A whole new year ahead to work smarter and better than ever before. Here are 10Eighty’s recommendations for where to focus in 2022, these are just a few of the issues that are going to be prominent this year.
1.Remote and hybrid working
Lockdown means many of us have had to change job or career path and competition for talent is ferocious. HR leaders will need to work closely with line managers and the workforce to build a robust culture of trust and collaboration through regular, effective, two-way communication.
Forward thinking organisations that support flexible working practices are likely to have the edge when it comes to attracting and retaining top talent. The trick is in the ability to embrace the benefits of flexible working whilst ensuring collaboration isn’t compromised, and that employees don’t feel isolated or adrift.
2.Alternative contracts
For many organisations, the search for talent alongside economic and demographic change, has made the prospect of hiring contractors and contingent workers more attractive than the overheads occasioned in recruiting full-time staff.
Cohesive teams tend to perform better so it’s important that HR design contingent contracts and alternative employment offers that meet the psychological contract requirements of the workplace and workforce as this impinges on issues like engagement, career mapping, loyalty and commitment to the employer.
3.Focus on skills for the future
The importance of upskilling and encouraging employee learning and development will be a driving force in helping to attract and retain talent. Forward-focused organisations will placing more emphasis on transferable skills in order to attract new talent and to source talent internally to drive the organisation’s competitive advantage.
Campbell Urquhart of Belbin, who specialise in team psychometrics, suggests we should ‘hire for behaviour and train for knowledge’. Many companies fall into the trap of advertising, screening, reviewing CVs and interviewing based on technical skills, and entirely neglecting the behavioural traits they really seek amongst applicants.
4.Employee centred policies
Employees want to be heard and valued so HR needs to focus on an employer-employee relationship and employment offer to meet those needs. Rather than top down manpower planning the employer should offer career management systems that enable employees to look across the organisation for development opportunities.
High performance, committed employees want jobs that are sculpted to their particular requirements. Job design, role content, work environment, hours are all areas where people want to have more control and autonomy.
5.Diversity and inclusion
Glassdoor, experts on jobs, salaries and the workplace, suggest that employees will expect to see progress on the promises made in 2020 in the wake of Black Lives Matter and other movements. 2022 will be the tipping point – the goodwill accrued from goal-setting and pledges over the last two years will wear dissipate if not followed through with meaningful change.
