The top 5 global HR trends in 2022
For the longest time, human resource management was considered simply as the task of managing people. This encompassed several manual processes, in-person interaction with employees, and maintaining hardcopy records of critical documents and company guidelines. Data collection and analytics did not really fall into the realm of HR professionals.
The challenge from COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic proved to be a curveball of the kind not seen ever. Possibly the biggest factor affecting global HR trends, it had an effect on the personal and professional lives of company employees. The approach to work and management changed hugely with work from home and remote recruitment and onboarding, in turn affecting the behavior of employees. HR teams played a significant part in navigating these unprecedented dynamics.
How the workplace changed
Among the major HR trends in 2022 continuing from the start of the pandemic but getting stronger is the use of technology. Initially seen in the work of employees, this has changed the work environment, and professionals rely on digitization and software tools to complete their tasks. Digital tools make up employee dashboards, and ZoomInfo, Slack, Monday.com, and others dot the new work pattern.
Technology became among the key HR trends soon enough. The ’90s saw a move toward streamlined processes with the use of applicant tracking systems (ATSs) as well as a focus on performance management and talent management. This got a major fillip with the pandemic — and continues to get stronger every day — with HR technology and remote software tools to manage people. Technology bridged the gap between employees and employers, and helped HR professionals to recruit, onboard, and evaluate the performance of employees.
Top HR trends in 2022
Technology in HR will continue to be a major force, and there will be other changes that come about or gain momentum this year and moving forward. Here are the most significant global HR trends:
Remote and hybrid work
The debate between working on site and remotely will continue, though the pandemic has definitively demonstrated that a large chunk of tasks that were considered impossible to complete outside of office can in fact be conveniently completed without needing to come to a workplace. En masse movements toward remote work continue, and the likely trend in the future — already taking root — is a mix of employees on site and at remote locations, working together in a hybrid model. Employees are happy as they can reduce their commutes, take care of home responsibilities, and can balance work and life better. Overhead expenses and relocation costs for employers reduce significantly too, which is why this is likely to be preferred wherever feasible. In fact, a WeWork blind survey of 1,000 C-suite and 1,000 non-C-suite employees in 2021 revealed that:
· 79 percent of the C-suite plans to permit its employees to split their time between working remotely and at corporate offices, subject to the job allowing for it
· 76 percent of the same set says it is likely to allow a stipend to its employees to work from a coworking space or from home
Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML)
AI and ML will play a key role in making work more efficient for the HR team, significantly streamlining the recruitment and hiring processes at organizations. Screening of applicants and onboarding the selected candidates will become a lot smoother. Tedious, manual tasks will increasingly be automated, upgrading hiring practices and allowing HR managers to focus on more meaningful aspects of their work.
Data and people analytics
The huge amounts of data with companies amount to nothing without the power of people analytics. A major HR trend in 2022 will be the use of data and analytics to take better, data-driven decisions for enhanced workforce management and improved business results. People analytics will also improve the hiring of people who match the culture of the organization and will boost their diversity, which in turn improves the organization by increasing productivity and reducing absenteeism.
Employee experience
The employee experience has climbed the list of priorities like not much else. Taking care of the best interests and wellbeing of staff is part of the extra mile(s) HR personnel will need to go to boost retention rates. This gets even better when the people have a sense of belonging and feel appreciated and involved. Promoting and rewarding employees who stayed on and worked well will be on the agenda, as will seeking advice from inhouse professionals.
Multigenerational workforces
Present-day workforces comprise more than one generation, and each such generation brings its own preferences and work style. A key task of human resource management will be to put together an experience- and technology-based partnership between the different generations, where people learn from one another and help each other acquire new concepts.
