| Hybrid workforce | Organisations will keep a portion of their workforce working away from the office in a flexible arrangement, while their remaining employees return to the office on a more sustained basis. Workers may also work from the office and from home on a rotational basis, creating the hybrid workforce of 2021. To maintain a hybrid workforce, HR will also need to take into consideration some important factors. Even if employees are working from home, the onus is still on employers to ensure, as much as possible, a safe environment that reduces the risk of injuries during official working hours. Do employees have the right to request for their companies to reimburse them for any costs incurred from WFH? HR may need to prepare legally binding WFH policies that clearly defines the terms and conditions for reimbursing expenses in a WFH scenario. |
| An added emphasis on employee health | Besides maintaining communications with employees to explain the rationale behind encouraging employees to be vaccinated, HR may need to consider if there is any potential breach of contractual obligations for employees who refuse to be vaccinated, as well as if the organisation insists that all employees be vaccinated. Beyond that, organisations are likely to pay more attention to employees who continue to display anxiety and stress due to the disruption brought by the pandemic. HR needs to be more empathetic to employees’ mental well-being than ever before, and ensure an open line of communication, particularly for those who continue to work away from the office. Tools that are increasingly emerging can also help to provide stress management exercises, access to virtual counselling and telehealth visits. Another area that needs paying attention to is employees’ financial health. Because of the pandemic, many workers have seen a significant decline in their earning power, leading to further stress. Whenever possible, organisations should step up resources and benefits to help ease financial stress and improve employee wellbeing. |
| Addressing workplace disparity | As more employees begin to return to the workplace, concerns over wage disparity will arise. Are men more likely than women to return to the workplace? There may also be concerns among those who choose to continue working away from the office, that they may be overlooked when it comes to salary increases and promotion opportunities, as compared to those who choose to return to the office. HR needs to address these concerns and maintain a clear line of communication and ensure that “out of sight” employees are fairly appraised on their performances and rewarded accordingly, no matter where they may be working from. |
| A virtual world | For companies choosing to adopt a largely WFH strategy, systems and technologies need to be put in place to ensure business continuity. Without the traditional benefit of regular face-to-face interaction with employees, HR needs to ensure systems are in place to effectively and comprehensively gauge employee performance without any bias. Virtual hiring and onboarding will also become more prevalent. Algorithms and AI can help HR better identify key skill sets and traits that the company is looking for, in turn increasing the possibility of interviewing candidates that are most likely to be converted into good employees. When a successful candidate is chosen, an effective online programme – in the absence of physical interaction – will be pivotal in boosting productivity, engagement and retention. With upskilling and reskilling gaining more importance than ever, key learning and development (L&D) initiatives are also moving online. Organisations need to embrace collaborative online learning technologies to help bridge the soft skills gap, as well as create engaging and effective learning experiences that can help build a lasting company culture. |
| Developing a winning strategy for 2021 | While it may be understandable that many organisations will adopt a cautious approach as they prioritise cost optimisation as a means to economic recovery, leaders need to continuously review policies, processes and practices, and make appropriate fluid changes that will help shape a successful long-term strategy that will allow their organisations to thrive long beyond the pandemic. 2021 is also likely to see many countries in Asia step up their digital transformation, and leaders need to embrace technology as a key enabler in helping them develop, deploy and measure key strategies. They will also need to develop the right mindset and vision for success, and perhaps most importantly, recognise that without the support and commitment of their employees, the best thought business strategy or plan is unlikely to succeed in 2021. |
Excerpt from: HRM | Shawn Liew | January 11, 2021
