Discovering the major HR issues in 2022

Obviously, HR issues have been greatly impacted, particularly by the health crisis of recent years.

Between teleworking and face-to-face work, new work configurations have emerged. The latter have brought with them new challenges and new issues that must be faced mainly by human resources management actors.

This article presents the major HR issues in 2022.

Adapting to change

In a post-health crisis context, this is one of the biggest HR issues to be taken into account by the Human Resources Department to allow companies to stay alive and attractive.

Indeed, under the impetus of digitalization and the health crisis, several changes have taken place in the organization of companies.

It is therefore necessary to adapt these changes to the activities of companies, in accordance with their human resources management strategies to be able to respond adequately to new HR issues.

This will include reorganizing teams, firing and recruiting employees, promoting the development of new skills (both hard and soft skills) and reviewing work organization methods.

Teleworking

If teleworking has proved to be a real alternative during the health crisis, it remains a form of work organization to be experimented with in 2022.

The Labour Code does not set any particular conditions for the implementation of teleworking for the benefit of employees of a company. It therefore applies to all occupational categories. However, some positions in the same company do not allow the implementation of this organization.

As a result, employers may choose to implement teleworking only for certain categories of staff. In any case, it is an organization that has many advantages for both employees and companies.

On the one hand, it allows companies to save on premises and current expenses and to reduce absenteeism.

On the other hand, it exempts employees from travel time and gives them a large degree of autonomy in the management of work. It also promotes better concentration and thus leads to better productivity.

It should be noted that this productivity can be measured through HR performance indicators (KPIs) by the Human Resources Department.

Coworking

It is true that teleworking allows employees to work outside the company’s premises. However, it is a form of organization that confronts employees and companies with a major challenge, that of performance.

Indeed, it is not simply a question of staying at home and relying on digital technologies to perform the tasks at hand.

On the one hand, the company must remain competitive and on the other hand, employees must succeed in staying focused, organized and motivated. This is why coworking is a form of work organization that represents an alternative to the loneliness and isolation of employees.

Its operation is very flexible and the actors of the same sector can create synergies, teams and mutually enrich each other. This boosts motivation and promotes productivity through team spirit.

These two HR issues represent alternatives for adapting to change. They are in full development and promote the implementation of human resources management through HR performance indicators.

Digitalization

The digital transformation of companies is one of the most important HR issues to take into account in 2022. It is inevitable and has many benefits for both employees and human resources managers.

The issue of HR digitalization does not only concern structural and organizational changes and does not only impact production, research and development or IT departments.

These are the challenges of HR digitalization that require a particular look.

Indeed, thanks to the digitization of activities, human resources managers benefit from innovative tools such as AI (Artificial Intelligence) and online software to digitize their missions. These tools make it possible to:

• Digitize documents and carry out recruitment, training and career management missions;
• Automate the most time-consuming administrative tasks and save time;
• Focus on tasks with higher added value;
• Focus on the primary meaning of HR (human resources proper).

In concrete terms, digital tools such as information system and human resources management software make it possible not only to monitor employees’ commitment to work, but also to:

• Measure employees’ skills;
• Monitor and validate teleworking requests;
• Respect office attendance thresholds;
• Manage leave and short-time working;
• Monitor the well-being of employees;
• Ensure the morale of work teams.

HR digitalization makes it possible to respond to the HR issues of human resources management and to appreciate employees’ commitment to work.

All this is made possible thanks to digital tools that promote employee support and adaptation to new forms of work organization.

The well-being of employees

One of the main challenges of human resources management in 2022 is to limit psychosocial risks among employees.

The well-being of employees is one of the most important HR issues, particularly in a post-health crisis context. The better the employees, the more the company will benefit from their skills.

Indeed, with new forms of work organization, burnout in companies and isolation are becoming less and less detectable. It is therefore up to the human resources department to promote the well-being of employees through:

• Psychological support;
• Family support;
• Sports and collective actions;
• Legal support;
• Attractive social benefits.

Also, the function of this directorate must be to monitor the increase in workload and to assess the level of stress.

In addition, it should also foster a climate of dialogue conducive to discussions on concerns and working hours and regularly collect employees’ opinions. It may also seek to know more about the importance of employee opinions for this purpose.

These opinions can enable it to gather important information on possible malfunctions and to determine areas for improvement accordingly. Corporate turnover is also a good indicator of employee experience.

The life and sustainability of companies are closely linked to the health and safety of their employees. Human resources managers must ensure a healthy working environment and work on the well-being of employees and the quality of life at work on a daily basis.

This is one of the biggest HR issues of 2022.

Corporate culture

Among the major HR issues today in 2022, corporate culture is an example of an issue that is of paramount importance.

It is a source of cohesion and motivation for employees. It is used to federate teams and limit conflicts.

Identifying and cultivating corporate culture must therefore be one of the most important functions of HR managers. This promotes:

• Interest in new talent;
• Employee loyalty;
• Improving internal consistency;
• Increasing the company’s performance.

To address one of the most important HR issues in 2022, HRDs must therefore work on visions, values, diversity, social responsibility, working methods and employee involvement to display and advertise a strong corporate culture.

Recruitment and employability of employees

It is rare, if not impossible, to talk about HR issues without talking about recruitment. This is indeed one of the main functions of human resources management. Human resources managers must be actively involved in the recruitment process.

This is a very complex task that must be carried out with particular attention. In particular, the following will be discussed:

• Clearly define the position and the needs of the company;
• Write a clear and explicit job offer;
• Define the required criteria;
• Proceed to the pre-selection of candidates;
• Properly organize interviews.

These managers must also implement digital recruitment processes through social networks. It will also be necessary to set up inclusive recruitment processes based mainly on the soft skills necessary for the position.

The opinions of the company’s current employees can also help with recruitment. They can allow new applicants to get a sense of the climate within an organization before trying to join.

Generally, the satisfaction and development of current employees are visible on the opinions of companies.

With regard to the challenges of employee employability, the Human Resources Department must invest in the development of employees’ skills through attractive and diversified methods, whether soft skills or technical skills.

This will allow employees to gain experience and have useful skills to meet present and future employability needs.

These are the major HR issues to be taken into account in human resources management in 2022 at the end of the health crisis that has disrupted the organization of work.