Battling a pandemic and an economic crisis has undoubtedly affected how we view work. As a result, HR’s role over the past few years has been challenging, especially with the emerging trend of quiet quitting and the phenomenon of the Great Resignation. In this article, the HR team at GCS Malta discusses the top 5 HR upcoming trends for 2023.

5 HR Trends for 2023

In 2022, the HR industry faces many obstacles. However, with a new year, HR professionals can hop onto the following trends to be well-prepared for the upcoming year. While some trends are ongoing from last year, others are entirely new.

  1. Perfecting hybrid and remote work strategies

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, working from home has taken the world by storm. With the return to normality, 64% of employees considered leaving if their employer forced them to go back to the office full-time.

In the past year, HR professionals have tried to find a balanced strategy that works for the employer and all employees. Data shows that for some, working from home increased their productivity level by 9%. Employers who continue to stick to outdated strategies will have a competitive disadvantage when recruiting, especially if you want to recruit top-talent candidates.

This is why HR must communicate with the employees to understand what they expect from their employer. Next, a well-structured, clear, modern policy must be created and implemented. Finally, having hybrid and remote work strategies in place will cause HR to face new challenges, such as office planning and overcoming proximity bias.

  1. Focusing on employee well-being

While employee well-being was always important, post-pandemic, it is now essential. HR professionals need to reduce mental health stigma and support employees as much as possible. There are various things HR can do to foster a proactive approach toward employee well-being:

  • Promote healthy lifestyle habits
  • Implement work-life balance policies
  • Actively supporting struggling employees
  • Be as inclusive as possible at the workplace
  1. Fostering the best employee experience

47% of HR leaders believe that providing a great employee experience is a top priority for 2023. Several aspects affect employee experience – offering a competitive salary, focusing on employee well-being services, and career development.

A major issue companies face is that employees will search for a new role externally rather than internally. As people rethink the role of work in their life, HR needs to find ways to retain employees by offering the best employee experience possible.

  1. Adopting a human leadership approach

In 2023, there is expected to be a switch to a human approach for employee-manager relationships. What is clear from 2022 is that many employees are dissatisfied with their job. HR needs to monitor that managers are adopting this human approach based on the following:

  • Solid feedback
  • Praising employees
  • Having frequent 1-to-1 meetings
  • Showing solidarity and empathy
  1. Offering continuous employee development

Learning will be one of the most popular HR trends for 2023. Companies need to invest in employees and help them better themselves personally and professionally. HR’s role is to make continuous employee development available for all employees. There are various ways to do this:

  • Creating e-libraries
  • Hosting workshops
  • Offering courses
  • Funding education

Why GCS Malta?

At GCS Malta, our HR experts can assist you with several HR services tailored to your needs. From creating employee handbooks to conducting performance reviews, we are here to help your business grow. Contact us today for more information.

Article by Sarah Jane Gauci