What work-related changes are we going to face in 2021? As 2020 proved to be a hard nut to crack. Now, business owners, company managers, and HR teams are hoping 2021 will be less stressful and more about positive changes.
As 2020 was a challenging and insane year that changed the way we live and work, 2021 may be time to rethink your employee engagement strategy. Undoubtedly, there are numerous challenges ahead. Here are 5 things to do for your employee engagement in 2021.
1. Develop Adaptability
At the beginning of 2020, LinkedIn has conducted its almost traditional research and made predictions on those skills to be in top demand. Adaptability was ranked number 4 in the LinkedIn list. However, 2020 brought adaptability to the top of the most in-demand skills.
In 2021, companies should look for resilient candidates ready to work under pressure and capable of adaptability to maintain profitability. Besides, HR teams and managers should develop adaptability and the capability to acclimate to the ever-changing circumstances of virtual workplaces.
2.Work On Cost Optimization
There is no doubt that Covid-19 has brought economic instability into our lives. Numerous businesses faced the need to cut their costs and fire some portion of their employees.
To maintain profitability and continue providing workplaces to people, companies should move towards more flexible hiring and workforce managing. According to current statistics, numerous organizations have already started this process by growing the number of contract workers they employ, with 32% replacing full-time employees.
For HR departments, 2021 will bring giving additional thought, resources, and efforts to attract and engage freelance employees.
3. Cultivate Culture, Wellbeing, And Diversity
While 2020 caused a massive shift in the way people work and businesses operate, it has also changed the HR departments’ position in cultivating culture, well-being, and diversity.
While everyone around worries about health, mental state, wellbeing, financial risks, and dealing with all the other stressing factors, HR teams are to keep calm and think of what is to be communicated to the employers’. Being at the front line of this crisis, HR teams have to develop relevant strategies for the continuous building of company culture.
Crafting these long-term strategies, the HR departments have to think about providing the employees with mental help resources, think about employees’ wellbeing, and still work on workforce diversity.
4. Drop Performance Review
Back in 2015, Deloitte and Accenture both announced dropping traditional performance reviews forever. Hated both by the employees and the business managers, annual performance reviews moved forward to extinction.
In 2020, when everything went wrong, performance reviews entirely discredited themselves. Just imagine an employee trying to compile a performance report according to the goals and tasks set last year - a miserable situation. At the end of 2020, with no exact date for the pandemics ending, a performance review in any company is more like torture.
Thus, traditional performance reviews will not make it through this stressful period.
5. Focus On Reskilling
The present situation indicates the rising importance of reskilling. In 2021, instead of searching for new talents, HR teams will focus on reskilling and upskilling their workforce to fill their organizations’ needs for innovation and meet corporate goals.
To address the present employees’ insufficient competencies, grow the potential, and provide the employees with a vital opportunity to grow and learn, HR teams will work on identifying skill gaps and assessing employees.
Conclusion
2021 is shifting business in a new direction of workforce planning and engagement. This makes business owners and managers find new methodologies and approaches to maintaining their companies and employees’ efficiency and productivity. HR professionals will enter a new role as a reliable business adviser and a strategic guaranty of a healthy and efficient working environment.
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