HR is considered one of the most important aspects of any organization. Many refer to it as the soul of the business. HR teams alter and reinforce the culture of any company. Their daily tasks and objectives aim to drive productivity and employee satisfaction. The HR team is the backbone of any organization as they cover a wide array of business functions that are necessary for the business to survive.
By looking at HR trends, your human resources team will have a solid foundation to suggest and implement company-wide changes that will streamline processes, attract top talents and ensure employee satisfaction.
20 HR TRENDS FOR 2023, PART 1
1. Diversity, Equality and Inclusion (DEI)
2. Adopt a People-First Culture
3. Four-Day Workweek
4. Put emphasis on Social Media
5. Practice Fair Chance Hiring
6. Upskilling and Reskilling
7. Adopt Remote Work Policies
8. HR Meets VR
9. Advancing from People Analytics to Data Literacy
10. Offer Childcare Benefits
1. Diversity, Equality and Inclusion (DEI)
DEI initiatives are one of the biggest trends to focus on with the new hybrid model being implemented globally. These initiatives aim to eliminate discrimination, unfair wages and many other inequalities that employees face in the workplace.
2. Adopt a People-First Culture
Employees are no longer willing to stay in toxic work environments, as evident by The Great Resignation in 2021. Many companies don’t have strategies in place to improve workplace culture, and employees are forced to fulfill vague expectations without any support. Culture plays a huge role in a company’s performance and overall success. HR professionals should actively strive to build a culture and not hope that it’ll form on its own.
3. Four-Day Workweek
The pandemic has completely shaken the mindset of employees around the globe. People adapted and learned how to make the most of their time while working remotely.
The extra time provided by working from home was spent on hobbies and family time. Employees are reluctant to let this aspect go and are requesting more flexible schedules. This sparked the four-day workweek discussion. Many recruiters are looking to adopt this structure in order to attract and retain employees.
4. Put emphasis on Social Media
With the majority of our time being spent online, it’s essential that modern-day organizations have a solid social media presence.
By introducing a thorough social media and branding strategy, the HR department can establish a seamless connection with current and future employees, convey company achievements on sites like LinkedIn, drawing attention to the company and promoting its brand. They can communicate company policies and programs, improving employee engagement and team relationships.
5. Practice Fair Chance Hiring
Fair chance hiring is the practice of giving all candidates the same consideration for a job irrespective of their criminal record.
Many employers still hesitate to employ people with criminal histories due to popular misconceptions. To mitigate risks, HR teams should conduct thorough background checks with consent from the respective candidate.
There are a few reasons why companies should practice fair chance hiring – increasing the talent pool, boosting employee retention, enhancing workplace productivity and nurturing a DEI culture.
6. Upskilling and Reskilling
Upskilling has been an HR trend for a while now. With the labour markets constantly evolving, there’s always something new to learn.
Due to the current rapid digital transformation, the younger generation is keener to upskill themselves. There are higher expectations for skilled and tech-savvy employees. Hence, millennials are requesting opportunities to upskill from their employers. If your company doesn’t offer any upskill opportunities, you could run the risk of losing employees. It’s more productive to upskill existing employees than to constantly hire new talent.
7. Adopt Remote Work Policies
Remote work was extremely rare in the past, and when the entire world went into lockdown, it triggered an unintended experiment on how efficient remote work actually was.
The advancements made in technology have made working from home much easier. Many companies found that employees were more productive working from home. With the world returning back to normal operations, employees’ mindsets have changed, and they’re now actively seeking remote roles.
This has become a huge trend in HR and will definitely carry on over to 2023 and beyond. Some companies are even adopting a hybrid remote work culture where employees spend 1-2 days working at the office.
8. HR Meets VR
Virtual reality seems to be the current trendsetter in the tech space, and everyone is hopping on board. Surprisingly enough, it has entered the HR space too.
HR teams could use VR to simulate the workplace and assess candidates’ skills required to be successful in the role. It could take years for meaningful tests to be established, but getting a head start on this trend is a great idea.
Some companies are even exploring the idea of having a VR workspace for remote workers. This would help eliminate feelings of isolation, amp up remote workplace culture and engagement in an extremely futuristic way.
9. Advancing from People Analytics to Data Literacy
While having all the data you need about employee behaviour and impact is fantastic, it does not mean much if an organization can’t interpret and apply the data efficiently. Data literacy is an impactful HR trend as it contributes toward strategic decision-making and benefits the company on a large scale.
We’ve spoken about the importance of tracking performance and Objectives and Key Results (OKR) and how various HR software programs have analytics features that human resources teams can use to get insights into the companies’ workforce.
Because people analytics is so crucial to strategic decision-making, it makes data literacy within the HR team essential in 2023.
10. Offer Childcare Benefits
Childcare has become a top human resources trend. Many employees have resigned, putting their careers on hold due to a lack of childcare.
Studies have shown that the majority of parents were unable to afford childcare. Offering childcare benefits to employees increases retention and productivity and decreases absenteeism. This is another contributory factor to the work-from-home trend. Parents are able to plan their day around caring for their kids and completing all assigned work with no extra expense to them.
Many companies are beginning to implement childcare stipends and access to reputable childcare establishments.
To be continued…
If you’re looking for new ideas, fresh perspectives and insights on the future of work, then you’ll want to attend HR Vision Events.
