Neil McLeese

Columnist

Neil McLeese

Managing Director, BeyondHR

The Future of Work – 5 HR Trends for the 2022 workplace

Neil McLeese, Managing Director at BeyondHR, a leading HR services provider with offices in Ballymena, Glasgow and Manchester, shares the 5 HR Trends to look out for in 2022 and offers his professional opinion on what to expect and how to adapt.

• Artificial intelligence

Digital transformation will continue to storm the HR industry with many firms automating administrative tasks, enabling HR departments to focus on strategy and its people.

To attract and retain the top talent, firms need to redefine their workplace landscape. Workers are demanding change and are holding employers accountable. This means firms need to be transparent - clearly defining inclusivity, diversity, and equality strategies and implementing these across the workplace. AI will have a massive role in enabling firms to deliver this through online workshops, information hubs, and online development programmes.

Technology is also critical to keeping teams connected, organisations need to agree which channels they use for different types of communication, even the more informal platforms, where teams can chat like they would in the office. For many companies, offering remote support has become a permanent solution however HR departments will need to develop more specific longterm solutions, such as scheduling regular meetings, providing mental health training and resources, promoting a healthy worklife balance, encouraging regular exercise, embedding employee wellbeing into meetings and catch-ups, and when possible, plan in-person meetings/events.

• The Great Resignation continues…

The great resignation continues in 2022, calling for greater company benefits and an increased need for transparency. 2021 has seen more people than ever changing careers, causing a massive shift in the recruitment market and a sudden skills shortage.

With talented employees being in high demand, firms need to redesign their strategies if they hope to attract employees. Company culture will continue to play a big role in the recruitment process, including how firms manage employee wellbeing.

• Increased flexibility and increasing absences

Flexible working will continue to gain traction in 2022. With the pandemic forcing many people to stay at home, employees became ultra-productive, using the extra time afforded by remote working to embark on new activities. As life returns to normal, many don’t want to give that up and as the recruitment race continues, employees have more leverage than ever and are demanding more flexibility. This has initiated conversations about the four-day week, a debate that will continue to grab headlines throughout 2022, with many firms introducing this to attract top talent.

It is important that firms contingency plan how they might manage multiple flexible working requests and the feasibility of adapting to a four-day week.

Regarding absence management procedures, we have already seen a recent change in statutory sick pay certification processes. Employees across the UK can now self-certify sickness for 28 days instead of the previous 7 days until January 2023. This means companies are unable to ask employees for medical proof of sickness until after 28 days. Effective absence management can lower absenteeism however, businesses will need to take a balanced approach to this due to the ongoing war for talent in recruitment.

• HR collaboration

HR departments can improve internal processes more effectively through collaboration with other sectors of the business.

For instance, IT departments can provide quicker and more securer methods of gathering and storing essential employee information as well as making it simpler for employees to manage their sickness absences and holiday requests. Furthermore, IT departments may have improved methods for completing work through online platforms, helping to decrease the workload of employees. This may result in a better working environment and reducing stress levels.

Collaboration with finance can help with budgeting for new updated platforms for workload management, as well as, helping to develop a strategy for financial wellbeing policy for employees. HR departments can hold training and guidance for employees for managing their work and personal budgets. This is becoming more and more relevant with the increased costs from Brexit.

• Increased focus on mental health support

Employees are less likely to stay within stressful environments due to the impact on their mental health and wellbeing, meaning that mental health is now a ‘must-have’ benefit for employers.

Many companies have moved from the traditional officebased model of working to remote or hybrid working. We know that a lack of face-to-face supervision, access to information, and increased social isolation can impact an employee’s level of engagement and mental health. Therefore, it is paramount that firms monitor employees’ wellbeing, offering continued support and regularly checking in with workers.

Working from home can lead to a loss of connection so introduce some virtual team building...