READ the December 2021 issue of our magazine: Work in 2022: What's Next?

1. “2022 cannot sustain more e-learning and e-engagement due to fatigue of e……”
2. “2022 will witness not just a great resignation time, but great revolt time. Wage differential amongst CEOs and Individual contributors will have to be narrowed down if we want to see manageable revolts.”
3. “2022 will see reemergence of the importance of Talent Acquisition Role. They will command the highest salary jump amongst all the HR roles.”
4. “2022 could have phenomena of staggering Offer Decline Ratio spreading from just IT and Healthcare sectors as to all other sectors.”
5. “2022 will fuel your A Players / Star Performers quitting jobs for start-ups.”
6. “Next year’s ASK will be about employees needing genuine experience at their virtual or physical Place of work rather than illusions created by optics displayed in the company corridors to build employer brand.”

These above are some of the responses I gathered while conducting a Dipstick Survey among 20 CHROs from different industry sectors – energy, healthcare, IT, engineering. Unlike 2020 and 2021, we are now experienced with the convolutions that these two years of pandemic have shown and therefore are in a much better position to craft the future with a fair degree of predictions within the VUCA environment. 

With more workplaces going Hybrid, and reports of more employees opting for alternative careers and companies, HR Professionals have to pivot quickly to look at newer ways to engage employees and prepare their boards for increasing above normal payroll bills. In the most matured global economy of United States, Wage Growth averaged 6.16% from 1960 until 2021, reaching an all-time high of 15.31 percent in April of 2021. We will not be surprised if this trend becomes visible in 2022 in India. CHROs and Business Leaders will need to be prepared to deal with unique realities in 2022. Some of them are mentioned below:

Gen Z is not Gen Y:

2022 will see more Gen Z in employment than even before. Organizational culture will have to create space to address the needs of Gen Z. Multiple research shows that this generation has higher conviction in their own strengths and profound belief in dialogue. That means organizations will have to create accessible and better platforms for frequent and candid dialogue and train their Gen X and Gen Y leaders to be open to diverse views. McKinsey’s survey reveals this generation’s quest for truth. As per McKinsey, Gen Z is “True Gen” in contrast to Gen Y - the millennials, sometimes called the “Me Generation”.

To attract and retain Gen Z, HR leaders will have to catalyze genuine culture of greatness at the workplace rather than just the labels and brands. They will have to ensure providing this experience of Truth to even interns, as this New Generation is more likely to rely on the experience of their peers rather than labels and brands. 

HR Analytics - fuel to charge HR policies 

When it comes to technology and business models, we're in the midst of a revolution that can't be separated. Data reveals that HR leaders are investing in technology that allows them to monitor and track their employees' behaviour in order to increase productivity. All three types - Descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive HR analysis will continue to evolve in coming years stamping the relevance of analytics in the HR industry. 

These analytics will lead HR professionals to hire more skilled workers, assure diversity, predict latest trends in employee preferences, and improve employee communications and experiences, performance management, and company performance, to positively change the future outcomes in 2022. 

Organizations can no longer keep HR analytics away while designing and implementing policies. While there are moves in the right direction, there is more work to be done in the coming year.

Keeping Proximity bias at bay

Gartner surveyed more than 500 HR Leaders from sixty countries to study Global HR Trends of 2022. A vast majority of HR leaders (95%) expect that at least some of their employees will work remotely after the pandemic. This shift to hybrid work will be a massive driver of transformation and one HR leaders must be prepared to support. 

One concern that has already surfaced in this Hybrid Work Model is the possibility that remote workers are not treated equally to their office counterparts. In fact, recent data indicates even hostility against remote employees. More than six out of ten human resource executives believe that office workers are more likely to get promoted and receive regular raises, and that they are perceived as more useful and hardworking. 

Proximity bias is the idea that employees with close physical proximity to their team and company leaders will be perceived as better workers and find more success in the workplace than their remote counterparts. If companies want their hybrid model to flourish in 2022, HR Leaders will have to eliminate this prejudice.

Importance on Internal mobility and reskilling

Internal mobility refers to new chances within the organization, such as project swaps, employee upskilling for new roles, and mentorship. Internal mobility is critical in bridging skill gaps and preparing the present workforce to be more resilient in the face of change as HR trends continue to shift.

However, 2022 might be the year that internal mobility truly takes off! In LinkedIn's Workplace Learning Report 2021, 53 % of learning and development professionals said it's a higher priority now than it was before COVID.

Internal mobility solutions will have to be implemented with the use of training programmes, the necessary resources, and technology. Making it clear to the employees that they may advance their careers within the company and attain long-term professional goals will aid in the retention of top personnel as well as the development of future leaders.

Strong Talent Acquisition Apparatus

As we approach 2022, the biggest ASK from HR Leaders will be their ability to attract talent. HR Leaders will need to create multiple bench strengths, alternative sourcing partners, tech enabled ATS and interviewing systems and above all create positive word of mouth for the organization. Even those who are moving out need to be treated in the same manner as those who are staying back, for they become the best ambassadors of the company culture. 

Priorities are going to shift with the start of the year 2022. As a result, now is the time for HR professionals to remain ahead of the curve and embrace new HR future trends. Employers must reconsider their tactics in this ever-changing and dynamic landscape and keep up with global HR trends in order to succeed in the future. 

As Peter Drucker so well put it, the greatest way to forecast the future is to create it, and now is the moment to embrace it.