The last two years have irrevocably changed the world of work. From remote workforce models to tackling the ongoing retention challenges posed by the Great Resignation, HR teams globally have to re-evaluate and adapt how they hire, develop and care for their employees, argues Richa Gupta.
According to research by McKinsey & Company, one of the top reasons that drove 35 percent of people to voluntarily quit their job without having another lined up was unsustainable workloads. With employees now rethinking their relationship to work, workplace flexibility goes beyond flexible hours to include flexible place, space, time, empathy and understanding.
The McKinsey report also found that around half of CHROs were focusing on reimagining the fundamentals of their organisation and rethinking the operating model and ways of working for the next normal. But what will this look like?
Implement nimble mobility policies
Going beyond short-term fixes like tweaks to compensation packages and pay practices, organisations need to create highly supportive workplace environments that motivate people to stay. According to McKinsey, 76 percent of people who voluntarily quit a job without another in hand had been tempted to return to traditional employment by roles offering flexible working arrangements.
Today’s employees now expect to encounter workplace flexibility that can accommodate personalised work schedules. As a result, companies will need a mobility policy and working arrangement system that is nimble enough to account for the individual preferences and priorities of every employee. This includes enabling virtual assignments that allow people to pursue an international career without leaving their country.
However, transitioning to a remote-friendly or hybrid model that enables teams to decide where to work is not without challenge. Alongside redesigning workflows and standard operating procedures around remote work, offices and coworking spaces need to be available for employees to use at will. Meanwhile, management needs to engage in effective asynchronous communication methods that keep employees motivated, engaged and feeling like their opinions are welcomed, heard and respected.
As well as covering remote work arrangements, the mobility policy should also delineate in a clear-cut manner the full and extended menu of all flexible work arrangements on offer, including relocation opportunities, part-time working and contract opportunities, as well as new workplace scheduling innovations and shift options.
To keep pace with the dynamic and evolving wants and needs of the workforce, mobility policies will also require constant reassessment to ensure there is no mismatch between employee and company values and expectations.
Use HR tech to stay in tune with employees’ needs
The prevalence of remote work has changed the rules of the game where health in the workplace is concerned. Today’s employees want the control and flexibility to create their own experience, supported by a system that encompasses everything from mental health and remote learning to fostering team relationships and a feeling of community.
To address this requirement and implement collective management practices that ensure employees aren’t ‘out of sight, out of mind’, organisations are making use of HR tech solutions that enable them to bridge the gaps in upskilling and reskilling, deliver ‘on demand’ continuous training that is tailored to an individual’s role and career aspirations, and get a handle on the implementation of engagement and retention management strategies for all employees.
Technological developments around employee health wellness are also gaining momentum. These include health promotion and health status monitoring systems designed to prevent employee burnout, control boundaries around work, and foster inclusivity and adaptability.
Integrating all this insight with HR data into a single end-to-end centralised workforce management solution will be critical for building effective employee profiles and taking the right decisions necessary to create a strong workplace culture that is both people-centric and aligned to key business objectives.
Communicate often and with purpose
Keeping a finger on the pulse of the individual needs of every employee has become a top priority. Rather than relying on annual reviews or exit interviews to find out how people are doing or what they need to continue to stay in their role, organisations need to be checking in frequently with workers to ensure that issues like unrealistic workloads can be addressed fast, that employees feel a sense of purpose in their role, and that workplace relationships are operating as expected.
Regardless of where or how employees work, everyone needs to be clear as to what their role and objectives are. This means employees need to be able to view their progress and performance, know that key achievements are being recognised and that their feedback and observations are being listened to and acted upon.
Pulse surveys, Zoom or Teams focus groups, and protected spaces on organisational intranets can all serve as platforms where workers are given the freedom to express their views and take control over the issues discussed. According to qualtrics, listening and acting on this feedback builds trust and is an important precursor to employee engagement and wellbeing.
Offer a unique employee experience that drives retention
A poor onboarding experience, the lack of remote employee engagement tools, or failure to provide communication tools for employee voices to be heard and echoed can prove devastating for retention.
With more people working remotely, employers need to build a culture that prioritises employee wellbeing by giving them more control over their work, flexible schedules and open channels of communication that make it easier to share constructive feedback and discuss ideas.
As the competition for talent intensifies, HR leaders can no longer focus on compensation factors alone. Today’s workers are looking for a renewed and revised sense of purpose in their role with rich interpersonal connections to colleagues and managers that make them feel valued and recognised.
By understanding what motivates and fulfils each employee and their current and future intentions, and giving employees a cohesive sense of community, organisations will be able to navigate the evolving recruitment and talent retention landscape to connect – and stay connected – to their teams.
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Richa Gupta is Chief Human Resources Officer at Globalization Partners.
As Chief Human Resource Officer, Richa is central to Globalization Partners’ growth strategy as it continues building a strong global team to scale to meet the needs of the rapidly growing remote work industry. Gupta leads all facets of Globalization Partners’ global workforce, scaling the company and culture to meet the surging demands of remote work across the globe.
