Business as usual might return soon as the pandemic mandated rules and regulations are loosening up, and vaccination numbers increase. Some companies are planning to welcome employees back to the office, others are happy with the remote work culture, and the remaining are contemplating a hybrid work culture where employees are required to report to the office for a few days and work remotely on all others.
Amid all of these developments, one thing that has remained constant is a load of expectations on the heads of HR managers in any and every organization. Employee management has never been more challenging as HR managers have to juggle through more new responsibilities in the wake of umpteen changes in the work pedagogy based on the current situation.
HR managers are tasked with hiring and onboarding new employees, training and development of the entire workforce, managing and keeping track of the payroll, ensuring adherence to all necessary compliances, propagating company culture, and everything in between that is necessary to keep a business thriving.
In this article, we will discuss the five HR practices that will matter the most in the upcoming year.
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Employees want to work for purpose in addition to money
Gone are the days when employees only focused on the material remuneration they got against the work they did in a particular job role. Today, employees have increasingly shown interest in finding a purpose that they want to work for in addition to the paycheck.
Because of this, HR managers need to keep employees at the center and stop treating them just like the people who do the required labor and get the job done. HR initiatives must be aimed at developing the overall personality of an employee, from technical skills to soft skills, the idea is to help them handle life with ease. When the employees feel that they are valued, they push towards finding their true purpose.
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Diversity as a prerequisite for new recruitments
Inclusiveness has been a factor that has figured in almost all recruitment drives for big companies in the last few years. The notion could be because of the recent movements by civil society to promote and push for making workplaces more diverse.
Therefore, HR professionals need to be sure that the workforce that they build is diverse in terms of the people it comprises. There should be a representation of people from different social, ethnic, religious, racial backgrounds.
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Focusing on life coaching and not just boring old skill training
Training and development are necessary for developing relevant skills required for a job role and polishing the existing ones to maintain consistency. But, in addition to the required job skills, employees need to be trained to excel at life skills as well.
Skills such as problem-solving, communication, creative thinking, empathy, self-awareness, etc., should be included in the training programs. Therefore, HR managers need to design training and development programs keeping in mind the importance of these skills in today’s age.
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Using AI for data and analytics
Data is a currency in the present world, and accurate data compilation and analysis are a must. Data of the employees from training to productivity numbers can be analyzed efficiently and without errors with the help of AI-powered analytics.
Software solutions like Paylocity incorporate these elements. Paylocity pricing is also affordable for businesses, to be considered for investing. HR managers can learn a lot using accurate data analysis of employee data to personalize the learning process and understand them better, including their strengths and weaknesses.
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Striking a balance for employees in hybrid work environments
Even as the offices are set to reopen as the claws of the pandemic loosen up a bit, employees have been hoping to continue work in a hybrid work model, where remote work for some duration becomes a norm rather than an exception.
To strike a balance between office work and remote work after a prolonged hiatus from coming to the workplace won’t be easy. In this case, HR managers need to devise training programs, onboarding processes, and all other employee operations keeping in mind the duality of the work environment demanded by employees.
Conclusion
We have now learned what HR practices will be the most crucial for ensuring that employees like coming back to the office and appreciate the work culture irrespective of the mode of work.
