After an eventful year of ups and downs in 2021, let’s look ahead! What does 2022 hold in store for us and what do recruitment and HR professionals think? In this article, we summarize the major HR trends of 2022 to watch closely.
HR trends for 2022 Flexibility: more important than ever
It’s no secret that with the advent of covid, the use of telecommuting has experienced an unprecedented boom over the past two years. According to a DARES survey conducted in June 2021, 26% of French employees were telecommuting at least one day a week in May 2021 – one year after the end of the first confinement.
With this boom in telecommuting, employees’ expectations have changed. More flexible working hours, a better work/life balance, the freedom to work from the location of their choice… Many employees now want to combine work with autonomy and freedom.
According to an Opinionway survey conducted for Slack in July 2021, “38% of employees say they would quit if their company forced them to go back to 100% face-to-face work. In other words, telecommuting would almost become… a social achievement.
A balanced life before anything else
It must be said that the coronavirus crisis and the new work organization it implied have had the merit of setting the record straight. According to numerous studies, the balance between private life and professional life is the main priority of French employees. According to the JLL barometer on the new work preferences of employees conducted in May 2021, 66% of French employees want to achieve a better life balance.
Next, in order:
- the guarantee of a comfortable salary (for 49% of employees),
- working in a company that cares about the well-being and health of its employees (for 46%)
- a feeling of usefulness at work (for 43% of respondents)
- a feeling of visibility/recognition at work (for 30% of them).
HR trends for 2022 Well-being at work: a sine qua non condition
An increase in musculoskeletal disorders, a heavier mental workload, psychological distress, feelings of isolation… Since its arrival, the health crisis and its multiple confinements have continued to weaken the health of employees. In such a context, the responsibility of managers and HR leaders in the well-being of their teams is more than ever committed.
According to Christophe Nguyen, president of Empreinte Humaine, a firm specializing in QWL, French employees are attentive to the work climate offered by their company. According to the expert, “this is a work climate in which employees feel listened to and trust a management that demonstrates its concern for stress prevention. For example, that in terms of values considers the mental health of employees to be just as important as productivity.”
In other words, employees expect their employer to be genuinely concerned about their well-being and health (whether physical or mental).
To achieve this, a company can, for example:
- Offer a caring work environment that encourages exchanges and sharing time.
- Train its managers and HR managers in QWL issues.
- Invite its teams to “disconnect” and improve their private/work life balance (by setting connection/work limits in case of telecommuting).
- Show appreciation to employees on a regular basis
- Provide regular feedback and encourage initiative
- Regularly assess employees’ satisfaction with their working conditions
- Offer collaborative tools to facilitate internal communication and information sharing, especially when working remotely.
More and more demanding candidates
We already announced it in an article last year: since the arrival of covid, French employees are looking for meaning. According to an IPSOS survey published in 2020, 90% of the employees questioned considered it essential. Or important that their company “gives meaning to their work”. More than attractive compensation or benefits in kind, employees are above all looking for a caring and inclusive work environment. And be in a company that is in line with their values.
💡 Good to know
A study conducted by Deloitte in 2019 shows that companies that practice an inclusive policy generate up to 30% more revenue per employee and higher profitability than their competitors.
After an eventful year of ups and downs in 2021, let’s look ahead! What does 2022 hold in store for us and what do recruitment and HR professionals think? In this article, we summarize the major HR trends of 2022 to watch closely.
A study conducted by Deloitte in 2019 shows that companies that practice an inclusive policy generate up to 30% more revenue per employee and higher profitability than their competitors.
The HR trends of 2022 that cannot be ignored, in conclusion
As you can see, in many respects, the year 2022 is likely to confirm some of the major HR trends that have already begun in the preceding months. Usefulness at work, the societal impact of companies and QWL are among the major HR issues of today. In a climate marked by insecurity and uncertainty, it is a safe bet that these issues will be even more essential in 2022.
