Human Resources departments have changed significantly throughout the past several years, beginning with the pandemic. Some HR leaders are managing significant levels of disruption, from economic uncertainties and high inflation to the fallout of the Great Resignation which has led to an increasing focus among employees for a positive work-life balance.
Here is a guide to help human resources professionals navigate the 2023 work landscape.
Be Flexible
Initially, for many businesses, offering employees remote and hybrid work options was a temporary measure during the pandemic. However, it has proven to be an effective approach for many types of businesses that may have not previously considered it and it is becoming more popular among both businesses and employees.
Your company can improve its recruitment and employee retention efforts by offering these flexible work options, but your HR department should be able to adapt to working with employees who are not usually physically present.
They may also be responsible for screening, interviewing and onboarding new staff remotely. Your human resources team itself may also be offered hybrid or remote work options, which means that it will be necessary for employees to know how to manage online portals and cloud-based systems.
Raise Your Recruiting Game
Many HR leaders include recruiting as one of their top priorities, but some may find their sourcing strategies are simply not adequate for finding the skills they require. In the coming year, be prepared for competition for talent to rise significantly regardless of the status of the economy.
Recruiting leaders need to ensure their strategies align with the current needs of the business and must plan for a variety of potential scenarios to account for the rapidly evolving market. They also need to know how to leverage data to make more confident decisions.
There are several approaches that businesses can take to ramp up their recruitment efforts. First, they should build intelligence-based sourcing capabilities and work on developing an equitable internal labor market. It is also important to ensure that their onboarding processes are designed with maximum engagement in mind.
Make Employee Wellness a Priority
Another effect of the pandemic is an increasing priority on employee wellness. Your HR department plays a central role in designing and implementing new policies related to wellness. For 2023, the focus of many companies is extending beyond physical illnesses and stopping the spread of germs to encompass mental health as well.
Stress is at an all-time high as a result of the pandemic, with many individuals worried about their families, the future of their jobs, rising inflation, and their health as well as that of their loved ones. Therefore, your HR department should create or remodel wellness programs and employee assistance programs in a way that places an equal focus on physical and mental health.
Human resources teams should implement ways to detect mental distress among their staff and ensure that they have access to the resources needed to effectively address these issues. However, in the process, it is important not to overlook the utility of encouraging employees to pay attention to fitness, exercise regularly and adopt other positive health practices.
Cultivate More Effective Leadership
Improving the effectiveness of leadership and management is a priority for human resources leaders going into 2023, as many are finding that their current approach to leadership development does not adequately prepare management for future work.
As society and modern business continue to evolve, the expectations regarding the responsibilities of leaders are also adapting in a way that makes their roles more complex than ever. Modern leaders must be increasingly adaptive, empathetic and authentic, and embrace the philosophy that is known as human leadership.
While teams in human resources departments do their best to encourage their leaders to be more confident and committed, it is important not to ignore the barriers that may hold leaders back, such as fear, doubt or uncertainty. Recognizing and helping them address emotional barriers directly can help leaders to be better prepared for the future of work.
Improve the Employee Experience
Although human resources leaders want to improve their employee experience as a top priority for the coming year, their organization may lack compelling career paths. It can be difficult for HR leaders to identify which internal moves staff members need to make to advance their career. If an employee is not confident in their career with the organization, they are far more likely to seek a new role in an external position.
The career development paths of the past were generally quite clear. However, as the workplace continues to evolve, career options are becoming less visible, and flexible work options mean that many employees are spending less time in the office. At the same time, many current skills are growing obsolete, and some employees lack the proper preparation for future roles.
An increasing focus on improving work-life balance means that many of the current options available will not satisfy employees’ needs. This means that HR leaders need to take steps to create best-fit careers for their employees.
Make Plans for Organizational Design and Change Management
In 2023, many HR leaders will be focusing on organizational design and change management. Leaders are recognizing that their employees are feeling fatigued as a result of the changes affecting the workplace right now, from digital transformations to political tensions and economic uncertainty.
In fact, some employees are growing more resistant to change. Organizational changes that were once readily accepted are no longer being met with a willingness to change particularly when it includes assuming more work or responsibilities due to understaffing. Therefore, human resources leaders need to help their employees navigate change and reduce the impact that it has on their work and their well-being.
Contact the Human Resources Experts at Business Benefits Group
Human resources trends are constantly evolving making it essential to stay on top of the latest in the industry and adapt your strategies accordingly. Contact the human resources consultants at Business Benefits Group (BBG) today to learn more about how we can help you set the stage for a more productive year.