Welcome! Join us as we dive into the dynamic and crucial, yet often misunderstood and barely tolerated world of Human Resources (HR).

PANDEMIC year number two is almost over, and COVID-19 will certainly be rolling over into the new year with us … again.

In this disrupted world, the way we work has changed forever and things will be different even for those hustling to regain some semblance of normalcy.

So what are some of the things that HR should be paying attention to? Here are just a few things to (continue to) keep in mind as the new year rolls around.

•Health and safety concerns continue, and having the appropriate protocols in place will remain a top priority.

•Resolving ongoing remote work issues that impact productivity, such as IT challenges, as we adapt to having hybrid teams and remote work arrangements.

•Revamping employee perks and benefits as our ways of work continue to evolve. With personal and work lives colliding, needs and priorities have shifted, and benefits that improve well-being and provide more flexibility, as well as perks such as mental health days and free counselling sessions, are some that should make the list.

Well-being should take centre stage, if it hasn’t already, as many continue to struggle to find a healthy balance between personal life and work.

•For some companies remote work is here to stay, and keeping the team engaged remains a challenge. How will you effectively lead and engage your team members who you now rarely “see”?

•In this new world where uncertainty and hard decisions have become the order of the day, our leaders’ skills continue to be on full display, so developing and strengthening leadership capacity is key, and focusing on softer skills such as communicating effectively, conflict resolution, empathy and team building are proving invaluable in the workplace.

If our organisations are to continue to survive, and thrive, our teams need to be developed to be more resilient, laser-focused, creative, and adaptable than they’ve even been.

•The ‘Great Resignation’ is still happening, and it’s not expected to change anytime soon. Although many are finding recruiting, interviewing, hiring, and onboarding remotely difficult, it is here to stay (at least for now).

The challenges with filling openings probably won’t get any easier right now either, so exploring new places to recruit, different populations to pursue and a variety of avenues to post jobs are a must.

One thing is for sure, there’s no going back to the way we were. There’s no do-over and we can’t opt out. We’ve been forced to change and that’s a trend that will be one of the few things that we can be certain will be around for a long while. We’re living in the “now normal” Let’s make it count.

Talk more soon,

Carolyn.

My name is Carolyn Bolt. HR happened upon me seven years ago, and there has been no turning back from this challenging, critical, very rewarding and often frustrating matter of people since then. Reach me at peoplematter.s21@gmail.com.