News comment: What has HR learnt since the pandemic?

One change that has stuck post-pandemic is the uptake of online psychometric assessments. When the pandemic hit back in 2020, we saw a rapid shift from in-person testing to remote testing. What's interesting for us is that this shift in behaviour has largely stuck. Today we still see most candidates being asked to take online assessments rather than in-person.Previously the skills test would have been a good excuse to visit the employer's office and start to build a social contract with the employer. But now it's mostly online, that personal touch has been lost. Recruiters must be enjoying the new normal, though: faceless online testing is much more time-efficient and convenient for them. Does remote candidate testing present a problem with cheating? Probably not; most test publishers have wisened up to cheating and have cheat-detection systems in place nowadays. But if there's no one there to see who's really taking the test, who can be sure?

Is the traditional approach to HR dead? With small business owners struggling to attract and retain top talent, many are left wondering how to survive in a post-pandemic world. This means embracing remote and flexible working arrangements, investing in employee wellbeing and creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. With a limited budget and a small team, it can be hard to compete on attracting staff against larger companies for the best talent. Social media, job boards and online communities can help small businesses reach a wider audience and attract candidates who are a good fit for their company culture. Despite this, there are certainly opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs. By embracing new ways of working, investing in employee wellbeing and leveraging digital tools, small business owners can overcome their challenges and thrive in the post-pandemic world.

The biggest thing that HR departments have learned post-Covid, is that life is short and that work in its traditional guise doesn't work anymore. Most people wish to find employment that is more fulfilling or balanced. Furthermore, 72% of LinkedIn users (recently polled by The Find Your Flex Group) preferred Outcome-based flexibility (clock off when you're done) versus Time-based flexibility, if both pay the same. This really does highlight that HR's role has changed forever post-Covid and will be invaluable in helping businesses navigate (and forge) this new road to securing future talent.

Some HR leaders have learnt very little and some have completely re-thought how they deliver for their organizations. The former still expect people to be back in the office/on site 5 days a week, working regular shifts and willing to respond to the same inputs as they did pre-pandemic, especially in a cooling economy. The latter understand that labour shortages are both chronic and acute and attrition and attraction are inextricably linked. There is no one-size-fits all answer, but HR functions that have an approach based on flexible working patterns, enhancing skills, practical well-being and inclusion whilst at the same time looking at how technology supports employees will find it easier to compete in today's market.

Human needs are at the forefront. Amongst skills shortages, inflation and a rapidly changing landscape, HR departments are grappling with improving employee retention, upskilling employees and creating a culture of learning.

The cost of taking no action is too great. Three of the top 5 factors that drive people to pursue new jobs reflect their desire to grow and develop new skills.

Working from home and distributed teams have become the new normal:
- creating a focus on inducting and onboarding employees digitally.
- increasing the use of virtual classrooms, e-learning, forums, apps and AI.
- requiring leaders to create productive team cultures - with an awareness of well-being and their employees' need to feel connected.

82% of global leaders agree that the HR function is more critical now than it ever has been.

(2023 Workplace learning report - Building the agile future - LinkedIn)

I run a training and development business. From delivering all my sessions face-to-face before March 2020 to moving to 100% online delivery through lockdown, I’m still at about 80% online delivery and 20% face-to-face. That's what my clients are asking for. It saves them time and money, and with most of their employees working remotely it can be more effective and efficient for them. I’m also finding that many of the businesses and organisations I work with want shorter sessions that are focused on one specific topic. These are replacing full-day workshops. They often choose to run a series of these short events over several weeks as they feel that approach is less disruptive to their day-to-day work. It also allows the participants time to implement and embed the learning between sessions. With good design and delivery, online sessions can be just as effective as face-to-face events.