After a second year marked by the pandemic, the adoption of remote work on a large scale, the Great Resignation, and a labour shortage, human resources and management are undergoing a profound transformation.
One thing is certain: remote work will not be going away anytime soon, even once things get back to normal.
The 6 massive HR trends in 2022
Looking forward, we must learn from the major changes that have taken place in the workplace over the past two years. What are the HR trends that will dominate in 2022? Here is an overview of what is happening in the workplace.
1. Remote work is here to stay
Remote work has opened up new opportunities for both employers and employees. Geographically, borders no longer exist, and a company’s location is no longer relevant when it comes to finding a new job. This offers a lot more choice. With a wider range of job possibilities, competition is also fiercer when it comes to recruitment, especially since salary offers can vary significantly from region to region.
It is now possible to work remotely but efficiently with digital tools, have a flexible schedule, avoid transportation-related waste, and enjoy the many benefits of remote work such as better work-life balance. In 2021, 32% of Canadian employees aged 15 to 69 spent most of their hours working from home. In 2016, this percentage of the population was only 4%.
What will come of remote work after the pandemic? Statistics indicate that this trend is here to stay, as nearly half of workers say they would resign if their employer demanded a full-time return to the office. Now that remote work has become more common, businesses must be prepared to allow remote work at their employees’ request or be able to offer a hybrid way of working for the long term.
2. The famed four-day week
If there is one topic that made headlines in 2021, it is the four-day work week. This concept promotes greater productivity over the course of four days rather than the usual five-day work week, without making a single change to working conditions and or reducing salaries. Work less, but more efficiently, and earn just as much. Would you be willing to try it?
Studies and experiments support remote work, with unanimous findings. A four-day schedule provides a greater sense of well-being at work, reduces Sunday stress and blues, provides a better work-life balance, and results in a significant increase in efficiency and productivity over the four days worked. In the context of a labour shortage, the four-day week is also a way to attract talent when it comes to recruitment.
However, for the majority of companies, a four-day work week is far from easy to implement because it depends on the business model. When you have to ensure that operations continue running smoothly at all times, or if you need to provide customer service five to seven days per week, adapting working hours to four days can be a big challenge.
3. Fostering connections between people
Already two years have passed since the pandemic began and remote work was made mandatory. Health regulations have also contributed to transforming our human relationships. When it comes to work, we now have to rethink how teams connect. This is even more important when integrating new employees into a team. In this case, team-building activities are ideal. Role playing, brain twisters, escape games… there is no shortage of ideas.
These types of activities stimulate collaboration and teamwork, and improve employee communication, motivation, and engagement. They also reinforce a sense of belonging in the company while giving everyone a chance to get to know each other better. Lastly, team-building activities are fairly easy to organize and offer significant benefits. It’s worth a try!
4. Balance is key!
In 2022, agility and flexibility became vital to finding the right balance between productivity and happiness in order to attract new talent and win your team’s loyalty. Today, people no longer want to sacrifice their personal time for pay. Those days are over. The ability to balance our personal and professional lives has become non-negotiable. To excel at work, people want to be able to flourish in their personal lives. Human resources and management must be more people-focused, now more than ever.
5. Focus on professional development
The advent of new technology, automation, and artificial intelligence is transforming business. New occupations are emerging, while others are being completely transformed. This is why it is important for HR to put in place programs that encourage employees to pursue professional development based on their experience and life cycle. Staff must also be trained on how to use these technological tools. In 2022, the acquisition of new skills through training must therefore be a priority for companies.
6. Accelerate the technological shift
Remote working, in combination with a labour shortage, means that companies and HR must dramatically reorganize. Technology is now unavoidable in order to adapt to this new reality. To go fully digital, companies must start collecting data if they do not already do so, and use it to make better decisions based on data analysis.
In addition to using technological tools for management and organizational tasks, they can be used to automate certain repetitive tasks and free up time from your teams’ already loaded schedules. As a result, your team can focus on more complex, human-focused tasks to create value within your organization. The tools also allow you to track your teams’ performance, measure their well-being, and quickly identify cases where a person might need coaching and support. They are indispensable allies in a context of remote collaboration.
The point is clear: companies that seize the opportunity to transition to digital technology will have a huge competitive advantage. How about you? Will you get while the getting is good?
Amanda Arciero, M.Sc., CRHA
Vice President of Operations
amanda.arciero@airudi.com
