2021 Global HR Trends

 

2021 Global HR trends

After a year like 2020—which forced leaders around the world to instantly adjust priorities and adapt to new ways of working—attempting to predict the future of global HR through trends may seem futile.  For organizations large and small, 2020 has been like a punch in the stomach. We’ve seen unexpected and unprecedented revenue and profit loss and staggering numbers of layoffs, furloughs and salary reductions. Midway through the year, many businesses, like many individuals, have written 2020 off as a complete loss, turning attention, energy and creativity toward preparing for a better, brighter 2021.

Global HR trends for 2021 

1.   Companies will prioritize diversity and inclusion initiatives.

With the Black Lives Matter movement and other social justice efforts highlighted in 2020, many employers and HR teams have changed tunes when it comes to prioritizing diversity and inclusion (D&I) in the workplace. Having a diverse and inclusive workplace is not only the right thing to do, it can also benefit your business. Properly implemented diversity and inclusion training programs and initiatives can help with talent acquisition, employee engagement and productivity, company reputation, and employee retention.

In 2021, HR staffs will pay closer attention to their D&I initiatives in relation to recruiting new employees and creating a safe and inclusive workspace for their teams.

2. HR departments will lean on technology for automated HR processes.

Although many companies already use software for some of their recruiting and onboarding services, the coronavirus pandemic created a bigger need for digitizing these processes. HR teams in 2021 are expected to embrace virtual HR processes like remote recruiting and automated onboarding.

The end of the pandemic in 2021 will not stop the push toward automating HR services," Rosenthal told Business News Daily. "It's simple: If you're going to compete in the post-pandemic world, you need to move as much to the cloud as possible, including seemingly offline HR activities like drug testing and pre-employment occupational health testing.

3. Teams will adapt to the possibility of long-term remote work.

When the coronavirus pandemic forced businesses to shutter their doors in 2020, in-office employees abruptly transitioned to working remotely. What started as a temporary transition has since proven to be a more permanent solution for many businesses. Although several companies are still keeping their employees at home for health and safety reasons, many others will choose to implement the solution long-term due to employee demand.

4. Employers will virtually maintain company culture and employee engagement.

Organizations with a full, or partial, remote staff will need to get creative in terms of keeping remote employees engaged and virtually maintaining their company culture. Without a physical office space to connect with co-workers, employees can feel isolated or disengaged, especially new hires.

You can prioritize employee engagement and culture by hosting virtual meetings and hangouts, conducting employee surveys and increasing internal communication. Keep in mind that many employees are starting to suffer from online-meeting fatigue, so it is important to consult with your team to find the perfect balance.

5. Employers will focus on their employees' wellbeing.

Health and wellness are hot button topics right now, and for good reason. Employers are aware, now more than ever, of the importance of employee wellbeing and its impact on business success. However, during stressful and uncertain times like a pandemic, employee wellbeing is likely to decrease or fluctuate. Employers and HR staff should focus on improving employee wellbeing while they adapt to the "new normal" in 2021.

6. HR teams will modify employee benefits.

The pandemic caused employees to demand a whole new set of employee benefits and working arrangements. As employers seek to provide the best possible healthcare and benefits options for their staff, they should keep their employees' new needs in mind.

7. Employers will face COVID-19-specific paid sick leave and accommodations.

As coronavirus cases surge, many employees will likely continue to request time off to quarantine and isolate.

"Employers should continue to do what they normally would with respect to accommodation requests and identify the limitations that a disability imposes on the employee's essential job functions, engage in an interactive dialogue to determine whether a reasonable accommodation exists and, where circumstances require, provide an accommodation.

Additionally, many state and local jurisdictions have expanded their paid sick leave laws to apply to COVID-19 related reasons.

It will be imperative for businesses to stay up to date with the current rules and regulations that govern your employees' rights regarding COVID-19-specific paid sick leave and accommodations.

8. Employers may require employees to get the COVID-19 vaccination.

When a coronavirus vaccine becomes readily available to the general public, employers may be left wondering if they should – or can – require their employees to get vaccinated.

Pros: Mandating a COVID-19 vaccine for all employees once it is available would certainly help reduce the risk of on-the-job transmission and could help limit an employer's liability of COVID-19-related workplace illness. 

Cons: If an employee who got vaccinated because it was required by their employer suffers an adverse reaction to it, that may expose the employer to potential workers' compensation.

Additionally, employers should pay special attention to whether the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or other governmental agencies will adopt guidelines relating to employer-mandated vaccines.

9. Compliance is overloading HR departments.

As laws and guidelines continue to change, HR departments will be burdened by various compliance requirements. HR managers will be rewriting employee handbooks and re-evaluating rule sets that will need significant overhauling, such as harassment training, leave benefits and drug testing. And in some states, new rules defining the difference between an employee and a contractor will require more attention from HR departments.

Conclusion

Organizations should not wait to prepare themselves for next year. As HR leaders, we need to gather teams and start planning, strategizing and working now on how we will position our organization in the future. Focusing on the right values and cultivating crucial talent will be key to preparing our organization for the year ahead. Elevated attention and resources to support flexible work schedules and mental health -made commonplace earlier in 2020 -will continue to be essential into 2021.

 

References

AIHR (2021) digital HR trend for 2021 and beyond (online).Available at https://www.digitalhrtech.com/hr-trends/ Accessed on 29^th April 2021

Safeguard global(2021) 2021 global HR trends (online).Available at https://www.safeguardglobal.com/resources/blog/2021-global-hr-trends Accessed on 29^th April 2021