Necessity is the mother of invention. In the last year, the coronavirus pandemic has pushed us to rethink the way we do things. It has touched all sects, including Human Resources. It is our hope that in 2021 we will see an end to COVID-19. But, even after it’s a memory, we predict that some things in the Human Resource world will stick.
A More Remote Workforce
One thing that is going to stay for sure is a more remote workforce. Employees have gotten used to working from home. They like the flexibility it gives them as well as not having to commute to work. In fact, 98% of people would like to have the option to work remotely for the rest of their careers. So, if employers are going to keep their employees happy, they’re going to need to explore ways to allow them to work remotely sometimes. It’s a tough dance, though. When employees work remotely a lot, communication and maintaining the company culture can become difficult—not to mention other obstacles such as data security, privacy, and technology that employees need to successfully work from home.
Employee Mental Health
Being secluded and alone isn’t always good for your mental health. That’s why 2020 saw a hefty uptick in mental health issues. And, mental health affects productivity on the job. As employees await life to return to normal and grow weary of social distancing, employers will need to hold more wellbeing checks. And, they will need to encourage their employees to keep their minds engaged through personal development and connecting and having fun with peers.
Data-Driven Decisions
As employees continue to work more remotely, instilling company culture, recruiting the right people and helping them to be productive may need to be based more on data. When you’re looking to add a new productivity tool or implement a new initiative to retain or engage employees and there aren’t as many people around, data is going to be your friend. Human Resource teams will be tapping into existing data and seeking ways to gather new data to learn more about how their employees work.
When we emerge from COVID-19 sometime in 2021, life will be different. Work will be different. Utilizing secure, cloud-based solutions like Verifent can help Human Resource teams keep working remotely and productively.