Hari Kolam is the CEO of Findem, a People Intelligence company that helps you search for talent like never before and make amazing hires.
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The Covid-19 pandemic didn’t kick off the dramatic changes we’ve seen in work, business and life so much as it let them out of the bottle. Outside of epidemiologists, no one anticipated a pandemic would all but bring life to a halt and dramatically alter the way both employers and employees approached the idea of work.
Working from home, videoconferencing, flexible schedules and self-directed careers have been subjects of conversation in HR for years. The pandemic made all of them strategic necessities. The need to streamline work, job hunt and develop a career came to the fore as millions of people voluntarily quit their jobs ahead of finding a new one. Businesses leveraged a range of technology in their effort to recruit, develop and retain their workers.
The simmering pot of strangeness that made 2020 and 2021 so unusual will continue to impact talent acquisition and workforce management throughout 2022. Here’s how.
Upskilling/Reskilling To Curb The Great Resignation
In some industries—like retail and hospitality, for example—the wave of employees leaving their jobs has driven some business leaders to distraction. However, for many organizations, the solution is hiding in plain sight: their existing workforce. According to findings from Randstad Risesmart, more than two-thirds of employers, 68%, are "optimistic about filling open roles with current employees."
A key to their thinking lies in the notion of skilling or training a worker to do a particular task. As “reskilling” and “upskilling” have gained traction, employers have come to regard learning as a tool that’s directly tied to retention. For years, workers have made it clear that learning opportunities can be a decisive factor in deciding whether to take a job—and whether to stay with it.
This is spurring changes in how corporations treat learning, from the amount they invest to the influence training and development professionals have on operations. Those responsible for training will have to be in close touch with those responsible for managing the activities they’re trying to support. An entirely new set of professionals may appear to coordinate learning with current and future business needs—upskilling officers, who take a company-wide look at business changes and the types of skills employers need to address them.
Pay Transparency Measures Become More Prominent
Colorado’s Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, which took effect on January 1, 2021, impacts how employers present promotion opportunities and job postings. Internal and external listings must include more details about pay, bonuses and benefits. Employees have the right to talk about their wages with their colleagues, and employers can’t discriminate on the basis of gender in combination with another protected status.
Colorado’s not the first state to enact such a law. That distinction belongs to California, which introduced its Equal Pay Act in 2018. Since then, New York City and at least seven other states have enacted similar laws and others are debating their own.
Since January 2021, a number of companies have suspended hiring remotely in Colorado, either to review the law or to avoid it. Their options may be shrinking. More states are sure to enact versions of the act as they work to narrow the wage gap.
Support Fundamental Changes To Work
A vital and necessary change taking place is a shift to a global mindset, on both an individual and organizational level. The shift to remote work has started to tear down boundaries between work and leisure time, but there’s more to be done.
This isn’t just about espousing other cultures or expanding your business overseas. It’s about grasping the complexities of the global ecosystem and authentically embracing talent outside of your region. In other words, this isn’t about lip service. It requires organizations to invest themselves in supporting new ways of getting work done, whether they rely on technology or new approaches to both team and individual management.
Initiatives For Working Parents
The rampage of Covid-19 forced many parents to step away from their jobs or take diminished roles that pressured their pay and career paths. On top of suddenly having their children at home and taking a lead role in their education, working parents have had it tough.
Parents have come to realize what they are missing and many want to spend less time on the road and more time at home. As the pandemic slowly subsides, expect employers to develop programs that ensure parents are fairly compensated, provided with flexible schedules and encouraged to continue making forward movement in their careers. Wellness programs will expand to provide remote-working parents with the support they need. Virtual programs, telemedicine and increased mental health initiatives will become commonplace among employers, especially as they struggle to develop their reputation as a top employer.
Throughout 2021, employers and employees have both changed the expectations surrounding their relationship. Many of those expectations have been driven by their overall approach to work, as well as the fallout from Covid-19. Tied closely to the pandemic, these dynamics are sure to evolve even further than they have.
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