The past two years have undoubtedly not been an easy ride: a global pandemic has distorted our usual patterns of work, and the concept of ‘working from home’ has affected companies of all scales. Businesses in every corner of the globe are affected by these disruptions.
Employees suffer from constant anxiety as they find it quite stressful to find a balance between work and keeping up with their personal life responsibilities. As a result, employees seem to prioritize on different things, making employee engagement and workforce productivity, crucial aspects to pay attention to.
What has changed within the past 12 months? Let’s have a look at a few major employee engagement trends in 2022.
Employee health and wellness will remain no. 1
It is not surprising that employees are placing an increased emphasis on staying healthy. This is one of the employee engagement trends that has been steadily on the increase. Companies find that wellness programs to promote employees’ good health has a direct impact on employee engagement and productivity. Remote workers can suffer from isolation and communication problems. Therefore, your company should take necessary measures to create a healthy work environment and ease out stress triggers.
Many experts advise HR departments to promote a culture of wellness within the company, which will elevate employee physical and mental health and positively affect morale.
Remote work and hybrid work model
One of the major employee engagement trends in 2022 is the emphasis on flexible work arrangements. Despite the location of the employees, companies need to flexible, accommodating, and think out of the box to meet their needs.
Companies should continue to test employee engagement in multiple ways. Emphasis on effective communication has become important, making it essential that all workers receive the right information and the organization receives effective feedback from the employees continuously.
It is important to ensure that the employees have the right expectations about working from home and how many hours of work are expected from them. A good work contribution recognition and reward system is an integral part of this model.
Employees first, let’s prioritize our biggest asset
The time has come for your company to employ a “people-first” culture, one that shows appreciation for employees and acknowledges achievement company-wide. Boost the “human” in human resources, and recognize the needs of your remote workers that may not have been apparent when working out of the office. Make sure that your employees feel connected even though they work from home. Acknowledge the extra effort they put into their work.
Giving prominence to work flexibility
The influence of tech tools for employee engagement trends for 2022 is definitely undeniable. Employee engagement has been reshaped by the utilization of technological advancements, and some are now a part of the daily landscape of HR departments. Many employees working remotely need to overcome obstacles to maintain their daily output: whether it is distractions from the responsibilities of home life (children, spouses); or the lack of interaction with their professional peers. Appreciate those who have overcome these difficulties as they have shown the commitment and determination that you want on your team by doing so. Look for opportunities to advance them and lead others with the same positive attitude.
AI and Machine Learning will pave the way for growth
Machine learning and AI will represent more chances for employee engagement in 2022. These advances will permit HR departments to make more analytics-driven decisions.
ML can help drive employee performance to figure out employees’ career paths and set them up for career progression, guiding opportunities that others in similar positions may have taken to get promoted in the company. ML can also evaluate performance data of the candidate unbiasedly, often challenging for a supervisor.
Employee engagement trends towards evaluation of employee experience
Employee surveys are essential tools during the pandemic. Companies should get honest and regular feedback from employees to conclude about engagement and to figure out if workers are thriving.
Your company can promote employee engagement by paying attention to how the employees are feeling and making a personal connection with each of your employees. Make sure your employees feel that you care for them. Be creative, know your audience and communicate directly. You will undoubtedly witness the results by an increase in productivity and performance.