IF 2020 and 2021 were periods of adjustment, with businesses simply trying to understand the impact, the dangers, the mitigations and the solutions to the new problems they faced, then 2022 will be more focused on getting on with things in a progressive manner.
What the pandemic has done is demonstrate, very vividly, the interconnectivity of people matters. Each process, issue or concept links to others and nothing stands alone. 2022 will be about drawing these together and ensuring the ecosystem works.
While there are many different paths, connections and butterflies beating wings, the following is a small example of the interconnectivity of HR things that will be key this coming year:
:: Flexibility: the arrival of Covid saw people working from home en masse for the first time ever. Companies that said it could never be done had to adjust to a new reality. Most eventually settled into a hybrid way of working. Life went on, productivity didn’t suffer a catastrophic decline and employees also got a taste for a better work life balance. As such, it seems unlikely that a return to five days in the office will be on the horizon this year, or indeed ever again, and employees will retain a degree of flexibility in terms of their work arrangements. Which has a clear impact on . . .
:: Recruitment: The ‘war for talent’ has not abated and if anything will become more intense. The increase in (and normalisation of) the aforementioned flexibility regarding location and work patterns means that companies are adopting recruitment strategies that take them far and wide in their search for new staff. Many local companies have discovered they can have employees log in from anywhere in the world and source accordingly, opening up a massive new talent market. The reverse was also true however and many local firms will also increasingly find their staff being courted from afar. Which means that . . .
:: Retention: will continue to be a key focus. Professor Klotz, from Texas A&M University, predicted the ‘Great Resignation’ as employees find more certainty in the world of work and begin to weigh up their options. If employees are being wooed by companies from further afield, who can promise more pay, better benefits, bigger titles or better work life balance it’s key that local companies find a way to keep staff happy and content. To do that . . .
:: Engagement: will remain key. It’s vital that company culture is right, that employees feel they are an integral part of the business, that they are listened to, understood and valued. This require a focus on areas such as
onboarding and socialisation: new employees want to feel loved. With so much choice, they need to feel like they have made the right decision to join your company. The days of a boring PowerPoint presentation and a hard copy of a handbook from HR have long gone. Creating the right connection from the get-go is key. Hybrid / remote working can create practical issues trying to introduce and socialise new staff, so it’s important that companies adapt their processes to take that on board and ensure that new folks get what they need, technically, practically, socially and emotionally. Helping with that will be . . .
:: Diversity and inclusion: most companies worth their salt will have a diversity and inclusion strategy by now. 2022 should see more of a commitment to actually implementing them. If employees are being sourced from more diverse locations, it makes clear business sense to ensure they feel welcome, included and part of the team. If you are underrepresented in different areas, then why would you continue to ignore these instead of making your business attractive to the talent pool therein? Where retaining your good people is essential why would you not create an atmosphere for them to thrive in? This will also be enabled through . . .
:: Development and career pathing: If you want staff to stay you need to give them something to work towards. It makes no sense to force them to look elsewhere to scratch the itch of upward (or lateral) development. Devoting focused time to understand what motivates your team and helping plan their future with the company will be a key factor in line management. Taking the time to speak one on one with an employee shows an honest and genuine interest in them from the company. That being said not everyone will be in a position to get what they need, in a timescale they want. This means that a degree of realism has to be involved which means that . . .
:: Risk Management becomes a key factor in each department. Managers will need to assess where their flight risks are, what contingency plans are in place to mitigate these (are there succession plans in place for example?). Recruitment plans will need developed for the short, medium and longer term so that the War for Talent is based on proactive strategy rather reacting to individual skirmishes. All of this will be reliant on . . .
:: Communication: remaining a constant to ensure all these component parts, departments, dependencies, and opportunities are heard and understood (and that appropriate feedback is secured and acted upon).
The wheel of HR will keep turning in 2022, only with greater emphasis on strategic planning and moving forward rather than dealing with crisis management. Let’s embrace the challenge!
:: Barry Shannon is head of HR at STATSports
