CEO reveals four HR highlights heading into the New Year
The Great Resignation is coming for Canada – are you ready? With more and more employees opting to leave their current roles for pastures new, HR leaders are left with a major talent shortage on their hands. The gig economy is more popular than ever before and employers are left plugging the skills gaps with high-cost, low-retention labour – but that’s really just the tip of the iceberg. HRD spoke to Jordan Peace, CEO of Fringe, who revealed four HR predictions for 2022 – and explained how Canadian employers can stay ahead of their competition in the war for talent.
1. Gig employers enter the war for talent
“The labor scarcity of 2021 is so widespread, that even gig employers - those that have historically failed to provide safety net systems for contractors - will be changing their tune on benefits. For the first time ever, we’ll see prominent gig employers extending creative forms of perks to their gig workers in an attempt to attract (and keep) talent. This promising trend will contribute to a long-overdue paradigm shift in the relationship between gig employer and gig worker, encouraging policymakers to amend old rules about gig worker support.”
2. The (long term) calm after the unemployment storm
“Today, people aren’t just quitting their jobs and hopping onto the next thing - they’re taking their time to find a supportive employer. In this critical time of professional dormancy, criteria like culture, benefits and perks, and company values are more important than ever to job seekers. As a result, on the other side of this period of unrest and unemployment we’ll find significant long-term economic stability, driven by intentional employees and employers who (finally) understand that generosity towards people is how you attract and retain people for the long haul.”
3. Following unprecedented burnout levels, employers will reconsider how they’re approaching PTO
“The challenging events of the past few years - social unrest, pandemic and more - have resulted in a physically and emotionally drained workforce that’s desperately in need of a break. But 2021 showed us that people either aren’t using their PTO for the R&R they deserve, or worse, aren’t taking it altogether. It’s not enough to provide days of rest; employees today need to be shown how to rest. In 2022, we’ll see more employers incorporate company-wide training programs focused on work/life balance tactics and de-stressing techniques and introducing perks (like travel packages and airline points) that encourage real time away from the office.”
4. Traditional benefits go a la carte
“Personalized lifestyle benefits took a front seat in 2021, with employers rolling out a range of various perks (from fitness, to therapy, to childcare offerings) and allowing employees to select those that best meet their needs. Sustained hybrid work combined with popular demand at the employee level will soon see this cafeteria-style approach extend beyond lifestyle and wellness perks to more fundamental benefits like health care insurance, dental insurance, retirement plans and more.”
