Emerging HR Trends in 2021 and the Future of Work: Are You Ready?

The only four things that helped us sail through 2020 are going digital, being resilient, working from home/ hybrid work model and optimum use of technology. The past year has changed the way we live and work. The shift that was to happen maybe 5 years down the line, happened forcefully in the past year. 

“Owing to the circumstances, employees and employers have started to trust and understand each other more than ever now. All because the focal point has changed from talking about numbers to really listening to people, realising the social responsibility and taking care of everyone- customers, employees, community and other stakeholders.”

                                                                     - Karan Jain, Co-Founder, HROne

Amidst all this personal and professional life whimsical, we also grieved the loss of our near and dear ones and famous faces.

As we started this year on a happier note with the announcement of vaccination, hoping for the better times to roll and the actual normal to return; it is time to reflect on some of the key trends in the world of work and HR trends so as to pick the best and leave/ forget the rest! 

Employee experience is a major part of corporate strategy-

While earlier employee experience, employee happiness and employee engagement were all considered synonymous, now, the companies have started to realise the difference. In 2020, it hovered around careers, work protocol, design, development, rewards, culture and other dimensions spread all over the place. In 2021, cross-functional employee experience teams will look at employee segments, their journeys and roles so as to respond to the problems and needs. It goes beyond all this. Now it requires thought on how to handle employee feedback, and ultimately transcend all these signals to actions. 

To boost the same, companies would be seen investing their money on HR software with great UI and features to increase engagement and digitizing attendance, payroll, and more!

Environment, sustainability and citizenship go big-

The self-centred culture had been at its peak until 2020. The most radical change that the year has brought is while people were working their way through the pandemic, they started to think beyond their own benefit. Inpiduals and companies started to see health, income inequality, climate change and such gross matters of concern as something that needs their attention.

Research done by Deloitte highlighted how more than 70% of professionals under the age of 50 now want to give back to the society they live in. 

Similarly, when it comes to connecting this thought to that of the company’s-  think of your company as a society within a larger society. Take good care of your employees, and the people your company serves- your customers. 2021 is the time when you start working on an integrated strategy utilising your environmental, citizenship and sustainability efforts. Promote inclusion, persity and transparency within your organisation. Using HR software to monitor your progress and results would be great.

Continuous employee listening has taken the front seat-

The importance of communication that is positive, true and continuous has been the biggest lesson that we must carry forward to 2021. Even a study conducted by Josh Bersin to know the top drivers of success, the ability to listen, analyse and act was above all. By the end of 2020 and the beginning of 2021, we all know how important it is to listen and take actions to improve the employee experience. Why wait for them to yelp, after all, the employees vote with their lives when they come to work with you. Treating them well enough and being in accordance with their expectation is the least that you can do. 

We suggest you read the free guide by HROne on how Josh Bersin’s Irresistible Organisation Model can be knitted in the continuous listening strategy as you make employee feedback your area of focus. 

Besides, well being at all four levels- Social good value, business performance value, personal improvement value and healthcare benefit value should be tracked using an HR software.

Companies are continuously evolving and learning to work with multi- cultural teams, digital change, automation. As an HR in an organisation, you have the power to let all these disruptions be benefitting for you. May this year, you leverage the freedom to invent and experiment  with the new. No matter when the pandemic gets over, one thing is for sure that HR software tech and the world of work will continue to evolve for the better- never the same.  

About HROne:

HROne is the workplace solutions product of the 25 years-old CMMI Level-5 Company UNEECOPS Technologies Pvt. Ltd. It has become one of the most successful and popular HR software for managing the entire employee lifecycle from hiring to retiring since 2013, the year it was founded. HROne stands tall backed by the trust of 3.5 lacs satisfied users, and 350+ happy customers across 20+ industries.