5 HR trends to watch in 2022

Not only has the way we work drastically changed over the last two years, but so have human resource departments. The way we find the right talent, hire and onboard remote staff, and how we process information has undergone a huge transformation—and we are far from being finished.

Remote work, hybrid setups, and employees who work halfway around the world will continue to challenge HR managers now and in the future. 

So, what better time than now to take a closer look at 5 HR trends that will keep us on our toes in 2022.

In 2022, working from home has become a commodity rather than a luxury. More and more high-skilled employees are demanding flexibility in their work life, and won’t consider working for a company that doesn’t offer at least a hybrid model.

On top of that, there is an ever-growing demand for remote work, and people are now looking way further than country borders when searching for a new job.

This trend means that HR departments have to find new ways of talent acquisition - not only relating to places of residence, but also having competitive compensation models and giving the right benefits, such as offering remote or hybrid work.

An Employer of Record (EOR) is a great way to kickstart this process, as they act as the legal employer for a team member who is located in a different country, while your company still retains their everyday to-dos and activities.

Check out this article that explains how you can hire talent globally with an Employer of Record.

Read here How to write the perfect remote job description

Remote work comes with its own challenges, one of which is establishing a welcoming remote work culture. While this is not something that can be done overnight, it does help to have the right remote work policy in place - especially when working with mixed teams of remote workers and on-site employees.

A remote work policy should also be used to set clear expectations around response times and workloads to minimise potential uncertainty and unrest amongst team members.

And finally, the right remote work policy can help you prepare for uncertain events, such as yet another COVID wave (better be safe than sorry).  

You can learn more about what a remote work policy should include over here.

The World Health Organisation estimates that some 20% of the adult work force is dealing with mental health problems. That’s why offering mental health support to both in-office as well as remote employees will be a huge focus point for HR departments in 2022.

In fact, many benefit packages already include either subsidised mental health care or access to virtual health care professionals via apps such as BetterHelp and TalkSpace. 

In addition to mental health, there is also a bigger focus on physical wellbeing that needs to be addressed in competitive compensation models - and should include a solution for both on-site workers and remote employees. 

Get some futher info on how to support mental health in remote teams.

With the move to remote and hybrid work, even seemingly simple tasks such as payroll processes will become increasingly challenging, but HR departments are still wasting a lot of time and effort on tasks that could easily be automated. 

Automated payroll software is therefore one of the major trends in 2022. Companies will turn to automated features to free up their HR personnel to focus on more pressing tasks such as employee satisfaction and workplace experience.

Learn more about global payroll and its challenges

Many companies were forced for the first time in 2020 to hire people without ever meeting them in person, and while we are all a lot more confident and familiar with online meetings and video calls now, creating a positive team spirit is still a challenge when limited to virtual spaces.

That is why HR departments all around the world will make creating a positive onboarding experience one of their highest priorities this year. This includes launching buddy or mentor programs, holding more virtual socialising events, and identifying efficient feedback models. 

How to virtually onboard remote employees