2020 and 2021 forever transformed the modern workplace and HR processes. An HR manager would have to scramble for tips on how to manage the changes brought about by the COVID pandemic.
For instance, many employers had to switch overnight to remote work. There were also questions around covid vaccinations and mandates. HR managers wondered how to handle employees that didn't want to get the vaccine.
In 2022 many of these challenges persist, so HR managers must roll out new policies capturing the changes. There will also be new challenges and opportunities emerging in 2022 that managers must prepare for.
Keep reading for 5 tips HR managers can use to have a successful 2022.
Companies in 2022 will be looking for ways to cut costs, and recruitment is one of the areas that may suffer. Business owners are wary of hiring during uncertain times.
One way of reducing recruitment costs is by embracing internal promotions of employees. Employees in companies with high internal mobility stay with their organizations twice as long as those in companies with low internal mobility.
So, HR managers must leverage the current and potential skills of their workforce to meet present and future business needs. Below are some tips that HR managers can use to increase their internal talent pool:
Keep in mind that if employees learn their supervisor's tasks, it's easy to promote them in case that role becomes vacant. Also, once a skills assessment is done, managers must then come up with a training plan to address the gaps. You should also support career goals to get the skills and qualifications employees need for their desired role.
In 2022, the workforce will be home to 5 different generations of workers. These are the Baby Boomers, Millennials, Generation X, Y, and Z.
On top of this, workers are also segmented based on their personalities and demographics. There are introverts and extroverts. Type A and type B workers, ethnic minority and majority workers, etc.
Forward-thinking HR managers know how to manage the different categories of workers to leverage their strengths. Workers over a certain age may not be tech-savvy, but they may have a lot of wisdom and insight on business management.
Younger workers can come up with tech ideas to keep your business way ahead of your competition. HR managers make their company feel like home for all the different types of workers.
You can embrace and enhance diversity using the below tips:
Remember to train your managers and supervisors on how to lead a diverse workforce and manage differently
Another great tip for HR Managers in 2022 is that they should use technology to simplify HR processes. For instance, manual payroll processing is an avoidable headache.
There are many payroll applications and companies that can do it at a reasonable cost. HR technology can also help to streamline your recruitment and onboarding processes.
Technology also comes in handy if you need to make remote working or flexible work arrangements. Companies that provided their employees with laptops and safe network connections found it easy to transition to remote work during the pandemic.
Remote work is not going anywhere. So HR managers must ensure that their employees have the technology they need to work from home.
Organizations that embrace an empathetic leadership style are more likely to thrive in 2022 and beyond. The last two years have been hard on your employees. Many people are grieving friends and family members that passed on during the pandemic.
Some employees are facing economic hardships. Others are having a hard time adjusting to isolation and working from home. Meanwhile, the vaccine mandates are adding another layer of pressure to the current workforce.
HR managers need to be at the forefront of understanding the contexts and conditions that their employees face in 2022. They should guide managers and supervisors on how to get the best from employees that are facing a unique time in history.
The HR department should also come up with a support structure for employees that are struggling. For instance, you could therapy and grief counseling for stressed or grieving employees.
You could also make flexible work arrangements for employees that have become primary caregivers or those facing childcare challenges. HR managers must think outside the box to come up with creative solutions to the challenges that their workforce will face in 2022.
The COVID pandemic highlighted the importance of having a business continuity plan in case of crisis. A tip for HR managers in 2021 is to take a lead in the development of such plans. HR managers have valuable insight into how a company should manage its human resources during times of crisis.
They can provide proactive plans to ensure that there is an adequate number of employees during unplanned interruptions of service. HR managers could also think of preventive measures that can prevent staffing crises.
The last couple of years has set the stage for a series of unique challenges that HR managers will face in 2002. Any HR manager who wants to have a successful year will need to embrace an empathetic leadership style. This will allow them to get the best from their employees even during a difficult year of change and unexpected crises.
It will also be necessary for companies to use technology to manage HR processes like recruitment, onboarding, and payroll. Contact us for more information on how our HR and Payroll consultants can help you navigate 2022.
