The Great Re-Dignification Period has redefined how people do work. With an increase in exposure to death, sickness, and other crises forcing the general population to re-evaluate their priorities, employees abandoned their jobs at record-breaking quit rates. Approximately 3% of workers voluntarily resigned from their companies by September 2021 and the statistics continue to be alarming.
Any company that hopes to attract and retain top talent needs to pay attention to the lesson The Great Resignation imparted: HR needs to make employees a priority. As explained in Maryville University’s look at business administration careers [1], HR managers are responsible for strengthening the connection between employees and employers. To put skilled people to work, HR managers need to make sure that recruiting, hiring, and employee management processes are in place and put employees first.
The following trends in HR can help your company align with today’s labor market.
Hybrid Work
Most employees have spent the past two years working from home. Despite being a stopgap solution intended to lower transmission risks, the many advantages of remote work — including convenience, reduced costs, and improved work-life balance — made it popular among employees.
However, many still yearned for the sense of connection created by working in-person in an office. The Guardian’s report on remote work preferences [2] revealed that employees, on average, want to work 2.5 days each week. Companies need to offer hybrid arrangements to give employees the flexibility they crave without denying them the opportunity to build social connections.
Learning And Development
Workers become more compelled to produce quality work when they’re sure that their efforts can propel them toward better responsibilities or higher roles within the company. They also want help when it comes to developing their skills. Offering learning and development opportunities benefits everyone: it proves that the company is invested in employee growth and ensures that its talent pool builds the skills it needs to thrive in the field.
Our blog post entitled ‘How to Attract, Retain, and Energize Talent’ [3] recommends the following four steps. The first step is to identify the skills and knowledge areas your business needs. Second, look into helpful educational resources, such as online courses. The third step is to match teachers with willing students. Finally, ask students to share their key learnings with one another.
Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion
When businesses fail to attract employees of different backgrounds, they shut out fresh perspectives that could have otherwise helped them grow. Therefore, companies need to incorporate DEI into their recruiting and hiring practices. A Reuters article on talent strategy [4] also recommends incorporating DEI into learning and development processes. To achieve this, HR managers can include informal and formal touchpoints regarding discrimination and cultural acceptance in their learning and development programs.
Employee Wellbeing
The effects of the pandemic were all encompassing. Still recovering from loss, financial troubles, and other challenges, most employees will not place themselves in environments that further amplify their stress. Companies need to show that they care for employee wellbeing and are open to honest feedback [5]. This can be achieved by including mental health benefits, allowing flexible work, and ensuring that people in management positions communicate with their employees with respect and empathy.
We know that workers are the backbone of organizations. For a company to succeed, employers and HR professionals need to ensure that their employees receive the treatment they deserve.
From Guest Author JBatts