HR leaders have overcome a number of unique challenges over the last few years. 2020 saw our working practices disrupted as a result of the pandemic and in 2021, we faced a period of continuous change as we adapted to the new realities of the workplace. But, as always, Bridge is rising to the challenges and we’re adopting a number of robust approaches so that we can continue to deliver the same great service under trying circumstances.
I’ve worked closely with businesses of all sizes, from small start-ups to companies with many thousands of employees, so I’m very familiar with the challenges that each and every one of you faces. We’ve seen disruption from The Great Resignation and in many cases, we’ve had to adapt our businesses to accommodate remote and hybrid working.
We’ve done that, ironed out the wrinkles on any initial setbacks, and are well-placed to bounce back in 2022 stronger than ever. But the question remains, what’s next?
MORE FROM THE BLOG | ‘The Great Resignation: 3 Reasons Your Employees Are Quitting (Plus What to Do About It!)‘
What Lies Ahead for the Future?
Here’s what I believe will be important for the future as HR leaders navigate this sea of uncertainty and look to the future:
Building a Culture of Support Has Never Been More Important
In 2021, we saw businesses grapple with The Great Resignation and lose an unprecedented amount of talent. If you’ve experienced this, it’s important to understand why this happened and address the dissatisfactions that your former employees had.
Your current employees may be feeling the same way and, in response to this, we can’t stress enough the importance of developing regular communication, ongoing support, and putting your people at the heart of your business.
It’s been a difficult period for many and employees were starting to feel the strain—they’ve become burned out, they don’t always feel supported, and they want flexibility. In 2022 (and beyond!), think about how you listen to your workforce and enact the changes they want to see.
FURTHER READING | ‘Effectively Managing a Remote Workforce: A Tale‘
Adopting a Purpose-Driven Management Style
There’s no doubt that 2022 is also going to be a year of rapid change and your business may well evolve in ways you can’t yet foresee. One way in which you can not only manage these changes but also thrive is to adopt a purpose-driven management style. If your management is self-aware, resilient, and confident, that sets the tone for the whole company. As much as possible, your management should have a vision of where the business wants to be and a set of goals to achieve. Couple that with the flexibility and innovation that this year may demand and you’re well placed to weather any storm that the future may bring.
Continuous Performance Management for the Hybrid Workplace
With the onset of the pandemic, we saw massive changes in employees’ daily routines. No longer able to be permanently on-site, they shifted to remote or hybrid working as a matter of necessity. This transition wasn’t always a smooth one and some employees found it challenging to adapt to a different work/life balance. In a fragmented working environment, performance can slip through the cracks and KPIs have shown this. Going forward, this is an issue you need to keep addressing and so continuous performance management will be a big part of your routine in 2022.
The Importance of Learning and Development
As always, we believe that learning and development can make a big impact on your business and employee performance, regardless of the direction you want to steer your company in. We’ve been working hard behind the scenes to improve our offering and help you to deliver a more diverse, agile approach to your learners via our learning management system (LMS). The introduction of Bridge Journeys and Career Drivers allows you to deliver a more personalized experience and better help your learners develop their individual L&D goals.
We’re also implementing our Advanced Video functionality, an LXP that allows learners to create, capture and organize video learning. And as a result of Gomo, the award-winning cloud-based eLearning authoring tool, now being available as part of Bridge’s suite of tools, content authors now have even more power at their fingertips to create and distribute a customized learning experience.
HANDPICKED FOR YOU | ‘Putting People First: Why Creating an Employee-First Culture Matters‘
How Can Bridge Help?
Bridge is here to help HR leaders meet the challenges of today and the future.
Our platform is positioned to help employees take charge of their own learning and development goals, support managers as they, in turn, support their teams, and align individual and company goals.
