In this era characterized by speed, knowledge explosion, and openness of the world to each other thanks to social media, and thanks to technical development and artificial intelligence, the features of markets have changed and have become across all borders without obstacles. With the course of accelerating environmental, health, economic, political and technological events, it is expected that this will result in the emergence of many trends in various industries. In our current article, we will highlight some special trends related to the field of human resources during the year 2022, which are expected to be accelerated and responded to in a way that achieves Flexibility in dealing with noticeable and accelerating changes in work environments.
1- Adopting a diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) perspective as an integrated strategy
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is a term used to describe programs and policies that encourage the representation and participation of diverse groups of individuals of diverse genders, ethnicities, abilities, religions, cultures, ages, and experiences. In short, DEI means ensuring that all individuals or groups within an organization are treated and represented fairly and equitably, ensuring that all individuals thrive personally and professionally.
In the context of this perspective, implementing diversity, equity and inclusion in work environments has become a priority for most companies from various sectors. This is especially true for leadership roles. Adopting a DEI perspective as an integrated strategy means more than just creating inclusive work environments. This helps companies create more positive work experiences for employees. Many companies and organizations are making these efforts on behalf of people who have been exposed to inequality in the workplace in the past.
Discussions about DEI practices can also help companies change their culture. Companies that promote diverse work environments may attract more talent. Below is a list of potential actions companies can take to ensure diversity, equity, and inclusion in their work environments:
- Adopting a zero-tolerance approach to bullying
- Ensure diversity is an important part of the work culture by monitoring leaders who embody the behaviors the company wants to see
- Address bias by conducting training on the concept of diversity
- Incorporate bias assessments into employee performance evaluations
- Apply DEI standards to company key performance indicators (KPIs)
2-Realizing the difference between listening to employees and listening to them
Many companies face numerous challenges in attracting new talent and retaining employees. “Hearing” refers to being aware of sound, while “listening” refers to paying attention and focusing on what others are saying. Some specialists in senior management have emphasized the skill of active listening when communicating with employees to better understand their ideas and concerns.
Listening usually refers to making eye contact, taking notes, or trying to understand why someone is conveying their message. Listening also involves holding down responses until the other person has finished speaking, carefully processing the information and then responding. Without active listening, people often feel that their voices are not heard and that they are not valued. Thus, the skill of listening helps foster respect between people and inspires feelings of trust and understanding among them. Here are some ways in which listening skills can be developed better:
- Give the person full attention while speaking
- Allow the other person to finish speaking before responding
- Trying to understand the actual meaning of a person's message, including non-verbal cues
- Ask thoughtful questions
- Build a company culture that encourages employees to express themselves
3- Refine employees’ skills and rehabilitate them
New employees, such as recent graduates, often lack all the right skills to excel at their job. This means that employees' skills must be constantly improved and reskilled, which contributes to creating a more adaptable workforce. Below are some of the measures that companies may need to implement to hone and reskill employees:
- Encouraging employees to attend training and monitor development on an ongoing basis
- Reward successful development achievements
- Conduct training in multiple ways, such as face-to-face and online.
- Provide focused feedback
4-Developing a positive culture within the company
Company culture is a set of behaviors, attitudes, and interactions that establish an overall feeling within a company. A company's culture often stems from its leadership positions – employees tend to emulate the way company leaders deal with each other and other employees. Factors such as company policies, transparency, and incentive programs can also affect the overall company culture. Here are some ways employers can foster a positive culture in their companies:
- Help employees maintain relationships and form new ones when hiring new employees
- Teach employees how to collaborate better
- Adopting new communications technology
- Embed diversity, equity and inclusion practices into business strategy
5-Use data to improve employee experiences
It has become very common for employees to search for better working conditions, And therefore Employers are increasingly inclined to subsidize employee experiences to retain them. Many companies have used technology and data to learn more about their employees' opinions and personal lives to improve strategies to boost employee engagement and improve employee experiences.
Data can be used in the form of customized onboarding programs to help new employees feel valued and supported. Companies may also use data from professional rewards and recognition programs that emphasize employee accomplishments, which helps companies obtain more data and information about employees' values.
6-Creating more welfare initiatives
Companies in general have begun to focus on well-being programs to improve employee engagement and productivity and ensure customer satisfaction. This includes well-being in various forms, such as financial, social and health well-being. Examples of well-being initiatives include providing health insurance services for the elderly; Providing gyms and sports facilities at reduced prices; facilitating access to telehealth professionals; Facilitating access to interaction platforms among employees.
7-Supporting caregivers
A caregiver is anyone who provides assistance to another person in need. Therefore, caregiver employees are more vulnerable to psychological stress, especially administrative leaders who often face challenges in dealing with those in their workplace and caring for their family members. Here are some actions that some companies are taking to provide additional support to managers and administrative leaders:
- Set clear goals and expectations
- Collect notes and listen to them
- Recognizing and appreciating efforts
- Providing additional tools and resources to facilitate job performance
- Providing more training opportunities
8- Emphasizing the importance of teamwork among employees
When people work remotely and participate in virtual teams, it helps them form new relationships and access new resources. Teams may contribute to a more positive work culture when all employees feel valued and equal to their peers. Many companies have even formed super teams that combine a large number of people and technological tools to deliver high-quality performance. Successful work teams often emphasize the role of a positive work culture that encourages development, adaptability and flexibility. Another factor that contributes to this success is empowering employees by improving and honing their skills.
9- Applying innovative recruitment methods
Companies are competing with each other to attract the best talent, and some have begun implementing different tactics to attract and retain qualified candidates. Many companies are now using social media platforms to attract potential employees, and this approach often helps reach specific groups of candidates in a particular sector through these platforms. Since employer profiles on social media platforms include a lot of information about the nature of the company's work, candidates now typically prefer employers who are transparent about their values and goals.
Candidates now tend to pay attention to the company's public image and the quality of its social media posts before applying for a job. In this context, companies may, for example, choose to advertise attractive benefits when searching for potential candidates through these platforms; This includes career advancement opportunities, non-monetary benefits, competitive salaries, work flexibility, and work-life balance.
10- Balancing the flexibility of remote work with the requirements of working in offices
Some employees prefer to work remotely instead of being in offices. Many employers have developed strategies to respond to employee needs and preferences while still meeting the demands of office work. Companies can encourage employees to return to the office using some of these methods:
- Formulate a balanced return-to-office strategy that works for both employees who can and cannot work remotely
- Creating a collaborative and interactive workplace
- Use rewards as incentives
- Communicate transparently
- Use change management strategies
11-Skills-based employment
Many jobs require new skills and competencies amid the technological advancements that our world is witnessing today. This means that some companies are looking for specific skills rather than university degrees and academic qualifications. Hence, skills-based hiring will focus more on the new and creative skills an employee brings to the table, and encourage applicants to put in more effort in order to meet these requirements. Moreover, skills-based recruitment means that employees will bring new and unconventional ideas to the team and the work environment in contrast to what they have learned and acquired through traditional learning.
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