2022 has seen unprecedented challenges in attracting and retaining talent. Talent acquisition, engagement, retention, a focus on culture and DEIA, hybrid/remote work, increased salaries and renewed benefits are all top of mind.
I was recently invited by Integria Consulting to participate in an HR panel discussion with Marème Touré from Dentsu Canada, Steven Regimbal from Workden, Lina Aristeo from Plume to discuss work trends. Let’s review some of the highlights!
How has the labour market changed since the beginning of the pandemic? What are candidates and employees looking for?
With unemployment at its lowest since 1976, candidates have never been so selective and vocal in their requests. The interview process has flipped from employer-led to candidate led. This new reality requires some adjustment from employers who need to be more conscious of their responses and engage in this 2-way process.
Employees are recognizing that time is a precious commodity- and with so much time spent at work, it’s a big part of one’s identity. Many social injustices have been exposed since the pandemic, like the murder of George Floyd. While traditional compensation and benefits remain important, candidates are asking about social impact, diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as sustainability initiatives. People want to work for companies that are actors and forces of good. There is a need to connect with a deeper purpose, one that can provide motivation in both good times and bad.
What are employers and employees’ views on working hybrid?
The pandemic forced adaptation to working remote, but a lot of good came out of it. Employees realized they don’t need to drive to work to add value. According to a 2022 Global Hybrid Work Study by Cisco, 62% of employees agree that their ability to work from anywhere impacts whether they stay or leave a job. New generations are looking for a more nomadic lifestyle and want to be part of the experience economy. Although some employers are exploring whether there may be legal and fiscal consequences to allowing remote work in a different country.
Furthermore, GenZ who finished their studies during the pandemic have only ever known a digital work environment. They are not familiar with the on-site workplace and don’t believe in face time without value. On the other hand, some employers believe that certain experiences can only be had in person and would like to bring those experiences to these workers.
What are blue collar workers asking for in the absence of being able to work remotely?
The expectation of remote or hybrid work remains a privilege as many jobs, for example in retail or manufacturing, must be done on-site.
Blue collar employees are still required to come into work but many of the support staff like HR are working remotely which can create a disconnect.
There is also a push towards unionization in companies that already offer good pay and benefits, for example Starbucks. This points to the need for employees to be heard and have a seat at the table. Too many leaders discount the role of production employees, but they often are aware of issues way before management flags them as concerns. Employers should make an effort to be more present and better engage with production employees.
How can employers be creative with benefits if they can’t be competitive on compensation? What are some of the more unique benefits that are being offered by employers?
Quality benefits are important, even with competitive pay as they are often the tipping point when selecting between multiple employers. Today, so many start-ups and niche providers are operating in the benefits space which means there are a lot of options for employers to choose from, in addition to traditional employee benefits.
Employers should tie benefits with their corporate culture and employer value proposition. For example, Molson in trying to attract a more diverse talent pool, introduced gender affirmation benefits that cover the cost of procedures not covered by most group insurance or government-sponsored plans. Similarly, many organizations have introduced family planning benefits which covers the cost of fertility, surrogacy, and adoption.
Also, in the hopes of drawing employees back to a physical workplace, employers are paying for Bixi or Communauto subscriptions as well as transit and parking passes.
Wellness allowances have also become popular in establishing a culture that promotes overall well-being. Instead of increasing salary, a lump sum is allocated to cover personal expenses related to fitness, professional and personal education, childcare, computer equipment, and more.
What are some of the barriers to success in companies embracing a diverse recruitment strategy?
Some employers are struggling with where to source candidates. Organizations that are always utilizing the same outlets, will inevitably continue to attract the same employee profiles. It’s important to build a talent pipeline than can continuously be drawn from. For certain industries that continue to attract the same type of individuals, this may require additional effort, for example visiting schools and educating students from a young age about the benefits of your industry.
Lack of representation within your recruitment team and company is another barrier to success in respect to DE&I and can be a deterrent to attracting diverse talent. Your current talent pool should reflect the initiatives and values that you are communicating during the interview process or diverse candidates may not take you seriously.
Furthermore, diversity is often on the production floor or in entry-level jobs. Cultivating and growing diverse talent from within can be an important strategy, one that will ultimately help you with external recruitment once there is more diverse representation in more senior roles. This representation at decision-making level adds credibility to your DE&I conversations. Employers should engage in talent mapping to identify high potential candidates from diverse backgrounds and provide leadership training. Mentorship programs aimed at racialized individuals to create space for conversation and understanding.
Finally, certain job requirements can be barriers in themselves as they automatically exclude immigrants who may have a degree which is recognized globally but not in Canada or who may have valuable experience internationally, but not locally. Additional training is required for hiring managers to be able to discern whether these aspects of candidates CV truly prevent them from doing the job.
The pandemic took a toll on the mental health of many in the workforce. How are we seeing benefits changing to meet the demand of mental health concerns?
Mental health has been a growing concern for over a decade, but the pandemic created a generalized state of anxiety and depression. Remote work blurred the lines between work, home and family responsibilities, increased isolation and added new stressors like homeschooling. Employers responded by dusting off under-utilized Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), improving coverage for paramedical specialists such as psychologists, and increasing access to more types of mental health practitioners including psychotherapists, marriage and family counselors, and clinic counselors. Some employers provided childcare resources to free up time for parents working from home alongside their children. Overall, there is a need for more flexible paid time off policies to help employees achieve navigate and increasingly demanding lifestyle. It’s also become popular for employers to offer wellness days, a company-wide day where employees do not work as a way to promote work-life balance.
Moving forward, providing hands-on mental health training to managers will be key. Because of their roles, people managers and team leads are uniquely positioned as first responders but don’t always understand how to recognize the cues of distress. Regular one-on-one check-ins, whether scheduled or impromptu will be important, especially in a remote workplace. Managers should be given the tools to direct employees to the best resources.
Are companies able to build culture and retain talent when remote?
Employees, in particular younger generations like GenZ, are focused on career and better understanding long term outcomes of different career paths. This makes it important for employers to develop clear, objective career paths and design workflows and KPIs for each level. This has always been important but even more so in a remote working environment. Clear expectations, with regular checkpoints and metrics to assess progress mean that work can be completed anywhere and employees grow and are promoted based on results. This in turn, leads to a productive culture where employees can deliver work that is valued and in turn be rewarded.
Many employers fear that remote work will make the team less cohesive and limit bonding opportunities. In this respect, team building activities will be less spontaneous and require more planning, but ultimately lead to better outcomes. Employers can focus activities around different themes and values that the organization wishes to highlight. These initiatives will likely be during work hours which means that parents with young families or employees with other outside responsibilities won’t feel excluded. With more intentional and inclusive team building, employers can be more strategic in the type of culture they wish to foster.
Click through to watch the recording of Talent Focus 2022: Work Trends
