Headlines have been steadily proclaiming the rise of business confidence in 2014 and labour shortages, therefore what resolutions do companies need to be making to ensure the New Year’s a successful one?
While steady and sustainable growth may be the main resolution, it may be time to prepare for a period of growth.
Paul Robinson, New Zealand Director of Randstad, stated that businesses won’t stay in a holding pattern for long as the surging economies of neighbouring countries create more competition for business and talent.
Robinson said businesses will need to resolve to work on making themselves stand out, as it will be key to helping organisations attract and retain the best talent locally and globally.
“When making your workforce resolutions for the New Year, ensure these reflect your overall business plans and are integrated into the wider company strategy,” Robinson said. “Making sure your organisation is an attractive and engaging place to work will be vital, and businesses with the strongest HR plans aligned to the overall business goals will have a significant advantage over the competition.”
Randstad suggest the following tips for workplace resolutions:
- Keep focus on your employer brand
With competition growing, business leaders will need examine how to attract the best people while also holding on to their stars. Employers should revisit their value proposition and communicate this at every opportunity. Investing in developing the skills of your workforce, and positioning for the next stages of growth will be a major theme for 2014.
Maintaining a strong employer brand is an ongoing process. Put structures in place to regularly check employee attitudes, needs and satisfaction levels across the workforce and work on any problem areas immediately. If an employee feels their voice is being heard, and they are valued for their contribution to the business, you are more likely to hang on to top performers and attract the best talent in the market.
- Place workforce considerations at the top of business conversations
Top of the agenda for business leaders will be looking at how to manage their existing workforce and maximise resources while positioning for growth. It needs to be a well-managed balance with one eye on the future while nurturing and boosting performance and productivity of the current workforce.
Resourcing needs must be at the centre of all strategic business conversations and a key part of this will be asking the right questions about present and future workforce requirements. HR professionals must work together with senior management with a unified vision to ensure the business maintains effective workforce planning throughout the year. The aim is to ensure the business has the right people and human capital plans in place to achieve your goals.
- Ensure your organisation is inclusive
New Year, for many, is the time to look to make positive changes. Businesses should also take this approach by looking at how they engage with and embrace diversity in their workforce – including international talent, people of all ages, different cultural backgrounds and identities, people with a disability and sexual orientation.
Ensuring your business is set up to cater to a multi-dimensional workforce will be key to any ongoing success. And to realise diversity isn’t just limited to the talent you hire, it extends to the ways in which employees want to work. 2014 will see a greater emergence of flexible working options, particularly for people who have caring responsibilities, are of mature age or who are return-to-work parents.
It will be the year of managing a truly blended workforce – a mix of full-time, part-time, remote, temporary and freelance employees and ensure they are all satisfied, engaged and highly productive. It’s important to maintain a strong organisational culture, while also having adequate systems and planning in place to make sure all types of employees are moving toward the same ultimate goal.
