The steps taken to minimize the impact of the pandemic – lockdowns, social distancing and remote working – have upended many immutable certainties for employees and employers alike.

Over the past 18 months, how and where many of us work has fundamentally changed, for better and for worse. Make no mistake, overseeing a hybrid workforce requires careful management.

However, despite the potential pitfalls, if properly done, there are significant benefits for all parties.

First things first – there is no going back. The conventional nine-to-five office-based model is no longer the only legitimate option; the pandemic saw to that.

2021 revealed that many long-established employment patterns and relationships were not only needlessly proscriptive, they were also counterintuitive – they actually hindered creativity and put a break on motivation. Nonetheless, big questions remain, especially around how to balance business needs with employee benefits.

It’s a firm belief among many organizations, small and large, that the two sets of interests are aligned, And, as a result, employees are encouraged to prioritize their needs before concentrating on their work. HR managers who ignore this will risk losing valued employees.

Employees value spending fewer hours commuting, which is not only reducing exposure to crowded trains and congested roads, it’s also freeing up valuable time to exercise and focus on their health and wellbeing.

Here are the three biggest HR industry changes that have emerged over the last year and that will continue to influence the way businesses operate in 2022, and beyond.

1. Work harder to mentor junior staff and enable them to network

Relationships must sit at the very heart of any career development program. However, it can be extremely difficult to build networks and seek out mentorships while working remotely, especially if you are new to a role, or are a junior staff member, who traditionally learns from people around them.

Moving forward, business leaders will need to work harder to ensure that new joiners and junior staff are still given the mentorship needed to learn and grow from others around them; whether that’s from employees in their direct teams or even those outside of their immediate, day-to-day teams.

To help overcome these challenges brands are designing global employee development platforms that enable employees to connect in a variety of ways, including career mentoring and peer coaching.

Programs like this not only bridge interaction gaps but also answer another question that employers are being asked by many staff: “I miss interacting with my colleagues – can you help me maintain and expand my ability to network?”

These types of programs encourage both business and social interactions across teams and between individuals, and open up multiple possibilities for new starters.

2. Virtual hiring and onboarding helps diversify talent

Businesses of all sizes have had to adopt digital communications tools, such as Zoom and Slack, as part of their recruitment process.

2021 has actually been a strong year for many businesses tapping into a wider talent pool to interview and hire the talented people needed, irrespective of their location.

Being able to access an office is no longer a concern and as a result, many brands have been able to appoint the very best people who might have been inaccessible under more conventional recruitment processes.

Of course, introducing new hires to a company’s culture now requires additional creativity. Before the pandemic, orientations might involve flying in new employees from around the world for short programs to totally immerse themselves in the company’s culture.

The pandemic put an end to this approach and, instead, brands have developed strong online alternatives, which have proved very successful.

For one thing, it means that CEOs can attend these online introductions and speak to all the new hires, which simply wasn’t possible for every physical event, pre-pandemic. New hires find the level of access to senior executives invaluable, including the ability to ask direct questions and create a connection to the culture.

Looking back, some businesses will have definitely approached digital hiring and onboarding with reluctance, but instead, many companies have seen that a virtual approach can actually improve the diversity of talent in an organization.

Going forward HR managers should embrace this approach to ensure everyone has access to the same opportunities. 

3. Managers have learned to lead with empathy

The past year and a half has highlighted the importance of leading with empathy and providing employees with the flexibility they need to focus on their health and wellbeing.

For example, if an employee requires a reduction in traditional work hours to look after their children and fit in around a partner’s schedule, then a company should aim to make every effort to support this.

It’s important to put an emphasis on helping develop great people managers by encouraging them to be flexible with their team’s needs, both in and outside the workplace. In other words, one size doesn’t fit all.

It’s also been important to find new ways to support managers with tools and resources that make them feel comfortable leading in a remote environment.

An eye on the future

The pandemic will pass but, ultimately, its impact on the way organizations recruit and manage talent will remain. The changes it has wrought have irreversibly reshaped business thinking.

The old model of “you must come to the office five days a week to be successful” is a thing of the past for many jobs, especially for those in the tech sector.

Despite initial reservations, employers have found that employees can be trusted to deliver when working remotely. The technology exists to amalgamate remote and office-based staff and for those at home, removing the daily commute can dramatically improve work/life balance.

However, to ensure a smooth transition, HR teams need to help managers learn the skills required to effectively build, inspire and direct distributed teams while also creating an inclusive culture where every employee has a chance to thrive.

We will also need to explore new ways to build and sustain relationships where some people are in the office and some are on Zoom.

Beyond doubt, we’re entering a new era of work where the old, rigid certainties are being replaced by a more flexible, supportive, and productive approach.

This is a transformational shift – a once-in-a-generation reimagination that will mark a historical significant revolution in employment practices.

Like many others, I am excited to see how it unfolds.