With 2022 rolling out, people are now on the lookout for the emerging HR trends this 2022. With the events of the past year and the impact of the global pandemic shaping the upcoming trends, one thing’s for sure: Technology has a critical role in these trends, especially as we’re entering the age of Artificial Intelligence.
But there’s still more to offer! After the long hiatus from the office, many HR departments worldwide will be tasked to bring teams back together because we’re now focusing more on people-centric approaches.
What else is there to offer this 2022? Check out these upcoming HR trends!
HR Trends of 2022
You’ll be surprised with these new trends and that some trends from last year are here to stay. Watch out for these ten HR trends to consider following for your company soon.
Remote Work Will Stay
It may not come as a surprise for many, but remote working is the new normal. In fact, it’s not just a trend; it’s here to stay for the long term. According to this HR trends report from McKinsey, HR will have to adapt to this newer and diverse work environment.
That means it’s time to focus on the personalization of training and development. Furthermore, it’s also time to invest in digital and technological tools that promote collaborative teamwork and communication, such as Slack or Microsoft Teams. Above all, companies need to equip and teach employees about the necessary remote working tools.
Additionally, HR has to think of more creative ways to bring employees and teams together as everyone spends more time physically apart. Meaning, you may start seeing more workplace retreats, company conferences, and even week-long strategy sessions moving forward.
Hybrid Offices
The global pandemic showed us remote work situations are more possible and can even be a permanent change among the majority of the employees. While remote work is here to stay, we can’t deny the importance and necessity of human contact. So why not bring that both together through the hybrid model?
Hybrid offices give employees the best of both worlds. Reports show that majority of employees are interested in hybrid working, so it can balance office time as remote work continues to be a viable option if preferred or needed.
In the following months, HR teams will have to respond and adapt to hot desk options, infrastructure changes and boost WiFi facilities and technology to accommodate a hybrid model. Furthermore, office spaces will also continue adapting, particularly in helping to prevent burnout and support employee productivity and energy levels.
Recruitment and Reshoring
With the costs of importing increasing, companies are now looking into “reshoring” as a way to satisfy the supply chain demand. Manufacturing goods is now returning to domestic production, which we’re already seeing!
Companies impacted by this trend have to strengthen their talent pool and recruitment, looking at newer and more creative ways of attracting skilled employees to their company in a more competitive marketplace.
HR will need to help in strengthening their company’s credentials and brand reputation, particularly in the online world, where we now source more employees.
Outsourcing
Besides recruitment and reshoring, companies are now looking into outsourcing, a new emerging trend. A notable HR trend is how in-house HR teams will start downsizing, especially with new data systems and software doing efficient jobs.
As a result, outsourcing specialists will be in higher demand, particularly those well-knowledgeable in digital skills and cloud HR software. Make sure you’re on the lookout for this growing trend!
People-Centric Approaches
Going back to the HR trends report from McKinsey, a central takeaway point is that we need to return to a more people-centric approach. After what’s happened in the past two years, it’s really taken a significant toll on remote workers. That’s why HR plays a critical role in bringing teams together, putting employees back in the heart of organizations.
With effective well-being strategies like investing in training, flexitime initiatives, free food deliveries, and other office perks, HR leaders will need to adopt more dynamic work models.
One HR trend (which should be a permanent concentration) must be employee well-being. This shouldn’t only be an employee benefit but company opportunities that support workers in their work and personal lives.
Employee well-being isn’t just a one-off thing; there’s a multitude of aspects to look into, such as career, social, financial, and emotional wellness. But organizations aren’t only focusing on individual employees, but their families, too!
For instance, Hewlett Packard expanded benefits to employees and families, offering health and well-being apps, educational resources for kids, job sharing for specific roles, and even resource groups for working parents! Because the pandemic has taken a toll on work-life balance, employee well-being isn’t only about improving organizational benefits; it’s also about enhancing individual and family lives.
Companies can attract new employees and retain current ones by focusing on employee well-being. Research from Paychex and Future Workplace proves how crucial well-being is in workplaces, as 62% of 603 full-time employees say that well-being benefits are vital in deciding whether they should apply for new jobs. It’s mainly new to the new generation, Gen Z, where 67% of them strongly agreed and agreed that such benefits are a huge priority.
The most demanded employee well-being benefits include financial and emotional well-being. Upskilling and well-being go hand in hand here, as you can provide financial training and education to employees, which are becoming more critical among workers. The same goes for mental well-being, where mental health breaks, webinars, care packages, and the like are greatly appreciated.
HR leaders should go away from the one-size-fits-all solutions, leading to personalized approaches where the goal is to create a culture of care meeting everyone’s needs.
Virtual Onboarding
After the pandemic, one of the most important lessons people learned was that virtual onboarding is a promising choice in the long run. When you offer virtual employee onboarding, it helps speed the onboarding process, which results in a smoother and more efficient method to ease new workers into their job positions.
Research from Glassdoor shows that. Effective onboarding processes improve employee retention by over 80%, so you shouldn’t overlook this trend this year.
Upskilling
While employee upskilling isn’t totally new to the HR industry, upskilling continues to become more critical. When HR invites and encourages colleagues to hone their skills, it isn’t an investment for individuals but the company overall.
Companies have a higher chance of promoting within by upskilling employees, which prevents expensive recruitment fees. This has reduced labor turnover and boosted employee morale.
Since remote working is our number one HR trend, employee training is more important than ever. Professionals need to learn to adapt to all the new, necessary skills, responding to an ever-changing workplace.
Among all the different upskilling options, we recommend investing in employee development software. This vital skill helps drive company-wide performance, tapping into powerful insights and data simultaneously.
We’ll Be More Data-Driven
Let’s delve deeper into data. We’re aware that analytics and insights help HR teams make informed decisions. Because teams are more dispersed and there’s less face-to-face contact, leaders should continue relying on data so they can tap into all the new and emerging trends.
Because of that, data analytics is a huge HR trend this 2022. HR managers continue being led by big data, from real-time data monitoring and adapting to emerging trends down to personalized marketing plans. That’s why HR should start taking marketing-like approaches by personalizing its policies and communications to achieve it.
Workplaces are More Diverse and Inclusive
Another interesting HR trend to look into is how vital diversity and inclusion are in our work environment. This has been a trend going on for quite some time now, and it only begins growing from here.
You’ll be surprised by how diversity can benefit companies in many ways. Research shows how diverse teams can lead to an increase in profits and new breadths of creativity. HR departments will continue leading this trend and become winners in diversity this 2022.
What Happens to Distance?
Amid the global pandemic, employees have moved out of the hustle and bustle of cities, heading towards the quiet suburbs. That’s because the suburbs benefit employees with a more spacious home with disposable income.
Companies adopting hybrid work models have to address issues like London weighting pay and other forms of compensation like reimburse travel cards. That means more questions will be asked, such as whether or not salaries will be reviewed, considering less office time and expenses with the city office. This debate began, so make sure to watch out for this trend as it continues to unfold.
Wrapping It Up
Hopefully, these HR trends of the year will help you with your business’ game plan for the long term. Don’t let change intimidate you, and use it to create effective strategies for your employees and customers to benefit from. That’s what drives more conversion and sales in the long run.
If you have any questions or want to share your tips and experiences with any of these HR trends, share them in the comments section below. All your thoughts are much appreciated.
