Navigating HR’s Evolution in 2023: Key Trends and Best Practices
Amidst the uncertain economic situation, many organizations are looking to cut their costs, which inevitably affects employees and what companies can provide for them. Recently, Bica organized a special event at Campus X to discuss the most significant HR trends that are happening in the IT industry. Yoana Krasteva and Christian Alexandrov were the panelists covering the hottest topics in the industry and what enterprises should take in mind when developing their HR strategy and building a company culture.
The rise of quiet firing
Quiet quitting and quiet hiring are two very popular terms in the HR domain that are intertwined and dependent on each other. Quiet quitting is when an employee loses motivation and stops being proactive in all work or non-work-related activities. Recognizing that a professional is not satisfied with his job is one of the biggest challenges an HR specialist faces.
Chris explained that this trend isn’t actually a new one, it’s another process that was catalyzed during the pandemic when most people were obliged to work remotely. He also highlighted another notion commonly used in the industry is quiet firing. This is when an employer stops caring about the well-being of its employees. Especially in an uncertain economic situation, this phenomenon is quite common worldwide.
Both Yoana and Chris emphasized that transparency is the key to preventing employees from quiet quitting and employers from quiet firing.
“In our collaboration with companies and professionals, we always advise both sides to be completely open with each other. Processes like quiet quitting and quiet firing are very drastic and they definitely can be avoided through open and honest communication,” Yoana shared.
Wellness online
Many HR managers face the challenge of establishing a company culture that represents the values and vision of the whole team. One of the most powerful tools to achieve this goal is developing a wellness program that will keep employees motivated and engaged. Especially in a hybrid and remote work environment, it’s important to understand the needs and preferences of employees.
Chris and Yoana explained during the event that these wellness initiatives should be based on the personalities of professionals. In a remote environment, employers should bring people together and guarantee that they’ll have quality time together.
“There isn’t a one-fits-all wellness program that will help employers establish their company culture. Companies need to develop tailor-made solutions that fit the needs of their employees. If the team prefers to stay remote, you can organize virtual meetings where everyone can talk to each other on topics of their interest. When the majority of employees are fans of the hybrid model, you have to organize quality time both virtually and physically,” Yoana shared.
“A practice that I saw working really well in a remote environment is the ability for younger professionals to learn from more experienced colleagues. Senior employees and managers organized calls with the team presenting their career paths with the company. This was an example for junior professionals of the growth possibilities their employer provides for them,” Chris shared with the audience.
Learning & Development practices as a key to success
Another important topic discussed during the event was creating a learning & development methodology that allows employees to grow their expertise in different tech areas.
“These initiatives should be developed as a cross-over between the needs of the business and the desires of the employees. This will be an opportunity for all employees to learn new skills and also share them with the rest of the team. For me, learning & development programs should be instilled in the foundations of any company,” Christian explained during the event.
4 or 5-day work week?
With many reports coming up, that companies are transitioning to working 4 days a week, this was another topic we covered during the event. Yoana and Christian shared their perspectives and clashed their opinions.
Yoana explained that global reports show improved productivity and better employee experience. This practice allows professionals more free time to spend with their loved ones and activities outside of work.
According to Chris, the reports show positive results but they’re not conclusive. More time should be allocated to discover the long-term effects of the 4-day work week. He believes this method is only applicable to a very small number of businesses and also, in the long run, might provide challenges for some companies.
Both Bica experts agreed that there should be more time allocated to employees to explore their passions.
In conclusion, these are some of the major trends that any HR professional should take into consideration. Most of them have been a factor in the past decade, but the pandemic catalyzed a lot of processes in the relationship between employees and employers. During this period, many companies and HRs realized the importance of monitoring the overall wellbeing of employees.