HR Professionals Trends You Should Put On Your Radar For 2021 | #hrmanagement #hrexecutive

Due to the ravages of the Coronavirus pandemic, workforce management has been turned on its ear. With businesses struggling to extinguish the financial fires ignited by employee morale issues, layoffs, forced terminations, and COVID testing requirements, it’s no longer feasible for frontline managers to take on the burden of managing employment issues.

Never before in history has the importance of HR professionals been so apparent. That said, business owners and managers need highly trained HR professionals on board to look after employees’ wellbeing. With HR professionals tending to coronavirus-induced tensions, a company’s business owners and executives can focus on moving their companies forward. It’s incumbent on HR professionals to step forward, understand, and deal with the new employment legalities that have made an appearance in the COVID era.

As an HR professional, you’ve probably realized that the future of business is resting on your shoulders. To help you prepare for the task that lies ahead, here are three workforce trends you should have on your radar going into 2021.

Travel-hungry employees will seek opportunities abroad

Like it or not, the age of the global economy is quickly becoming a reality. In turn, working professionals are looking for new challenges and a fresh start across new horizons.

Employees bitten by the travel bug and unable to satiate their appetite for adventures abroad will likely enjoy their newfound freedom by fleeing their home base, especially after putting their trips on standby for several months to several years. While the occasional tropical vacation may not seem like a cause for concern in HR departments, it’s vital to note that these post-cabin-fever responses include seeking places to work and lay down permanent roots across the globe. 

The issue you face as an HR professional is retaining employees when employees are willing to job hop without a second thought. With company loyalty devolving into a dying art, many millennials continue to job-hop for more money, better pay, and the opportunity to experience new things. Given a chance to break free from the shackles of 9-to-5 workdays, many working professionals choose to pursue jobs outside of their hometown (and their comfort zones).

As job-hopping digs roots and stakes its claim as our new normal, companies must work to evolve with the times. For example, medical staffing agencies like Fusion Medical Staffing have adapted to this expected trend by anticipating medical professionals’ future needs and making sure they have access to global employment opportunities. 

For those travel-hungry professionals hoping to bounce from country to country and lead a nomadic lifestyle, turning to the medical field and researching short-term opportunities is your best bet in achieving ultimate career fulfillment. 

Is job-hopping becoming the new normal? The data says yes. Did you know that millennials change jobs every 2.8 years while people near retirement are staying put for just over ten years? It’s true. As millennials gradually assume top leadership positions, these statistics are radically different from those released 20 years ago.

Employees will push for hybrid work

As COVID forced employers to abide by mandatory quarantine procedures, employees have realized the undeniable benefits of working from home (WFH). With this new level of understanding, more people are looking for WFH opportunities. For those essential employees, you may be wondering: What’s the appeal of WFH?

Employees like the idea of saving time by not commuting. Additionally, these working professionals also like the flexibility of adjusting their work hours around other facets of their lives. Finally, employees with young children at home see the benefits of being closer to home and eliminating childcare costs.

As an HR professional, your challenge will be to learn how to manage employees and HR issues while offering hybrid work models. Unfortunately, these office-related trials and tribulations will demand more advanced technology and higher creativity levels to make things work.

The growing number of fully-remote positions

It’s not just employees that are realizing the benefits of the movement towards remote working. Employers are also growing increasingly aware of the potential benefits, which is evident given the increasing number of fully remote positions becoming available on the job market. For HR professionals like you, that means changes in HR management are in store for the post-COVID era. 

As an HR professional with influence within the organization, you might want to consider endorsing remote work models in conversations with its executives. The potential benefits of remote employees include:

• Higher levels of productivity due to worker satisfaction
• A decrease in office related and technology costs
• Greater access to a larger pool of prospective employees
• Employee satisfaction leads to higher retention

Final thoughts

To avoid lagging behind the company’s competitors, HR professionals need to take a proactive approach to incoming HR trends. By closely tracking these shifts in industry trends, your company can perform at optimal levels and boost employee retention rates. 

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