Thank you to Oracle for asking me to join the panel discussion on the Changing Talent Landscape for their Tomorrow’s World HR series.
2021 will continue to be a very interesting and busy time for HR. Following many insightful discussions with my HR network, I wanted to share some of the talent shifts we are hearing about and what initiatives have emerged from 2020 that will likely carry into this year and beyond.
We all experienced a shift to flexible working and even traditionalists have come full circle and this has moved businesses on by years, which would not have happened pre pandemic. Companies will now need to consider what flexible working arrangements means for their culture and we are seeing more roles being created within HR around Organisational Effectiveness with a strong focus on talent, culture, values and diversity.
And this leads me onto the return to the office…or not. Increasingly my conversations are all geared towards what the set up will be with the majority looking at some form of hybrid working, but for those who vehemently say there will be no flexible working what will this mean for talent retention and attraction. The majority have got used to a much more flexible way of working without the lengthy commutes. Undoubtedly the last 12 months have also put an increased focus on the Inclusion and Diversity agenda and as we shift to a hybrid working model the focus on inclusion is more paramount than ever. Also from the diversity and equality lens we have to consider what the move to a more flexible working model has done for working women now able to continue their careers in the industry. Also there is certainly a rise in the importance of psychological safety and a culture of inclusion, innovation and also transparency. For example millennials are wanting to work for firms who are doing the right thing- purpose, value, etc. so when looking ahead they are thinking about transparency, accountability and inclusion.
Furthermore with the focus on a more virtual set up there is a lot of discussions around upskilling managers to ensure they are better equipped to support their teams remotely and in making sure performance is upheld so there is already quite a big impact on Learning & Development with more meaningful learning. Companies have allocated performance coaches to have continuous 1 to 1s and a lot of questions are being asked around what does digital leadership look like?
We have also seen an acceleration in the push for diversity in the talent and candidate pool largely on the back of Black Lives Matter and now for CEOs to be accountable for their businesses and actioning some practical diversity measures. To enable this recruitment teams have been set up dedicated to delivering a more diverse talent pool. When talking to some clients we are seeing more flexibility on where roles can be based with locations being taken off job descriptions and one hopes this will also open up the candidate pool.
Communication flows have become much more open and transparent as leaders have had to be more sensitive to the stresses of the pandemic and mental & physical health. This year we have been discussing new positions being created within businesses such as Wellbeing Managers which is a real positive on the back of the challenging last 12 months. Businesses are now starting to offer “Wellbeing days” to give their employees a much-needed break from laptops and virtual meetings.
Also we need to consider digital transformation which isn’t completely new; technology was replacing outdated workplace processes long before the pandemic. However, the sudden shift to remote working has forced us to take meetings, brainstorms, and even our Christmas parties online. Experts believe this momentum will continue, as AI and machine learning create improvements to set us up for longer-term remote working. Many employers are also investing in their staff to upskill or reskill, decreasing the digital skills gap. According to a recent Talent Trends report, “upskilling should still be seen as a strategic priority alongside technology investments.”
So in summary employees are now much more focused on the organisational culture and how they are treated and recognised. In my mind it will be those employers who have gone above and beyond in the last 12 months, who have a strong focus on their company culture and values who will be in a stronger position to retain and attract good talent.
