The Great Resignation marked 2021, and employee attrition is expected to continue this year. To retain current staff and attract strong job candidates, association HR teams must embrace flexibility and the right benefits and communicate the value their organization offers.
With 2021 now in the rearview mirror, many associations are looking ahead to what to expect in the workplace this year. The Omicron variant is still upon us, as are the conditions that led to last year’s “Great Resignation.” Patricia Trudeau, vice president and chief administrative officer at the Association of Corporate Counsel, said concerns over retaining and hiring staff will continue to be prominent this year for HR departments, which means it will be very important for associations to communicate their value proposition to current and potential staff.
“I’ve talked to a lot of other HR professionals that can’t fill the more niche positions because they just can’t keep candidates in the pipeline, or the candidate accepts and then backs out at the last minute because they’ve gotten a better offer somewhere else,” Trudeau said.
Trudeau said the hardest positions to fill and keep employees in are those unique to associations. “You’re not going to see certain roles in other industries,” she said. “We’re trying to fill roles that all the other associations are trying to fill and there aren’t enough people. So, you’re constantly trying to identify what is it that I can do, and what can we bring in that is going to allow us to be the employer of choice?”
Associations are looking at salary, benefits, and flexibility to stay competitive. “Many are tweaking benefits, offering signing bonuses,” Trudeau said. “They are making sure that within the capabilities of what their organization can do, they are being as flexible as possible.”
Communication
With talent retention and hiring being a big priority for organizations, Trudeau said it’s important to communicate better internally and externally.
“Doing a better job of communicating is a big challenge,” she said. “The communication of what we’re doing may not be as transparent as we think it is or as we’d like it to be.”
To improve communication, Trudeau had a couple of pieces of advice. First, communicate often and don’t worry about overcommunicating. Second, communicate about your organization’s strengths. “Make a good effort this year to ensure that staff are aware of all of the benefits that are available and the different options that you have from a flexible standpoint,” she said.
For prospective employees, ensure your external communication is clear.
“Make sure you’re updating your website so candidates are seeing all of this information in a way that will be appealing to them,” Trudeaus said. “For lots of us, that means taking the time to update that careers page, which maybe we haven’t done in quite some time.”
Remote and Hybrid Work
With COVID-19 and general desires for flexibility, remote and hybrid work environments will do well, with most organizations opting for hybrid.
“Are there associations that are staying 100 percent remote because of the cost savings? Sure, you definitely see that,” she said. “But I would say more than not, most of them are doing some form of hybrid because the leadership are saying we need to get together at some point.”
Even with the Omicron variant being more present, Trudeau expects association staffers to start spending some time in office. “If organizations haven’t already gone back, I think we’ll start to see more that will definitely do that,” she said. “Ultimately, I think that people are trying to get back to some sense of what their organization will see as the new normal going forward.”
Vaccine Policies
One issue that will be important for associations to keep an eye on is vaccination policies. The federal government implemented a vaccine mandate for organizations with more than 100 employees. Some states have pushed back against this, suing over the mandate.
“As an organization, how is it going to impact us with employees in different states and in states that are treating the mandate differently?” Trudeau said. “A lot of states are taking it to court, so it will be something important for us to keep an eye on, just so we can understand as employers consider how to implement whatever our organization’s policy is and if it is applicable in that particular state.”
While these highlight the primary concerns for HR departments in 2022, whatever comes this year, it will be important for associations to stay positive about their strengths.
“It all goes back to value proposition,” Trudeau said. “What are they able to offer to their staff, as well as to potential candidates or anybody looking to make a move?”
The post Key HR Themes for 2022: Communication, Benefits, and Flexibility appeared first on Associations Now.
0 Commentaires