9 Work Trends That HR Leaders Can’t Ignore in 2021

The rapidly changing landscape of work in 2021 and beyond is influenced by several key trends, including employee experience, societal issues, the gender-wage gap, employee monitoring, and the COVID-19 vaccine. Click here for article.

• Shift to Managing Life Experience: Employers are recognizing the importance of supporting employees beyond their work experience, with a focus on their overall life experience to improve mental and physical health and increase performance.

• Involvement in Societal Issues: Employees expect their employers to take a stance on societal and political issues, and organizations that act on these issues see higher engagement levels among employees.

• Gender-Wage Gap in Hybrid Work: As organizations adopt hybrid work models, the gender-wage gap may widen as men are more likely to return to the workplace, potentially leading to biased rewards and promotions for in-office workers.

• Regulation of Employee Monitoring: New regulations are expected to emerge to limit employee monitoring as companies struggle to balance employee privacy with technology.

• Shift to Time Flexibility: Flexibility in work hours will become more important than location flexibility, with organizations focusing on output rather than hours worked.

• COVID-19 Vaccine Policies: Leading companies may provide the COVID-19 vaccine for employees, but some may face litigation over vaccine requirements, impacting return-to-work efforts.

• Expansion of Mental Health Support: Employers will expand mental health benefits and initiatives to address the impact of the pandemic on employee well-being.

• Renting Talent to Fill Skills Gap: Organizations will rent talent or partner with external entities to address skill gaps, as reskilling existing employees may not be fast enough to meet changing needs.

• Competition for Talent: Jurisdictions will compete to attract talent, offering incentives for individuals to relocate rather than focusing solely on attracting companies.