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.
But after talking with several global HR leaders about the trends they are
keeping top of mind in 2021, we’ve learned that trends are less about
predicting the future and more about learning from the past. And it goes
without saying, last year gave us plenty to learn from.
As you enter this new year and reflect on the many lessons from 2020, consider
how you can leverage these global HR trends and reimagine your workforce
strategies in 2021.
Global HR trends for 2021
Integrating work and wellness
In 2020, employees were forced to quickly adjust to remote work while
unforeseen circumstances, like shelter in place orders and economic
uncertainty, added new stressors. Physical, mental and financial well-being
for everyone was at risk, and leaders became acutely aware of the importance
of employee wellness initiatives.
Companies like Salesforce have given their workforce access to Employee
Assistance Programs (EAP) to provide them with resources and support for
issues related to mental and emotional health.
But moving into the new year, wellness initiatives will likely integrate even
further with employees’ day-to-day work as they seek permission and even
encouragement to invest in self-care.
Curious and empathetic leadership practices will be the driving force behind
the employee wellness movement in 2021. Companies can turn to industry
leaders, like Deloitte and its Chief Well-being Officer, to discover new
insights, tools and best practices for empowering employees to be more
emotionally agile among constant change.
In our recent conversation about global HR trends in 2021, Alice Yoo LeClair,
HR Director at Refinitive, addressed how drastic shifts in social norms
throughout 2020 have accelerated the call for empathetic leadership this year.
Putting diversity and inclusion into action
Conversations about diversity and inclusion at work have been elevated to the
point where companies will have to move past discussion and planning and on to
action.
Thankfully, remote work provides an opportunity for employers to think
differently about company policy and procedure so that diversity and inclusion
can be put into action.
Here are a few examples from GitLab, an all-remote software development
company, on how operating without offices can support a uniquely open and
inclusive culture:
- All-remote means that employees will not sacrifice career advancement by working outside of the office, especially when even executives are fully remote.
- All-remote creates a workplace where caregivers, individuals with physical disabilities, etc. are not disadvantaged for being unable to regularly commute into an office.
- All-remote enables those who must relocate frequently for family and personal reasons to take their career with them.
- All-remote allows movement and relocation to physical settings that contribute to an individual's health (e.g., moving to a location with an improved air quality index).
Even if an all-remote workforce is not part of your company’s plans, hiring remote
workers can actively spearhead new diversity and inclusion initiatives.
In his recent Forbes article , Paul Estes provided a telling
description of the relationship between remote work and diversity and
inclusion stating:
“Companies that truly want to support diversity and inclusion must actively
support remote work...remote work, by its very nature, democratizes
opportunity, allowing people who fall outside traditional categories to
succeed.”
Competing for talent in unknown markets
The rise of remote work
has
provided an opportunity for companies to hire workers outside their local
talent pool—whether to acquire lower-cost talent in small domestic markets or
specialized labor in new international ones.
But navigating employment in unfamiliar regions is challenging, especially
when competing with local employers that are more knowledgeable about employee
expectations. In countries with nationalized healthcare, for example,
supplementary health insurance is expected, so following local statutory
requirements is often not enough to win over top talent.
As borders become less of an obstacle for recruitment and the competition for
top talent steadily increases, HR will need to reimage compensation and
benefits packages and the entire recruitment experience in order to maintain a
competitive edge.
In our recent conversation about global HR trends in 2021, Safeguard Global
Chief People Officer Katherine Loranger discussed how companies will need more
structured and defined global benefits plans to compete for top talent in the
global marketplace.
Facilitating new ways of working
In a world that is being constantly reimagined, there is a call for work
itself to be continually reimagined to achieve new and better outcomes.
With the ongoing trend of rapid change and disruption which was fast-tracked
in 2020, HR can take a bold position as the “architect of work” who actively
shapes and reshapes the workforce and workplace for future success.
But rising to the occasion will require HR and the wider company to align on
how to approach work, teams and capabilities. As an example, Catapult Systems,
an IT solutions company, established a framework for employees to make
decisions without management approval, called “Rules of Empowerment.” If an
employee has an idea to improve a work process, support a customer, or needs
to make a quick decision, they can do so if they can answer yes to these four
questions:
- Is it right for the customer?
- Is it right for the company?
- Is it ethical?
- Is it in line with the company’s core values?
These boundary-setting practices are a prime example for how HR, with help and
buy-in from the broader company, can begin orchestrating new and more agile
ways of working in 2021.
Optimizing analytics for decision-making
Nearly 80% of HR executives believe their company is ineffective at using
talent data to inform decisions . Why? Many HR organizations have spent
the past few years building the foundation for people analytics and are still
operating in a data silo.
In 2021, global HR teams will be looking to integrate people analytics with
decision-making processes in order to drive improvements in areas like talent acquisition and
employee management. But integration with the wider business will require HR
to optimize how data insights are communicated to stakeholders. Data
visualization and storytelling—skills that are often hard to acquire—will be
critical for presenting key findings and demonstrating ROI. The McKinsey
Global Institute estimates that demand for analytics translators in the U.S.
could reach 4 million by 2026 .
Along with data translation and storytelling, people analytics teams will need
to ensure that stakeholders can rely on them to quickly answer business
questions . Teams who can deliver reliable and repeatable analytics at
scale will win executive buy-in and open new strategic opportunities in 2021.
In a recent conversation , Steven Bianchi, Chief People Officer at Beamery, shared some advice
for how people analytics teams can produce more reliable analytics processes.
2020 provided global HR leaders with many lessons to reflect upon and learn
from, but the most compelling might be the importance of bold, action-oriented
leadership. Leadership that doesn’t just manage disruption but actively learns
from it and leverages it to transform work and the workplace for the better.
Each of these global HR trends presents an opportunity for reinvention in 2021
for anyone willing to take bold action.
An experienced global payroll and employment partner can help your HR team
leverage trends, become more agile and reimage workforce strategies for the
future. Contact us today to learn more.
Related content: 2020 global HR trends
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