.png)
Over the past two years (and 50 editions), we’ve poured a lot of time into delivering the people and talent insights and ideas our community wants.
HR and talent have experienced some massive changes in that time, and we thought now would be the perfect moment to take a pause and reflect on what’s changed, and what really matters right now.
DEI is all-encompassing
From parenthood at work, to disability and the menopause, the past two years have shone a focus on the breadth of issues that affect diversity, and the complexity of creating equitable workplaces for all. What’s also become clear is that DEI needs to encompass the entirety of your talent lifecycle. Conversations around DEI used to start (and often end) with recruitment - those key hiring metrics that amount to a nice box check… That’s a big mistake. If the house isn’t in order, those hires won’t stay, and all of those efforts don’t count for much.
Technology rules!
The past few years have seen major changes to HR and Talent tech. In 2021, we were talking about messaging platforms, and the culture of remote work surveillance they can contribute to. In 2022, developments in the metaverse and gamification ruled. Now it’s all about AI - the impact of automation to HR and Talent teams, and the workforce as a whole. One thing that is clear, is that the companies that make HR tech a real asset will also be those that take collecting and managing HR data very seriously.
Engagement is not passive
When we started this newsletter in July 2021, we were in the midst of a talent boom. It was total chaos; offices were becoming a thing again, ‘The Great Resignation’ was well underway, and in general the talent market was moving at rapid speed.
As the dust settled, it became clear that the work landscape had shifted enormously, and many people were no longer willing to settle for a culture that didn’t actively appreciate and reward them for their work. For employers and HR teams, engagement has become a major area of consideration, and, as we’ve found in conversations with our community, requires lots of work.
New ways of working await
COVID put to waste many of our old ways of working, and that future-facing mindset doesn’t seem to have gone anywhere since. Over the past few years, we’ve delved into many ‘future of work’ topics; from salary transparency to the 4-Day Week. All of these approaches carry their own set of potential challenges and benefits for businesses. In an ever-shifting talent market, businesses that want to recruit and retain the best talent will consider very carefully how these futuristic ideas could potentially shape their companies today!