5 HR Trends for 2022
What will happen in 2022 with the ever-changing workforce? With the rapid pace of current events, it’s difficult to imagine what life will be like in the upcoming year. One thing is for sure: Human Resources is undergoing a transformation and it’s no easy task to keep up. The average age of workers is rising, more of them are working remotely, and millions are entering the workforce at a time when automation is replacing human labor faster than ever. In order to succeed in this rapidly changing world, your company needs to be prepared for what’s coming by understanding these trends now.
In 2022, here are just a few of the major shifts that can have an impact on your company’s most valuable asset – its people.
- Automation will continue to pick up speed across all industries – including HR.
HR as a profession continues to change fundamentally as technology advances at a breakneck pace. As technology changes and in some cases replaces job roles, companies will need to be prepared with robust training and hiring strategies to accommodate new skills necessary for success.
- The gig economy will continue to grow.
Around 330,000 new gig economy jobs were added in July 2021 alone. While this monthly total ebbs and flows in reaction to developing regulations in this relatively new field, one thing is for sure: the gig economy is here to stay, albeit maybe not always in its current form. What should employers take away from this? A flexible schedule is a powerful job perk.
- Flexible work arrangements are becoming more common.
As evidenced in the previous trend, younger workers, for example, value flexibility more than just about any other traditional job benefit, including salary. The only other perk millennials value more is work-life balance, which is of course quite dependent on the flexibility of their jobs. Employers should evaluate the nature of flexible work schedules & locations to determine if it would be a good fit for their companies.
- Workers’ rights continue to be redefined as technology changes the nature of work.
Largely driven by trends like the ballooning gig economy, growing reliance on remote workers, and greater flexibility in schedules, the nature of work is changing dramatically in a short period of time. Changing regulations are inevitable as the lines blur between home and office, and working hours and off hours. Companies need to keep up with these developments to prevent potential legal challenges further into 2022 and beyond.
- More companies are going to offer unlimited vacation time for their employees.
Millennials are continuing to crowd the workforce in growing numbers, and Gen Z is not far behind. Understanding what is important to the current and future generations of workers will determine your company’s ability to hire and retain the best talent, and younger workers tend to cite work-life balance as one of their top priorities when they choose their next workplace.
A growing number of companies are offering the radical benefit of unlimited vacation time for their employees, and the trend may not remain radical for long. Not only is this a dream perk for many workers, but it also helps form a relationship of trust between employee and company. By trusting that your team will use their vacation time responsibly and perform their own roles accordingly, a company can demonstrate that it values their employees and their autonomy.
Conclusion
These are just five of the HR trends that will continue to shape our world in 2022. By staying informed and aware, you can better prepare your company for the future. If you’re interested in learning more about how to stay ahead of these changes or want help with any other aspect of human resources management, let us know! Our team would be happy to set up a consultation so we can discuss all this further.