5 HR Priorities in 2022 (and HR suppliers’ biggest opportunities)
HR priorities are no doubt shifting in 2022 as organisations continue to manage the effects of COVID-19 and Brexit. And never has there been a period where HR and its actions have been so much under the organisational spotlight.
In our new HR Strategies and Buying Decisions Report 2022, we show HR’s biggest priorities and challenges - through a unique HR supplier lens.
When asking UK HR managers we found, for instance, that 76% think it’s confusing to understand which brands they can trust to suit their organisational needs and strategic goals.
Therefore, how HR suppliers respond to HR’s strategic priorities, organisational goals and cultural needs will determine whether HR can find the right brands to trust and rely on.
So what are the top HR priorities in 2022? And where are the key opportunities for HR suppliers?
HR Priority: Talent Strategy
According to our research, 95% of UK HR managers are facing talent strategy challenges in 2022. It’s no wonder then that over half (59%) are creating new or adjusting old talent strategies and prioritising this area moving forward.
But what exact talent issues are they facing?
Top 3 Talent Strategy issues 2022:
58% percent agree that attracting and recruiting the best candidates in 2022 is a top challenge
Half (50%) are concerned about identifying and addressing skills gaps
47% percent feel that understanding the best methods to retain employees is a problem within their organisation.
With a well-documented and continuously fluctuating recruitment market in 2021, employers have adjusted talent attraction and retention methods. Problematically, 1 in 3 (34%) HR managers say that the continuously changing talent landscape makes it hard to create adaptable talent strategies moving forward.
How can HR suppliers respond?
Demonstrate market expertise
HR managers agree that a lack of subject information is holding them back from overcoming their challenges - across all priority areas. When it comes to talent strategy, however, 46% of HR managers state that having too little data and information surrounding talent is preventing them from understanding their issues and planning their strategy.
As such, HR suppliers can support HR by providing niche subject expertise - looking beyond the bigger picture and elaborating on the intricate challenges HR face. Help HR fill gaps in their understanding and solidify strategies by supplying practical advice from your subject matter experts and data (from your own internal sources or by conducting your own research) to increase perceptions of your brand as an authority.
HR Priority: Organisational Design
Organisations rapidly adjusted organisational design strategies in 2021; yet 96% of HR managers say they still face challenges in this area, with 51% creating new or adjusting old organisational design strategies.
Top 3 Organisational Design issues 2022:
Over half of HR managers (55%) feel that creating a hybrid or remote strategy that can adapt to change is problematic
48% percent state it’s challenging to create a business transformation strategy so their people and technology can adapt to change, opportunity and risk
47% percent also agree that developing a hybrid or remote strategy that caters to their people and business needs is difficult.
The shift to hybrid and remote working has been a central change for many organisations. Problematically, as government regulations and people needs continue to shift, developing organisational design strategies that can quickly respond is challenging. This barrier isn’t only a challenge when deciding on where and how employees will work, it’s also impacting HR’s ability to create strategies that meet broader business objectives and the technological needs of workforces.
How can HR suppliers respond?
Show flexibility then solidity
In 2021, it was vital that HR suppliers mirrored the flexibility and agility that HR needed in order to respond to sudden workplace changes. This meant adapting products and services or quickly adjusting sales and comms strategies to appropriately reach and support HR needs.
Such flexibility is still essential in 2022 but now that we’ve seen that change is consistent and likely to be inevitable for some time, HR suppliers need to provide solidity and reassurance in their comms - providing real answers to the questions HR are seeking.
HR suppliers have also had time to come to terms with changes and with the problems their clients are facing, so turning client experiences into actionable solutions for other HR teams is helpful. Actionable advice is key here (not selling products or services). HR will find solidity and knowledge in your/your clients’ experiences, which supports them with practical guidance before making buying decisions.
HR Priority: Future of Work
The Future of Work has been a growing priority for several years and in 2022 96% of HR managers say they face issues here - with 56% stating that they are building new or developing old Future of Work strategies.
Top 3 Future of Work issues 2022:
52% percent of HR managers say they’re struggling to understand how new technology will impact employees and organisational design
47% feel it’s a challenge to agree on a definition and focus for Future of Work initiatives
47% percent of UK HR managers also say that creating a Future of Work Strategy with achievable targets is difficult.
There has always been uncertainty about what the Future of Work means for different industries and organisations. This is even more evident when nearly half of HR managers (47%) state that agreeing on a definition and focus for Future of Work initiatives is challenging. As the same percentage feel it’s difficult to set achievable targets for this area, it’s clear that it is a top HR priority in 2022.
How should HR suppliers respond?
Create clarity in comms
As miscommunication and confusion is high surrounding Future of Work strategies, suppliers should ensure clarity in their comms. HR benefits when HR brands can help pinpoint key issues organisations are likely to face, prioritise challenges and then supply clear routes forward - highlighting knowledge and experience in an educational way. Information conveyed should be concise and regularly reiterated to ensure messages are transparent and truly understood.
HR Priority: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI)
Recent years have seen DEI progress up the corporate agenda. Yet as this shift continues in 2022, nearly a quarter of HR managers (23%) are still having to persuade staff and line managers of the importance of DEI initiatives. Accordingly, 95% of HR managers face DEI challenges in 2022 and six in 10 (60%) are creating new or adjusting old DEI strategies.
Top 3 DEI issues 2022:
46% percent of HR managers state that it’s challenging to understand which organisational practices and/or behaviours need to change
42% percent feel that setting progressive but attainable DEI targets is an issue within their organisation
Four in 10 (41%) also say that developing a diverse leadership bench is problematic.
It’s evident that there is still much room for progress within the DEI space considering many HR managers still can’t identify exactly which areas need to be improved within their organisation.
As well as this, of the five HR priorities analysed within the research, DEI is the area in which HR feel that demonstrating ROI is most problematic. Twenty-one percent of HR managers say they struggle to demonstrate clear ROI surrounding DEI issues and initiatives.
How should HR suppliers respond?
Connect initiatives to bigger business objectives
In tandem with struggles to connect DEI initiatives to ROI, our research shows that 45% of HR managers feel they are held back from overcoming DEI challenges due to a need to convince the C-suite of the importance of DEI. As such, HR suppliers that ensure their comms connect workforce and business needs will be able to show HR that it can empower their strategies.
But how can suppliers do this? PR and marketing content must connect to the big issues leaders prioritise. Demonstrate how your brand’s guidance makes inroads into employee efficiency, productivity and output, for example. Knowing how your work makes a difference is key. Overall, make sure your content not only speaks to HR, but those that have sway over HR budgets.
HR Priority: Employee Experience
It’s no surprise that due to a decline in employee wellbeing during lockdowns, struggles to connect remote and hybrid teams as well as fears surrounding the 'Great Resignation', employers are increasing efforts to create a positive experience for employees in the workplace.
As such, 94% of HR managers say they are facing challenges with employee experience and two-thirds (63%) are creating new or adjusting old employee experience strategies.
Top 3 Employee Experience issues 2022:
Over half of HR managers (54%) state that it’s challenging to ensure teams can communicate effectively (across on-site, hybrid or remote settings)
47% percent feel that identifying and addressing employee wellbeing issues is a problem
37% percent say identifying and responding to changes in employee engagement is difficult.
How should HR suppliers respond?
Demonstrating brand culture is key
Last year, we saw organisations shift to ‘people-first’ cultures as working from home and an increased interest in wellbeing and engagement meant that employers were increasingly looking out for the personal and emotional lives of employees.
This clearly holds true in 2022 too. HR brands must mirror this - tapping into the emotional needs of HR and their workforces and not just the practical support they need. After all, HR says that finding a brand with the right cultural fit is important to them - 37% state that they refrained from purchasing products or services in 2021 as they couldn’t find a brand or supplier with the right cultural fit for their organisation.
Making your brand values and priorities clear in your comms will demonstrate the human side of your organisation, allowing you to create deeper connections with HR and help tend to the cultural needs of HR and their business.
For more key issues faced by HR in 2022, their shifting buying preferences and top opportunities for HR suppliers to respond, download our latest report now.