According to a recent survey conducted by Microsoft, nearly 41 percent of people are considering quitting their jobs or changing their profession. The gradual layoff rate in India has increased by 23 percent. Generation Z is plagued by digital burnout, middle-aged professionals are prioritizing their personal life, and the paradigm shift for ‘hustle culture’ has been termed as The Great Resignation by economists.
Clearly, the pandemic has transformed the priority order for working professionals of every age group leading to a leave-an-unhappy-job approach. In such times, healthy, long-term recruitment, as well as talent retention, has become the challenge of 2022 for almost every organization’s HR department.
But, there is hope. Considering the perspective of job seekers, here are some insightful industry trends that the companies could adopt to survive the shift:
Hybrid Workflow
An Ernst & Young Global Ltd. survey revealed that 54 percent of global employees would consider quitting their job if they do not receive flexibility in the timings and location of work post-pandemic.
The traditional full-time office job has metamorphosed into an imaginative arrangement of late-night work, afternoon naps, and Netflix rejuvenation. To add more, Work From Home (WFH) has enabled employees to spend more time with their families and save the rent expenses as they returned to their native cities.
That said, a balance needs to be established by the hybrid workflow model. For instance, a 5-day week could include 3 days WFH limited to the official timings, allowing the employees to ensure efficiency at their own pace.
Prioritizing Healthcare
Owing to the COVID-19 scare, organizations must divert their attention towards comprehensive medical policies that cover the employee as well as their family members in case of emergencies. The assurance of the employer’s support in such situations acts as a motivation factor for every candidate in the post-pandemic world.
Furthermore, a dedicated focus on mental well-being through regular meditation and counseling sessions could prove extremely useful in managing workforce efficiency.
Embrace the Gap Years
In India, an educational or professional gap has had a negative connotation among HR personnel. But, the pandemic has introduced an unexpected hiccup in the career graph of talented professionals and one must not let this blip undermine a candidate’s potential.
Let go of the archaic perspectives and embrace the gap to survive the great resignation. A positive outlook and honest skill assessment of the candidates will result in a dual benefit of loyal employees as well as an increased industry reputation for the organization.
Upskill Your Employees
As per the recent Amazon Job Seeker Insight Survey, almost 90 percent of Indian professionals are interested in learning new skills. The market demands a jack of all trades in today’s time and a skill upgrade is one of the best ways to maintain industry relevance.
Supporting such aspirations, companies can introduce weekend upskilling programs to survive the Great Resignation. The aim is to provide a platform for new learnings in the employees’ niche or nurture future managers within the organization instead of external hiring.
Active Social Media Presence
Social media is the window to your organization’s culture for potential candidates. Right from the impact of your business on society to media coverage and in-house activities, the companies should leave no stone unturned in expressing their work culture through the various social networking avenues.
On the other side, the HR department needs to have the basic knowledge of keyword placement in the job descriptions, online networks, forums, special groups, and other lucrative methods of reaching out to the right candidate in the LinkedIn-Facebook hiring world.
Automation in Scope of Operations
Just like chatbots have made their place with human customer support, the HR departments must begin exploring the idea of automating manual admin tasks. The market is flooded with AI-powered software programs that serve the dedicated function of scouting potential resumes, maintaining databases, organizing professional interactions, and hassle-free documentation. Consequently, HR can focus on other aspects of screening and recruitment.
From a candidate’s perspective, a virtual office tour for new joiners is not a far-fetched reality anymore. The technology-driven hiring process minimizes miscommunication associated with interviews, onboarding, and documentation while reflecting the company’s inclination towards modern solutions.
Above all, HR as a business partner needs to borrow a page of thought leadership required in the industry to survive the great resignation and develop short-term goals as well as long-term OD interventions. As the year progresses, the inevitable changes of business call for developments in the HR department, and a proper framework aligned with the newfound requirements of the 2022 workforce is the need of the hour.
