From fortune 500 companies to mom-and-pop shops and everything in between, the coronavirus pandemic has drastically impacted every business and industry, including HR. Covid-19 accelerated “The Great Resignation,” a phrased coined to describe the tidal wave of US workers quitting their jobs as they reevaluated their lives. The rash of resignations has transformed human resource management. It has forced HR leaders to change their workforce and rethink workplace strategies. According to Gartner the pandemic has prompted a slew of HR trends to which the entire human resources function must respond to in a coordinated way.
Hello Hybrid
The biggest HR trend directly resulting from the pandemic is the surge in hybrid work. Without a doubt, it is here to stay. A Gallop poll directly asked workers if they would look for a new job if their employer stopped offering remote-work options going forward. An astounding 54% of employees currently working exclusively from home said they would likely look for another job; 38% of hybrid workers said the same.
At a recent GDS summit on battling the great resignation, Craig Haydamack CHRO, Milliken talked about the fierce competition for talent and the need for organizations to offer employees flexibility in scheduling. Haydamack says, “what we’re seeing is that associates are wanting and needing more flexibility and that’s not traditionally been something that we do in a manufacturing environment from shift schedules and things like that. In fact, it’s the opposite. What we’re seeing is, as companies are providing some flexibility in support, they seem to be performing better in situations.”
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
A greater focus on diversity, equity and inclusion is another major HR trend that is a direct result of the pandemic. At a recent Indeed GDS Showcase about navigating DI & B during the great resignation Misty Gaither, Director & Global Head Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging at Indeed said, “we actually call ‘The Great Resignation’ at Indeed, ‘The Great Realization.’ Pre-pandemic we were solely focused on trying to find diverse representation in candidate funnels, and I think because we have this compressed labor market, we’ve really started to focus on how we retain talent in our organization, what do we need to do to actually operationalize and embed DIMB processes, and just inclusive thinking into everything that we do as a company.” An audience poll conducted at the showcase found 91% of the HR Executives in attendance had measured or observed a change in feelings of inclusion and belongings at their organization since the pandemic began. Gerald Brooks, Global Co-Chair Inclusion, Equity and Belonging Leader at Gartner shared, “companies need to understand that inclusion leads to diversity and not the other way around. Start from the inside. I can’t help anyone until I help myself first.”
Employee Well-being
It’s fair to say the pandemic has taken a mental toll on countless workers. Increasingly, job seekers are prioritizing organizations that offer well-being programs. HR Leaders are taking notice, and for good reason. Well-being initiatives are proven to offset absenteeism and presenteeism. Four out of five workers claim their well-being directly influences how productive they are. 60% of workers say they’d feel more motivated and likely to recommend their firm to a friend if their employer took steps to support mental health. Deloitte research shows a robust wellbeing programmed decreases staff turnover.
Employee expectations have grown exponentially since the pandemic and are not going away. To compete in the post pandemic world HR leaders must embrace flexibility, diversity, and technology to not only succeed but thrive.
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