HRO Today April 2021
Digital Edition Online Articles
April 2021
Pushing the Right Buttons
In the new world of work, three drivers of employee engagement have emerged: connection, well-being, and feedback.
By Marta Chmielowicz
The obstacles of 2020 tested the business world in unimaginable ways, reshaping the way people live, work, and relate to each other -potentially for the better. According to Qualtrics’ 2021 Employee Experience Trends Report, employee engagement has actually increased since the pandemic began, from 53% in November 2019 to 66% in November 2020.
2021 Baker’s Dozen Customer Satisfaction Ratings: Employee Engagement
We rank the top providers based on customer satisfaction surveys.
By The Editors
An engaged workforce is a necessity in today’s competitive business world. View our ranking of the top employee engagement service providers and find the right partner for your organization.
Shaping HR Priorities
The challenges of 2020 are accelerating even more transformation in 2021.
By Anthony DiRomualdo, Dorothée El-Khoury, and Franco Girimonte
Unprecedented disruption in 2020 upended the HR agenda. Many business leaders were forced to put plans for growth on hold in order to step up and guide their organizations through challenging strategic and operational issues, including a global pandemic, a tense political climate, and growing calls for social justice around the world.
Flexibility is the Future
HR can rethink the ways of work by learning from the remote experiment ushered in by the pandemic.
By Ray Baumruk, Susie Rowe, and Dilip Nair
With most major enterprises still having a large percentage of their employees working from home while the COVID-19 pandemic persists, it’s clear that the adoption of remote work has been broader and deeper than anyone could have expected. Plus, there’s a growing consensus among employees who believe and expect that remote work -either fully virtual or part of a hybrid model -should be made a permanent part of their work experience.
Leadership Deficient
New research shows that organizations are facing a significant gap when it comes to the leadership bench.
By Stephanie Neal and Rosey Rhyne
The pandemic has truly transformed how business and work gets done. As a result, leaders and teams must constantly adapt to meet not only business needs, but also individual needs such as safety, engagement, and balance.
Data-Driven Diversity
Organizations need to look at the numbers in order to turn D&I commitments into impactful change.
By E.J. Marin
According to a new report from McKinsey & Company, it may take 95 years for Black employees to reach parity in management positions if there is no change to the current promotion, attrition, and hiring rates in the U.S. In the past year, diversity, equity, and inclusion have become major topics of conversation as COVID-19’s disparate health impact on people of color, the pandemic’s outsized negative economic effects on women in the workforce, and the rise of Black Lives Matter protests made disparities glaringly clear.
A Tough Year for Worker Confidence
COVID-19 left its mark on employee sentiments around job security in 2020.
By Larry Basinait
As the rollercoaster of 2020 came to an end, the results of the Worker Confidence Index (WCI) followed suit. The year started with the U.S. unemployment rate reaching its lowest level in nearly 50 years while the stock market soared at an all-time high. But once the pandemic hit critical mass in March, the economy was plagued with job losses, high unemployment, and nationwide lockdowns.
Falling Downward
Worldwide employment rate staggers from COVID-19’s impact.
By Larry Basinait
2020 was a year like no other. The United Nations estimates that the coronavirus pandemic caused the equivalent of more than a quarter of a billion lost jobs. The UN’s International Labour Organization (ILO) found that a full 8.8% of global working hours were lost in 2020 compared to the fourth quarter of 2019. That is equivalent to 255 million full-time jobs -a number “approximately four times greater than the number lost during the 2009 global financial crisis,” the ILO said in a statement.
HR Tech Fares Well in 2020
The circumstances of COVID-19 are driving learning, virtual, and employee engagement technology investment.
By Larry Basinait
While the economy was slowed by COVID-19 in the fourth quarter of 2020, the development of new HR technologies continued at a rapid pace. In total, there were 127 major announcements -those with at least $1 million in funding -up substantially from the 77 announced in the third quarter of 2020.
A New Talent Model
Contingent labor is emerging as a critical talent pool helping companies stay flexible and resilient as the market rebounds from the pandemic.
By Marta Chmielowicz
Contingent labor has been critical to many organizations’ talent strategies for years, but the COVID-19 pandemic has forced employers to rethink their approaches. As companies have coped with extended lockdowns, shifting consumer demand, and historic levels of unemployment and economic uncertainty, many are turning to temporary labor to fuel their recoveries. But to succeed and come out of the pandemic with greater flexibility and resilience, new talent procurement and management strategies are essential.
Driving Up Data
Organizations are increasingly relying on data and analytics to inform critical talent decisions.
By Marta Chmielowicz
Necessity breeds innovation, and as the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the business world, companies responded with new ways of working. According to Mercer’s Global Talent Trends 2020-2021 report, executives met the challenges of 2020 by doubling down on strategic partnerships (40%), using more variable talent pools (39%), and investing in automation (34%).
Moving the Needle
Companies looking to develop D&I programs with impact should consider these best practices.
By Marta Chmielowicz
The social justice movements of 2020 and the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on people of color moved the needle on diversity and inclusion (D&I), framing it as a national priority for businesses and employees alike. Research shows that employees will do their best work when part of an inclusive organization. According to Glint, employees with a strong sense of belonging are more than six times as likely to be engaged than those who don’t.
Finding Stability in Uncertainty
RPO partnerships can deliver a competitive advantage to organizations coping with the volatility of the COVID-19 pandemic.
With Tina Tromiczak, SVP/GM of Recruitment Process Outsourcing at ADP
The challenges of 2020 devastated some talent acquisition teams, heaped new demands on others, and ushered in a period of transformation as companies adapted to hiring in the remote climate. Now, organizations need to prepare for further uncertainty as they redefine the new normal in the post-pandemic workplace. Here, Tina Tromiczak, SVP/GM of ADP Recruitment Process Outsourcing, discusses how RPO partners are evolving their offerings to help companies cope with the challenges ahead.
The Outlook for Total Talent
A total workforce solutions approach delivers numerous benefits in a volatile business climate.
With Jennifer Spicher, Chief Revenue Officer, LevelUP HCS
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a massive impact on hiring strategies across the globe. The shift to remote work has accelerated digital transformation, globalization, and talent mobility, forcing HR leaders to adopt innovative hiring approaches in order to stay ahead in an uncertain business climate. Total workforce solutions (TWS), or the practice of leveraging a single process and technology suite to hire contingent and full-time talent, has emerged as a viable approach for companies coping with ever-shifting talent needs.
Uncovering Unconscious Bias Through Inclusivity Auditing
With Tom Lakin, Senior Innovation Manager, Resource Solutions
Today’s top candidates are seeking employers that promote a culture of diversity and inclusion. In fact, according to research from Glassdoor, 67% of job seekers consider workplace diversity an important factor when considering employment opportunities. But often, end-to-end recruitment practices present obstacles of unconscious biases along the way, hindering both candidates and organizations alike. Here, Tom Lakin, senior innovation manager for Resource Solutions, shares how an inclusivity audit can produce actionable results to eliminate unconscious bias and deliver meaningful change to an organization’s hiring approach.
CEO’s Letter: Manager Level Development is Vital to Employee Engagement
By Elliot H. Clark
For a moment, imagine that we are living in the past. You are standing at an HR conference asking a group of HR professionals what creates employee engagement. You get a variety of answers, and the explanations are complex and involve multiple elements -more like a “recipe” than a “thing.” HR knows that employee engagement is the result of several different elements working together. Good survey scores are an expression of good employee engagement, not a “thing” unto themselves.
Editor’s Note: Engaging in a Positive Employee Experience
By Debbie Bolla
What hypothetical button would you push from our cover to describe your levels of employee engagement: disengaged, eh, or engaged? According to Qualtrics’ 2021 Employee Experience Trends Report, you would likely hit the smiley face. The report finds that employee engagement has actually increased since the pandemic began, from 53% in November 2019 to 66% in November 2020.
HRO Today Association Update: Going Strong
By Renée Preston
HRO Today’s CHRO Today Executive Network (C-TEN) will soon celebrate its fourth anniversary. It’s been a rewarding journey to develop this unique community that caters to the needs of top HR leaders. The fact that our founding members have renewed their membership year after year and the group has experienced steady growth, even during a global pandemic, confirms that C-TEN is an important resource for senior HR leaders.
