Human resources (HR) is the finding, screening, recruiting, training, and retaining of employees in the workplace. This job field is highly complicated, and there are always new trends. The pandemic and the “great resignation” have flipped the HR field on its head.
HR professionals and business owners need to understand the leading trends to attract and retain talent. What people want in a job changes as time goes on. Staying on top of these trends lets you adjust what you provide to employees so that they’ll stay with your company. It also ensures that applicants join your organization over a competitor’s.
This article outlines the HR trends we’ll see in 2022. It includes
- Flexible work environments;
- Alternatives to full-time employees;
- A focus on employee retention;
- Shorter interview timelines; and,
- Diversity and inclusion
Flexible and modern work environments
Traditional companies had rigid systems. Employees had to be at the office at nine AM sharp. But organizations growingly adopt flexible hours and remote work options as these are what employees want. It helps individuals accommodate life events such as a child suddenly becoming ill.
The shift to remote work due to COVID-19 has pushed employees to value workplace flexibility even more. The avoidance of long commutes to the office and the ability to take calls at home means companies likely won’t go back to a full in-office schedule in situations where remote work is possible.
Other modern work benefits generally relate to mental health. These benefits include extended paid time off, mental health breaks, and periods where employees are entirely cut off from their job.
Embrace of alternative hiring options
COVID-19 pushed a lot of people to become entrepreneurs. In-house content marketers and graphic designers have chosen to work full-time as freelancers. This lets people choose their own work schedules and only focus on the deliverable and not the process.
As a result, businesses need to be open to hiring people on a contract basis if they want top talent. Hiring contractors, as opposed to employees, has its benefits. Your business only pays contractors for its results and not for coming in every day between nine to five. They also won’t require health and dental benefits like full-time employees.
The downside is that contractors aren’t committed to only your business and charge a premium due to the lack of full-time hours.
Focus on employee retention
HR in the past mostly contemplated recruiting and training new employees. But modern HR professionals understand that retaining employees is just as important. Keeping your current team means you won’t have to search for new talent unless you’re expanding your business.
Employee retention includes many of the mentioned items in this article, such as flexible work environments. It further comprises understanding what current employees want and best supporting their desires.
Shortened interview timelines
The job market is on fire right now, and business owners have trouble competing for talent. One way they’re competing is not only raising salaries or providing better benefits — but it’s also reducing the interview lengths.
Companies previously used multiple rounds of extended interviews. Full-day in-office discussions filled with case studies, group sessions, and networking opportunities were not uncommon. Going from the first call to an offer took months.
However, companies have realized that taking months will cause applicants to choose another employer. That’s why some businesses now make hiring decisions after one call.
Diversity and inclusion
People want to work where they see others that look like them. Companies understand that to attract the best talent in 2021 and 2022, you must put diversity and inclusion at the forefront of HR goals. This creates a work environment that people feel comfortable in.
Without the proper diversity and inclusion initiatives, it could create work environments filled with inappropriate comments that target a person’s race, gender, or sexuality. If this leaves them feeling uncomfortable, it could cause employee turnover.
HR is a complex field with its own trends that professionals need to follow. Even as a business owner, you should understand these trends to attract and retain the right employees.
