TalentCulture #WorkTrends

Technology is at the heart of almost everything we touch daily. Mobile phones, cars, as well as computers are a staple in most people's lives. Technology is driven by innovation and innovation is pushed forward by human curiosity and the need to want more. But what happens when people are no longer encouraged to be curious, ask questions, and want more? In essence, life as we know it will become stagnant. Stagnation will affect society in all ways, from economics to people interactions with the potential to set back progress and needed advancements in areas such as healthcare and education, but there are initiatives in place to combat inertia towards advancements.    STEM, a program designed to advance technical thinking in the sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics at the school level, was created to ensure technical progress stagnation doesn't happen. It enables learners to advance their thinking to more significant innovation and critical thinking while building on future skills. Exposing school-age children to the benefits of STEM introduces them to the benefits of technology and the future career opportunities awaiting them. 

In a tight labor market with rapid job turnover, employees no longer take a job based on salary alone. These days, benefits are just as important as income—and a critical part of the recruitment package.  In fact, 82% of women with kids and 76% of men with kids would prefer better benefits over a salary increase, and 80% of employees overall would opt for better benefits over a better salary. And while 92% of Millennials say money is a major factor in a job, 90% of Millennials say they would prefer benefits over a salary increase.  In other words? Employees are planning for the future, and they know that benefits can help them secure it. Recruiters planning future talent acquisition need to think the same way. 

In past years, the hybrid workplace was a dream for workers who wanted the chance to work from home and go to the office. Telework was not available for most Americans, and the 7% of Americans who worked from home tended to be knowledge workers or the highest-paid—executives, IT managers, and financial analysts. Then the coronavirus pandemic hit.  Now, 80% to 90% of workers want to remain remote. And on a deeper level, working parents want to keep the benefits of working from home—65% of respondents who preferred a remote model were female, and 84% of working parents with children under 18 find that the benefits of hybrid work outweigh the cons.  The key for employers and HR managers is to deliver the benefits employees want in hybrid work while leveraging employee happiness into productive hybrid models. 

HR has shifted out of the back room and into the heart of the company. Employers are recognizing as never before that HR professionals have the power to shape the organizational fabric.  In the era of COVID-19, as employees demand more support from their workplaces, HR is more important than ever before. Yet there are also more opportunities for HR professionals than ever before. Experts now say that viewing the employee experience through a customer lens can help HR drive a better experience. The key is understanding how to fit that experience to your unique sector. 

If ever there is a widespread topic, it's the topic of effective leadership. It has many approaches and different facets, but ultimately comes down to one question: Do you know if what you are doing as a leader is effective? If not, you are failing and may not even realize this.    The best leaders have wavering styles and connect with people differently and situationally, but two of the most common traits are showing humility and empathy. And great leaders also possess an uncanny communication style, one developed using a combination of empathy and self-awareness. They are also great storytellers who can engage and relate when working with anyone from executive leadership and board members to direct reports.    Also, given the highly charged societal issues facing our world today, showing concern for workplace issues along with those happening around us shows an awareness. It brings conversations, normally tabu in the workplace, to the forefront of meaningful conversations. These discussions create more room for transparency and engagement.

We all dream of finding a job that thrills and satisfies us. Unfortunately, many employees still struggle to find a deeper connection to their work and find themselves trudging along through the daily grind. It’s not that anything is wrong, it’s that nothing is quite right either, and so you’re coasting along, disengaged from your work.  That's a big deal, considering that companies with happy employees outperform the competition by 20% and happy employees are 12% more productive. And happiness matters to employees—36% of employees report they would give up a $5,000 pay increase to feel happier at work. Which means it’s time for employers and HR departments to invest in an engaged and happy workforce.

The 2020 - 2021 pandemic took its toll on businesses in part of the world. Employment and how companies manage through this with their greatest asset, their employees, have also been challenging. People are re-examining their options along with their employers with re-organization of the workplace, more job opportunities with work being mostly remote for many, and people opting to retire with or without the offer of a golden parachute. The upheaval of these actions has brought us, once again, to face the talent cliff.    The talent cliff places hiring companies in a position to suffer losses of key people who filled critical roles aligned with the organization's overall business strategy. Finding and filling these roles quickly is essential but not always possible, especially when it's a job candidate's market. This void creates bumps in the smooth running of the company and can have long-lasting financial implications on the business.

Employee burnout is real. According to a recent Gallup poll, 76% of employees experience some form of burnout at various times in their careers. In a survey conducted by job board Monster, it was reported that 69% of people working from home during the pandemic are experiencing a form of burnout. The stress, anxiety and fear caused by Coronavirus-19 coupled with noise levels, life-balancing acts of managing childcare and meal prep, along with makeshift home offices, fatigue from video conferencing, and feelings of isolation are putting many people into a state of high alert and high alarm. But employee burnout is not a by-product of the pandemic; its presence has been evident for decades.    In 2016, the General Social Survey revealed that 50% of their respondents claimed to be burnt out or near exhaustion from the demands of their job. This percentage showed an increase of 32% from just twenty years previous. Disrupted sleep patterns, increased consumption of alcohol and caffeine beverages, decreased time spent exercising, fear of losing one's job, and moodiness have been identified as signs of burnout. 

The world of work is changing. So is the world of hiring. And in 2021, that change is happening faster than ever, with a new push for digital hiring technology alongside an increasing demand to keep hiring personal.    That presents a dilemma for businesses.    On one hand, businesses need to be efficient in hiring. On the other hand, it’s difficult to making hiring personal—and streamlined—when there are so many potential candidates. Lack of efficiency leaves your business in the dust, but a lack of personal touch may drive away candidates. And either way, business competitiveness rests on striking a balance in this gray area. Today’s podcast offers tools to help businesses like yours find the happy medium. 

The coronavirus continues to impact almost every individual aspect of our lives, but some of the most profound changes can be seen in our health. In 2017, 3 in 4 Americans reported at least one symptom of stress. Americans are now suffering even higher stress levels than they reported at the start of the pandemic. And when people are stressed, they’re not focusing on their work—they're focused on pulling through.    That has a profound impact on the workplace—not just in productivity, but also in climate. And in a time when employees increasingly turn to their employers for health support, wellness is no longer just an employee perk. It’s a critical competitive benefit and a crucial investment in long-term success. Workplaces that go above and beyond to support employee wellness will be the ones that rise to the top in 2021 and beyond.