In the past years, we’ve seen some great changes in the workplace as workers and those who have less advantages are seen and valued more. Laws and policies have helped in this, along with some important cultural shifts.
As the new year approaches, you should keep an eye on these seven trends that may continue, change, or emerge, and what they mean for HR:
Companies use strategies for performance action plans called a performance improvement plan (PIP). A PIP is typically used to help employees who are not meeting performance objectives. This could mean consistent failures or due to behavioral-related concerns. Human Resources professionals determine whether or not the PIP is appropriate given the situation.
A document should be created that outlines role expectations, areas for improvement, and goals to get employee performance back on track. These should not be used as a disciplinary action or step before termination. PIPs should be administered in conjunction with the manager to prevent bias.
It can be hard to speak up while at work about things that are not meeting your expectations. Or the opposite – activities or good deeds that go unrecognized that you feel should be acknowledged. Therefore, employee engagement surveys can be a useful tool when it comes to seeking an understanding of how the workforce is feeling about the company.
However, sometimes staff members refuse to participate, or the responses are too minimal to turn into action, or so negative that HR feels defeated.
Being strategic about engagement surveys will not only drive up response rates but also provoke the kind of high-quality employee feedback that can be used to drive wanted positive changes.
Managing remote employees can be tricky, but it’s possible to overcome the challenges inherent in the hybrid workplace. Hybrid work plans, which combine in-office and remote work, are becoming increasingly popular as employees seek a balance between both models. Hybrid work plans give employees the opportunity to interact with one another in the office while providing the flexibility to work from home.
However, it’s important to understand that a hybrid work plan may not be the most effective for all companies. According to a survey by Owl Labs, 16% of global employees are working remotely, while 62% work a hybrid schedule.
On-the-job (OTJ) training involves teaching new hires about their position while in the workplace. It focuses on experiential learning, or learning through doing, compared to offsite training. HR plays a major role in developing these OTJ training programs to have in place. HR professionals often advocate that new hires be given these training guidelines and materials as they are in the final steps of accepting the new role so they are fully aware of what is expected right away.
According to the 70-20-10 learning model, 70% of learning occurs through hands-on experience as employees receive immediate feedback on their mistakes, think critically in each situation, and test and refine their skills in real time. Consequently, if done effectively, OTJ training is one of the most critical areas of an organization’s education and workforce development functions.
In our recent article How Employers Can Navigate The Quiet Quitting, Hiring, and Firing Trends, both quiet quitting and quiet hiring are strategies used by employers and employees alike to manage their careers. Recently the practice of leaving a job without announcing it publicly has become the practice of quiet quitting. On the other hand, when employers hire new employees without publicly announcing the news, this is what has become known to be quiet hiring.
But there really needs to be a greater focus on the underlying causes of quiet quitting and why creating a healthy workplace is imperative to the success of your employees. Jennifer Morehead, CEO of Flex HR, outlines nine tips to promote employee well-being and engagement for a healthy workplace for Mentors Collective.
The job market these days is tough everywhere. From finding top quality candidates, to tougher interview processes, it all comes down to what the top reason is to hire a top applicant.
It may feel impossible to answer, yet it’s a perfectly reasonable question – ‘Why should we hire you?’ This has become a top closing question among recruiters. They want to see what you have to offer and what qualities you will bring to their company.
Thus, job seekers should take the time to not only evaluate the jobs they have had in the past to be able to talk in detail about, but they should also appraise themselves. Practice not stammering or creating awkward pauses and be positive and confident in your answers.
On September 26 each year, we recognize the incredible work of those that work in Human Resources. Human Resource Professional Day has been celebrated since 1959. It was created to honor the vital contributions that HR professionals deliver to organizations of all sizes and industries, around the world.
Human Resources of a company is accountable for the entire life cycle of an employee – from recruiting, onboarding, training, and managing an employee up to their final severance. Afterall, human capital is the most vital part of an organization. HR professionals have a challenging role to develop vital policies and procedures for the organization, strategize payroll and benefits administration, handle compliance and legal issues, and optimize employee productivity.
As an employer, you are likely familiar with the I-9 form, which verifies an employee’s identity and employment eligibility.
As of August 1, 2023, there’s a new mandated I-9 form, which employers and employees must start using by October 31st. After that date, you will face penalties if you haven’t switched to the new form.
An organizational shift to include Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives at the workplace has existed, making an impact, yet rarely was it prominent enough to warrant the attention it deserved. However, this shift has been more prominent than ever before in recent years. Furthermore, it is no longer playing out in the background. DEI ingenuities have taken the spotlight, settling into workplaces where these concepts are making an impact and being written into company policies and procedures.
DEI initiatives are one of the most sought-after attributes of an organization. It is essential that employers and their HR departments ensure these DEI efforts are integrated into the goals of the company. Leaders need to assess the diversity in their ranks when looking at their management team and their employees.
