10 HR Trends To Watch For In 2022

2022 will be a year of opportunity

 

The pandemic triggered an enormous amount of change. The change to how we work was immediate, but the change to how we want to work won’t fully play out until 2022. Here are 10 HR trends to watch for in the coming year:

This movement started in 2011 and is expected to increase in momentum in 2022. Much like the real estate market, Covid has turned the labour market into a seller’s market. The mass retirements we have been anticipating for more than a decade are finally happening. Employers need to act now to keep their talent. Acknowledge potential talent loss is a threat to your business, realize you need to plan to mitigate the risk, and involve your talent in developing the solution.

2. Automation

The threat of talent loss can put a strain on an organization’s budget. You may need to pay more to retain top talent. So why not automate and do more with fewer resources? The tools to digitize the back office have evolved to be affordable for SMEs, and there are incredible offerings to bolster finance and HR functions and allow a small team to achieve amazing results akin to a larger department.

The other advantage of automation is that most top talents do not want to be doing the administrative side of their roles. Automating the mundane tasks frees up your talent to increase their impact on the organization. Just imagine what your team can do with more time to devote to the work they enjoy most about their professions. 

If the pandemic taught us anything, it is that there is more to employment than just the numbers on a pay cheque. Yes, most people want a steady income, but with the shift in the labour market, this is not that hard to find. A truly flexible work arrangement (e.g., the employee sets their schedule and works 40 hours in a 7-day period) can help you attract the best talent… especially when a lot of employers define flexible as ‘starting an 8-hour shift between 8 and 10am’ or requiring employees to be available on demand. Trust your talent to find a way to get results when they are most effective.

The pandemic has been tough for everyone. Of course, some people have faced greater challenges than others, but no one has enjoyed the added stress of lockdowns and restrictions. Employees are at a higher risk of burnout. Invest in employee well-being. Take a human-first approach to HR. Recognize your talent as people and build a culture to support their needs versus one to police their behaviours.

There has been a shift to live first and work second. The Ontario government’s consideration of a ban on after-hours calls and emails illustrates the change in public sentiment on this issue. Few people are looking to work in a job where they are unable to meet the demands and joys of their lives. Encourage talent to equally prioritize both life and work and reap the rewards of dedicated employees who value the respect you have for them as employees and as spouses, parents, friends, siblings, children, and community members.

We are never going back to an onsite workforce. Virtual teams are a reality. They can work and they can be effective. Don’t try to revert to the old way of working in teams. Virtual teams require new strategies. You need to communicate more often, but for a shorter duration. Everyone should be online, versus people in a room and one or two logging in. Accepting the differences is the key to making virtual teams work.

The momentum from 2020 continues. Your employees care about social issues. They want to see inclusion, anti-racism, Indigeneity, neurodiversity, and tolerance reflected in policy and practice. Not lip service. Not posters on a wall. Lived values.

Every trend on this list links back to leadership. It is the differentiator in the war for talent. People want to work with good leaders. They want to believe in a vision. Invest in leadership development. Hold people accountable for their leadership and help them to be better leaders. 

2022 will be a year of opportunity. If your business survived the pandemic, the sky is the limit. Smart businesses will recognize that the pandemic is over but the landscape has changed, and act accordingly. A new business plan requires an invigorated people plan. Acquiring and retaining the talent you need to achieve your business goals requires a solid offensive strategy to take advantage of business and talent opportunities before your competition does.

Sue Haywood, DBA, CHRL, CD is the Business Unit Lead, HR with Business Sherpa Group. Her career includes service with the Canadian Armed Forces and HR roles within healthcare, municipal government, crown corporations and the private sector. She serves as an elected member on the HRPA board of directors and enjoys learning about the world from the perspectives of her toddler son and Great Dane. Connect Sue Haywood