Tools and Trends for your Human Resources Strategy in 2022
Let’s face it, HR managers have had a tough run. COVID rules and restrictions, managing staff remotely and the general mounting anxiety that has been ever-present in this pandemic have taken a toll on the Human Resources department.
And now with new modelling we know that things aren’t going to be ‘back to normal’ anytime soon. With our government’s ‘Let it Rip’ approach, Human Resource Managers are going to need to be prepared for another long and challenging year.
We’ve put together the best tools and trends for your human resource strategies in 2022.
- Work from home
- Flexible working
- Project Management Software
- Employee Upskilling
- The Outside in Approach
- Diversity and Equality
- Skills-based Hiring
What are Human Resources Strategies and why are they important?
Human resources strategies are the plans made by businesses to structure how they manage their employees including employee satisfaction and retention, appraising performance, recruitment, salary and benefits and professional development systems.
A solid HR Strategy will factor in the goals, values and structural plans of the organisation into the processes and policies of the HR department. Creating a system that supports and encourages the growth of the company in the right direction.
A good human resources strategy can improve employee satisfaction and retention, even creating some allure for the company in its respective industry.
Here’s our pick of the top tools and trends to help prepare your Human Resources Strategy in 2022.
Work from home
At the start of the pandemic, many of us found it difficult working from home. Some of us scrambled to create a workspace in their living area or kitchen and others struggled with internet issues and the lack of structure in their days.
But these days it’s hard to get your employees back in the office. According to this article by the ABC, 90% of Australians want to keep working from home in some capacity. The pandemic has meant that the once seemingly distant dream of working from home has become a reality for many.
Working from home is a part of our new normal so how can Human Resource Managers better support those remote workers?
The most important thing is clear communication. If an employee is not explicitly told the hierarchy of their tasks you can end up having people working on lower level stuff rather than putting time in on larger projects.
Having a really clear plan and providing finish lines for the project tasks will ensure they understand what’s expected when and can alert you or their manager if they are not going to finish in time.
Flexible working
Flexible working conditions are a hot trend in HR right now. We don’t work the normal 9 – 5 hours anymore and if nothing else the pandemic has proven we can get a bit more flexible with working times and adjust them to offer employees better work life balance.
Unless there is a meeting or something that can only be achieved in a particular time frame, there is no reason to limit or restrict a remote employee to specific working hours. If anything, flexible working arrangements can mean that you have employees who work more efficiently.
Some people work best and quickest first thing in the morning while others are at their best later in the day. If you allow employees to choose their own timing, they can work during their highest productivity periods, and you’ll end up with more work done for less hours.
An added bonus of implanting flexible working arrangements is that these non-financial benefits can be the point of difference between your company and a competitor, enabling you to attract higher quality candidates when recruiting.
Project Management Software
A project management software with resource monitoring and allocation capabilities can be a game changer for the human resources department.
It can enable the HR department to see which employee is available when, what projects they are currently working on and where the workloads can be shared. From there a reallocation of tasks or resources can create a more balanced work environment for everyone.
Project management systems can often be combined with other management software and adapted in their use to help a HR manager achieve this viewpoint, such as Wrike, Trello, Notion or Asana.
Employee Upskilling
It’s no surprise that upskilling made the cut for this list. Professional development is a key tenant of a Human Resources Strategy but 2022 is going to see businesses levelling up their approach to PD programs.
Setting up mentorship programs in conjunction with PD programs, creating space for your employees to upskill and helping your employees to craft the career they want are all trends in Professional Development programs this year. Along with a focus on soft skills and mental health training in the workplace.
The Outside In Approach
Dave Ulrich, a recognised thought leader in the Human Resources field, says employees matter but organisations matter more. Ulrich draws this conclusion from the data compiled from a study of 32000 people and 1200 businesses.
Ulrich told Ronald Berger “We measured the competencies of the HR professionals in these organisations and we measured the capabilities of the organisations.”
“When we did regressions of individual competencies and organisation capabilities on an index of six business outcomes, the organisation had four times the impact of the individuals. We found similar results in sports teams where the leading scorer is on the team that wins the championship 20% of the time. We think these are fascinating results. Talent clearly matters, but organisation matters more to results.”
“Part of the implication for people is to make sure that the people hired are able to collaborate and work well in teams, not just as ‘solo-ists’.” You can read his full interview with Berger here.
What this means for your Human Resources strategy is that you should apply a strong focus to cultivating good work culture and collaborative team environments. This approach also extends to outside of the business. The outside in includes applying strategies that will benefit the stakeholders, customers and employees of the business.
Diversity and Equality
Diversity and equality have been leading concerns for Human Resources Departments across the globe for a long time now. So, it’s unsurprising that this will play a major factor in HR strategies for 2022.
Hiring quotas, gender gaps and diversity in leadership are going to be hot button topics for the year. With a strong push to create more representation in leadership roles and balance the gender parity.
Skills-based Hiring
It used to be that you needed a degree to get a look in for most professional jobs. That perception is starting to shift as we see companies looking for individuals who have picked up new and more niche skill sets.
According to this article by Glassdoor top companies such as Google and Hilton are practicing skills-based hiring, looking to see what kind of non-traditional education and skill sets people have achieved without going to university.
“Academic qualifications will still be taken into account and indeed remain an important consideration when assessing candidates as a whole but will no longer act as a barrier to getting a foot in the door.” Maggie Stilwell from Ernst and Young told Glassdoor.
That’s the hottest trends and tools to plan your human resources strategy in 2022. If you’re interested in leveling up your career in human resources with professional development, check out our human resources courses here or book in to have a chat with one of our friendly course advisors here.
