We are leaving behind a few challenging years in every aspect and we are preparing for a new year. 2022 was literally the year of HR and passed in the triangle of post-pandemic recovery, digital transformation and working model determination. Many sub-titles can be counted related to these titles, but these three titles affected others as well.
Top 5 Priorities for HR Leaders in 2022 research report published in October, Gartner revealed the following topics: Leader and manager effectiveness, organisational design and change management, employee experience, recruitment and the future of work.
Let’s take a brief look.
Leader and manager effectiveness should be increased
Leader and manager effectiveness is seen as a top priority for 60 percent of HR leaders. 24 percent of HR leaders responding to the report believe that leadership development approaches are insufficient to prepare leaders for the future of work. The report states that expectations for leadership are changing and the role of leadership is becoming more and more complex. There are three qualities expected of today’s leaders: Being more authentic, empathetic and adaptable. Gartner defined the new era leadership with these three mandatory characteristics as Human Leadership.
What needs to be done in this issue, which has become the most important priority of HR, is for leaders to understand this concept and to prepare for the future of work in this axis.
Organizational design and change management are critical
According to Gartner’s findings, 53 percent of HR leaders prioritise organisational design and change management, while 45 percent say employees are tired of these changes. Employees are tired of the uncertainties caused by digital transformation, economic uncertainties and political tensions. This fatigue is the reason why HR leaders prioritise this item. Employees are tired of the uncertainties caused by digital transformation, economic uncertainties and political tensions. This pushes them to resist change. The report highlights the following ratio: According to the Gartner Workforce Change Survey conducted in 2016, 74 percent of employees were willing to change their work behaviour to support organizational changes. This rate dropped to 38 percent in 2022. It is now critical for HR leaders to take actions to address this “change fatigue” and invest more in employee well-being.
Employee experience should be improved through career development opportunities
Employee experience is prioritised by 47 percent of HR leaders. According to the report, many HR leaders are struggling to implement strategies that will enhance employees’ careers. According to a recent study by Gartner, only 1 in 4 employees think they can pursue their career at the company they work for. 3 out of 4 people who want to move to a new position believe that they will do it not in their own company, but in another company.
At this point, companies cannot meet the expectations of employees in developing their careers. As the time spent in offices decreased, career options became less visible. It is critical to improve the skills of employees and enable them to acquire new skills (reskilling-upskilling).
Recruitment: The tough front of talent management
According to the report, 46 percent of HR leaders prioritize recruitment issues, and 36 percent think their strategies are insufficient to reach the talents they need. This suggests that recruitment leaders need to reprioritise their recruitment strategies to align with current business needs. It also indicates that different scenarios should be planned for the changing situation of the market and healthier decisions should be taken with the help of data. Diversity, data, and the analytical use of data are crucial.
The future of work: The unchanging priority
The future of work, which is ranked number 4 among 2022 priorities, is considered a priority by 42 percent of HR leaders this year, making up item number 5. 46 per cent of HR leaders think that there is not enough strategy for the future of work.
“Future of work” is synonymous with a remote and hybrid workforce. Predicting future talent needs and planning accordingly is the top priority of HR leaders. HR leaders should not assume that they can predict future skill needs, easily access talent, somehow fill gaps, and dictate to employees when and where to work. A whole new data-driven approach is needed to design the future of work.