4 Human Resources Trends HR Managers Need To Recognize

“The new normal is not about work from home alone, but from anywhere.” – Priyanka Anand

There are a lot of trends affecting work today with the potential to influence the future as well. Here are 4 of them that HR professionals need to recognize to determine how they might affect their specific businesses. 

An increased shift towards full-time remote work

One of the biggest impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic was the shift towards remote work. As the world shut down, companies were forced to find a way to keep the virtual doors open. Although there were a few bumps along the way, most businesses made the best out of the situation, with some switching entirely to remote work while others adopted a hybrid work model. 

Thanks to the benefits remote working offers, many companies are shifting towards full-time remote work. HR pros can take advantage of this trend to start working towards crafting an effective remote work model for their particular business to reap these benefits. 

The increasing value of employee feedback implementation

For a long time, the status quo for most businesses was giving employees feedback to point out any shortcomings and areas they could improve. While this certainly helped employees put their best foot forward, which in turn was beneficial for the business, it was only a partial solution to the issue. 

Lately, there’s a growing trend in companies asking for feedback from employees as well, to help improve the work environment and offer the support they need to do their best work. Implementation of employee feedback is becoming more common in the workplace and is one of the best ways to increase employee engagement.

Greater attention on employee mental health

Employees were among the major groups who felt the strain of the COVID-19 pandemic the most. The whole experience shed light on the issue of employee mental health that had otherwise mostly gone unnoticed. 

Many companies are now working towards creating safe, inclusive spaces, and improving workplace culture for employee mental health. This includes promoting diversity, establishing a zero-tolerance policy for toxic behavior, and creating employee recognition programs through platforms like Gifted.co.    

Increasing reliance on technology

Our reliance on technology continues to grow with the advancement of the field. Technology makes work easier, faster, and more effective. For example, more HR managers are starting to implement software and technology that make the hiring process easier, offer effective monitoring of employee performance, and automate essential elements of the workplace.

The automation of managerial tasks such as these leaves room for HR managers to build better relationships with their employees and focus on other things that will make the workplace a better space for everyone involved.  

“Change is inevitable – except from a vending machine.” – Robert C. Gallagher