5 Current Trends For HR Managers To Watch

Thursday, March 21, 2024 21:50 Posted by Admin

Attracting new employees and retaining current ones is never easy, especially in these rather uncertain times. The global health pandemic has affected almost all industries, and not just in terms of how they conduct their operations.

The workforce is also changing, and it comes with growing new expectations from the companies they work for. HR departments are therefore left with the rather difficult task of determining how to effectively change strategies and adapt to these new expectations to allow companies to remain competitive in their field.

It’s always much easier to know what to do when you have a bird’s eye view of what’s to come. To achieve this view, let’s look at 5 of the most important 2022 HR trends that all managers need to watch:

1. Health Benefits Are Becoming Non-Negotiable

The global health pandemic has significantly underlined how devastating lack of access to healthcare can truly be. In the midst of this crisis, many workers have put much more focus on their health, as well as their abilities to pay (or not) for any medical care they may need.

With this new attention on healthcare, it’s not just a matter of whether the job offers such benefits. It’s also the type of coverage, its flexibility, deductibles, copays, etc. People are looking at the quality of their healthcare coverage.

2. HR’s Digital Transformation

Big Data is becoming more and more part of our daily lives, and the HR department is no exception. The concept of people analytics is on the rise, which would help make decisions that concern workers based on data to genuinely get a positive impact on the company culture and environment.

Such tools can present a lot of essential information to HR departments, such as:

• How diverse a company truly is;
• Spot trends in due time (sick leave, absenteeism, etc.)
• Revenue spent on HR tasks (such as recruiting;)
• Rise or decline in employee turnaround, etc.

3. Stronger Focus on Diversity and Equity

2022 will continue to fight for a more diverse and equitable workspace. Having a diverse workspace is the key to any company looking to survive in the next economy, especially since their potential employees are coming with this expectation from the very first contact.

A Glassdoor survey found that 76% of people consider diversity to be an essential factor when seeking new employment opportunities. Another Deloitte survey found that 80% of respondents consider inclusion efforts when choosing a company.

4. Growth Opportunities

Jobs are changing, whether it’s because of new technologies, health/social crises, or a change in workforces. Because of this change, people are looking for growth opportunities inside their companies, making access to training another key factor potential candidates are greatly considering.

Learning new skills or improving current ones can motivate employees tremendously, as such opportunities can improve performance, raise job satisfaction, and even allow employees to become more competitive themselves.

5. Workplace Flexibility

Since a good part of the American workforce has been conducting its operation from home, the prospects of simply going back to the office to the traditional workspace are not ideal for many candidates.

Around 59% of workers say they would only consider a job that allows them to work remotely, while 64% are more likely to consider a role that offers them flexible working hours according to a Gartner survey.

Flexibility trends may have emerged as a result of the pandemic, but it is set to remain an employee’s expectations even after the health crisis ends.

Final Thoughts

Employee expectations are always changing, though recently it seems the trends have been emerging at faster rates. Still, for HR managers to effectively keep attracting top talent and improving employee retention, these 5 trends are a great place to start when building a new strategy.

If you wish to offer employees a better benefits package, Taylor Benefits Insurance Agency is happy to help create a strong offer that effectively rises to the expectations of your employees and your company.