and priorities are about leadership. HR teams should dedicate a large portion of their learning and development budgets to leaders by 2022.