Most Common HR Issues in 2022

It’s a new year, and the HR challenge of 2022 is one of the hottest topics for many HR professionals right now. As the workforce continues to change, HR professionals face new challenges every day. As we head into 2022, COVID-19 will continue to present challenges for businesses and HR professionals. Some HR challenges in 2022, such as workforce protection, will be issues that every company will have to address.

From the push for remote work opportunities to the rapid advancement of enterprise technology and the need for more engaged and responsive leadership, HR will face many challenges in 2022 and the years ahead. Human resources trends need to be more influential than ever so they can contribute more to the business. Companies can only make this possible by addressing human resource issues in the coming years.

By redefining the role of human resources in an organisation, leveraging technology, and creating a safe and inclusive work environment, you can successfully address the challenges of retail HR and have a positive bottom-line impact. One of the biggest challenges facing retail HR is shifting from the promise of a diverse and inclusive workplace to delivery. In recent years, attracting and retaining employees has been one of the main tasks of the human resources department in the retail industry. Retail HR must become strategic in attracting and retaining employees.

In addition to change management training, human resources must keep pace with leadership development proposals. In 2022, HR leaders will be tasked with reviewing their existing training methods to effectively train employees in new skills. In 2022, HR leaders and frontline managers may need to focus on softer skills like team building and conflict resolution.

HR leaders should prioritise a reassessment of change management, as many employees are likely to be exhausted and tired from the changes implemented over the past year and a half. The challenge for change management is not so much the details of the change, but how HR can help employees deal with change, whether it be the need to communicate electronically instead of looking through the office wall or deal with uncertainty about a potential merger. While employees and managers are open to the idea of ​​a hybrid work environment, implementing drastic organisational changes can overwhelm employees.

Most companies are focusing on a new hybrid work model, where employees come to work one day and work remotely the next. Companies are struggling to embrace the new work models of the future and find the right balance between on-site and remote work for their employees. To attract and retain talent, businesses might need to offer flexible hours in their employment contracts to help the employees achieve work-life balance. Given that hybrid work is going to persist, companies are now facing increasing operational and compliance challenges in addition to the complexity that exists in regard to HR, recruitment and retention.

Many employers are currently re-evaluating their strategies to find the best way to support the workforce and ensure that the company can continue to operate effectively in today’s world where environment, social responsibility and governance (ESG) is firmly at the forefront of the board’s agenda. Growing pressure on businesses to meet environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals means many employers are looking for ways to operate more sustainably, create a more diverse and inclusive workplace and support the needs of employees. This requires analysing the present market conditions, and small businesses can benefit from hiring an external HR consultant to help manage the workforce.

With over 40% of millennials and Gen Z working, companies need to prepare inclusive and welcoming workplaces for all employees. Initiatives like mentoring and sponsorship programs can help create a more diverse and inclusive work environment where no one feels like an outsider and everyone feels like they belong there.

In addition, you can work closely with local employment offices and participate in internship or apprenticeship programs to develop talented and loyal employees right from the start. Work in a way that also accommodates employees who prefer to work from home. As more and more employees return to work in the offices, try to create a healthy work environment to promote team efforts and boost their creativity.

Some activities, such as group brainstorming sessions, innovation workshops, or personal briefings, may require employees to be present in the office. Some industries, such as the service industry, will continue to require the majority of employees to be on site. If anything, most employers will allow workers to become hybrid workers who split their time between working from home and coming to the office.

Employee turnover will continue to rise as hybrid and remote work becomes the norm for knowledge workers. However, due to recruitment and retention issues in general, it will be even more difficult to attract and retain different employees. When outside talent is brought in to fill these vacancies, there is a risk of whether they will be able to fit into the new culture.

Screening, interviewing, and onboarding new employees will also be carried out remotely, adding additional challenges. In these challenging environments, HR professionals are challenged to maintain a dynamic workforce for business success while managing a completely different workplace. From managing a changing workforce demographic to managing the evolution of artificial intelligence, HR professionals face new challenges all the time.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed how we see work, bringing challenges – some new, some old, but with a twist – in 2022. We must ride the waves of transformation that have swept over the past couple of years. Up till early 2022, it is predicted that the work environment will remain fast-paced and uncertain, and employers would need to focus on social security.    

Another consequence of the pandemic will be that employee well-being will become even more important. Wherever employees work in 2022, health and safety will be a top priority. In 2022, organisations will adopt new employee wellness measures that take into account employees’ financial, mental and physical health to more accurately predict employee performance and retention.

In 2022, leaders will have to decide how they manage fairness through the increasingly diverse work environment. This is likely to continue into 2022, when employers must be ready to respond to changes, especially with regard to work safety and travel restrictions affecting employee mobility. They would have to provide career support and development opportunities to manage talent and discover new opportunities to help the business grow.