A lot has changed in the past few years, with a global pandemic, and working from home has changed the operations of HR helping shape the way we work today.

The future brings with it even more of the unknown, which shouldn't be a problem if HR is up to the challenge. Building the organization of the future is incredibly complex. Especially with an ever-changing workforce and evolving world of work, and a growing demand to respond to societal issues. So, it's not surprising that many organizational leaders are turning to HR for help.

Many researchers found that organizations with more progressive leaders are more likely to rely on their HR teams as facilitators of organizational change.

Given everything we've learned about talent management and organizational culture during the last years, here at MERIT500, we have analyzed the most recent HR trends and have identified the four most important trends for 2022. The workforce of the future requires careful planning and HR professionals have a pivotal role to play.

A new set of skills is needed

The number of skills needed for a single job is increasing each year, and new skills are replacing old skills.

While we have been embedded at home for a long time, the world has changed significantly. Returning to work is not returning at all, it is a new experience. New skills will be needed for future success, some of which may surprise you.

Leadership psychology training and development programs

Leadership psychology training and development programs are now mainstream in many future-oriented companies. Our brain, how we think, judge and make decisions are included in this. For leaders and managers, and especially for human resources departments, nothing could be more important than learning and understanding human behavior.

Employees need a hybrid work environment

Remote work has become more popular due to a number of factors, such as the Covid-19 Pandemic that forced companies to let employees work from home.

HR leaders expect most of their employees to work remotely after the pandemic. It is obvious that the shift to hybrid work will drive a lot of change, and the HR leader must be prepared to support it.

The HR department has to keep up with these trends. This means that they need to be able to provide a way for people to work remotely, offer flexible hours for those who want them, and use AI-based tools when possible.

Diversity and inclusion initiatives

Diverse and inclusive workforces, especially in a senior management role, are known to have concrete business benefits, such as improvements in productivity, profitability, and stability, even before the pandemic.

The future of work is changing as we speak and to keep up with these trends and remain relevant to incoming talent and stay on top of the competition, companies should access MERIT500's unique insights whether it is related to recruiting or remuneration trends.