Social, political, and economic factors over the last few years have led to a significant shift in expectations from employees. For example, the global pandemic paved the way for a healthy work-life balance, which is why remote work is one of the most sought-after job perks. Throughout this article, we’ll take a look at employee business trends that every business needs to follow.
Higher Onboarding Investments
The employee experience starts with an effective job ad and everything in between from hitting apply and day one, which is why attention needs to be given to a properly executed onboarding process. The reason for this is pretty simplistic – employees want to feel as though they belong.
Successfully onboarding and retaining talent involves more than formal paperwork filing. Don’t be afraid to step outside of the ordinary by welcoming employees into your business with a dash of fun, including icebreakers, office outings, and flexible start times during week one.
A Focus on Employee Engagement
The essence of employee engagement is the communication between management and regular employees, which can be facilitated by technology. For example, thanks to tools like Microsoft Teams, Slack, and Zoom, business leaders can easily communicate directly with employees. Additionally, they allow company-wide surveys to be released, which can provide useful insights to inform positive change.
The Rise of Hybrid Workplaces
Once the global pandemic ended and businesses were able to operate in the real world, an obvious divide emerged between those that benefit from physical interaction and those that thrive in remote settings. Therefore, to cater to both types of employees, more businesses are taking offering flexibility through the hybrid approach.
To facilitate this high-in-demand job perk, business leaders are using tech tools, like employee time tracking with Shiftbase. Using tools like this allows remote workers to just get on with their work without interruption, as their team leaders don’t feel the need to constantly check on them.
Artificial Intelligence and HR
The rise of AI has finally come to a head, and it’s already having an impact on other trends. It is revolutionizing the way companies operate their HR operations including onboarding, employee engagement, staff training, and much more. For example, employee scheduling tools can be integrated with powerful AI systems that allow everyone to be more productive.
More Attention on Employee Wellbeing
Events of the past few years have promoted professionals to take stock of their mental health. Eventually, this led to the Great Resignation, which is an ongoing trend of people leaving jobs in search of roles that pay close attention to employee wellbeing. Businesses are using several tactics to fulfill this indeed, including:
- Zero work on weekends.
- No work-based communication after 6 pm.
- Paid paternity leave to mimic maternity leave.
- Mental health break days.
- Free therapy to reduce burnout.
To make it through 2023 and beyond, businesses need to improve their employee experience on every single level, which means having flexibility and putting their needs first. Instead of offering monetary compensation, take steps to include several well-being perks.
