Your guide to the year ahead: 2022 HR
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Your guide to the year ahead: 2022 HR Outlook
Your guide to the year ahead: 2022 HR Outlook 2
Your guide Whilst we all hoped that 2021 would see us return to normality, it wasn’t quite
as pandemic-free as we would have liked - or at all for that matter.
to the year As HR leaders, you’ve supported your employees as they’ve adapted to long-term
ahead:
working from home, venturing back into the office and dealing with the ongoing
effects of the pandemic.
2022 HR We understand that this ever-changing world can be tricky to navigate from a
people management perspective, especially when your staff aren’t necessarily
Outlook in one place. We’re here to guide you through this new landscape and navigate
challenges such as flexible working and post-pandemic recruitment, so you can
focus on the health and happiness of your employees.
In this 2022 HR Outlook, we’re taking a
look at the key workplace trends that are
generating a buzz, what challenges
and opportunities they present,
and how you can address these as
part of your HR strategy for the new year.
Your guide to the year ahead: 2022 HR Outlook 3
The Great Reshuffle 1
Your guide to the year ahead: 2022 HR Outlook 4
The Great Reshuffle
42% of Irish workers intend Why are workers leaving their jobs?
on resigning within the
A recent study by Personio showed that 50% of
respondents who were planning to quit their jobs wanted
next 12 months. 10 to do so because of a reduction in benefits, a worsening
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work-life balance or a toxic workplace culture.
The Great Resignation has been generating a buzz amongst the But resignations due to bad environments and poor
HR, business and recruitment industries recently – but what is it? handling of the pandemic aren’t the only reasons why
What started off as the Great Resignation – a mass exodus of people are leaving – they’re reconfiguring what their careers
workers leaving their positions – has turned out to be the Great look like. Many workers are choosing to leave in
Reshuffle. Instead, people are taking the opportunity to pursue order to pursue paths such as:
other career paths and jobs, which can have confusing and difficult
- Sabbaticals, early retirement or dropping
consequences for HR and hiring managers. What can you expect
out of the workforce for caring responsibilities.
from this trend and, more importantly, how can you prepare your
business for frequent hires and losses? - Wellbeing reasons, including crafting careers that are a
better fit with their lives – like becoming self-employed.
- Leaving to pursue better positions (a higher salary,
more benefits and flexible work) as the world recovers
economically from the pandemic.
Your guide to the year ahead: 2022 HR Outlook 5
How could the Great Reshuffle affect hiring plans in 2022?
HR leaders are all asking the same question: will the Great Reshuffle continue
into 2022? The outlook is yes – with the global economy gaining traction after
the ups and downs of the pandemic, it’s likely that job-hopping is here to stay
for the near future. However, it’s not all bad – you can use this as an opportunity
2022 2022 2022 2022
to bring positive change to your hiring processes, workplace culture and how
you invest in your employees.
So, what are the key takeaways from the Great Reshuffle to keep in mind in 2022?
2022 2022 2022 2022
- Make the most of flexibility – Remote and hybrid working means that employees
have access to more jobs and, crucially, employers can attract a wider talent pool.
Plus, this is the most valued benefit for Irish workers.
- Invest in your people - Salaries in certain sectors of the Irish jobs market are
2022 2022 2022 2022
expected to increase by between 5 and 10 per cent in 2022, with increases of
15-20 per cent likely for some in-demand niche skills.
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- Offer choice to your employees – Throughout the pandemic, employees have
realised that they have the power of choice, and they value this highly.
2022 2022 2022 2022
- Focus on benefits – 65% of decision makers are increasing employee benefits
investment in 2022 to support an exceptional employee experience.
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Your guide to the year ahead: 2022 HR Outlook 6
Diversity of Thought 2
Your guide to the year ahead: 2022 HR Outlook 7
Diversity and Inclusion
Diversity and inclusion are part of the fabric of our society and are more than
expected in the workplace. As you’ll know, valuing everyone in your business
as an individual is key to good people management and is also a top priority
for many organisations, including LinkedIn. We spoke to Carol Wallace,
Director of Compensation and Benefits EMEAL at LinkedIn,
to get her take on this topic:
“Our number one talent priority is our commitment to Diversity,
Inclusion and Belonging (DIB’s). We want to ensure LinkedIn is
a place that diverse talent wants to come to, a place they want
to stay and a place they can develop and grow and do their best What is diversity of thought?
work. We are investing in growing our managers’ ability to lead
with inclusion, hire with inclusion and grow with inclusion Although diversity has topped most employers’
agendas over the last few years, it has a place in
whilst building and fostering a truly inclusive culture.”
business that goes beyond demographics –
it’s called diversity of thought. Often slipping under
Carol Wallace the radar, cognitive diversity and neurodiversity
Director of Compensation and champion the benefits of hiring people who
Benefits EMEAL at LinkedIn. approach intellectual activities differently, such as
making associations, drawing conclusions
and problem solving.
Your guide to the year ahead: 2022 HR Outlook 8
Cognitive diversity Why is diversity of thought
Higher skill level
vs neurodiversity important for people
51% of neurodiverse people
management? say that their skills are higher
Cognitive diversity recognises the value of
than their job requires5
combining different people from a wide Diversity of thought can add huge value
range of backgrounds in a team.1 to organisations, but unfortunately many
businesses don’t prioritise it. Companies
Neurodiversity describes the variation in often hire in their own image, sometimes Leading change
human neurocognitive functioning and due to C-suite preferences, meaning that
Over 40% of autistic
behaviour. Examples include autism, adults are unemployed6
unconscious bias can stretch to
dyslexia and Tourette syndrome.1 personality types.2
Cognitive diversity has been shown to
Workplace harmony
increase team innovation by 20% 3, and it
It’s beneficial for employee
can generate better performance during wellbeing and engagement
uncertain and complex situations.4
Other reasons why a cognitively diverse
workplace can be beneficial include:
Business benefits
Hiring people who think
differently contributes to
better decision making
Your guide to the year ahead: 2022 HR Outlook 9
How IBM is welcoming a neurodiverse workplace
IBM are spearheading the charge for a more inclusive workforce by welcoming
more neurodiverse employees into their teams. In 2017 two IBM employees,
Paul Austin and Andrew Williams, were inspired to drive the initiative to expand
hiring of neurodiverse candidates after hearing fellow IBMers express concern
about the future of work for their autistic children. They partnered up with the
Specialisterne Foundation, which works with companies around the world to
successfully bring neurodiverse candidates on board.
The results of this were the IBM IGNITE Autism Spectrum Disorder program and the
ND@IBM community. Many neurodiverse people previously struggled to get through
the standard hiring process, so IGNITE was launched to help transform spectrum
talent by employing them locally. The ND@IBM group now has over 1,400 members,
comprised of global neurodivergent employees and allies.
Moving forward, IBM’s Global Disability and Inclusion Leader, Diane Delaney, has
put together a two-year plan to hire neurodivergent employees in various locations
around the world, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, the UK and the US.6
IBM aren’t alone in recognising that bringing people who see, understand and think
about the world differently can positively impact decision-making in their business.
The US Army champions cognitive diversity as a tool for gaining a competitive
advantage – they believe that innovation comes from the ability to question norms.
Your guide to the year ahead: 2022 HR Outlook 10
The future Prioritise building a sense of psychological safety4 - This is the belief that
of diversity 1 employees will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions,
concerns or mistakes.
of thought
As you set your diversity and 2 Mix up roles to avoid role stagnation7 - Allow participants to hear fresh ideas and
stimulate innovation by letting people speak who usually wouldn’t have input.
inclusion goals for 2022, how can
you ensure that your business is
a positive, inclusive environment Build relationships between other teams, departments and companies -
for new and current staff?
3 By exploring how others face similar challenges, it’s possible to see the
strengths and weaknesses of their methods.
4 Create space for innovation - Build programs and workshops to encourage
listening to others and acknowledging alternative perspectives.
Identify opportunities - Measure the cognitive diversity within your
5 company to help you identify gaps in your workforce and how you can
encourage diverse hiring.Your guide to the year ahead: 2022 HR Outlook 11
Hybrid Working 3Your guide to the year ahead: 2022 HR Outlook 12
Nearly two years on from the start of the pandemic, no one could’ve
predicted the effect of remote and hybrid working on businesses
and employees. As HR leaders, you’ve adapted to government
guidelines and your business’ best practises to ensure that your
staff have felt safe and comfortable, wherever they work.
With many companies confirming that flexible working methods
are here to stay for 2022, what predictions are other businesses
“Hybrid working presents a great
making, and how are they approaching this topic?
opportunity to find the balance
we are all seeking, giving us more
flexibility and choices. As we shape
and realise our hybrid model in
2022, we recognise that this will be
a new way of working for all of us”.
Lynsey Perdisatt
Head of Future of Work at Irish LifeYour guide to the year ahead: 2022 HR Outlook 13
Why is flexibility important for the modern workforce?
Irish Life Health conducted research to understand how Irish
employees want to work in 2022, and here’s what they said:
58% 77% 60% 70%
said that the most important want a mix of face-to-face would return to their said ‘opportunities to socialise
benefit to them was having and remote working8 workplaces simply to with colleagues’ would get
flexible working hours/days ‘escape the home office9 them back to office9Your guide to the year ahead: 2022 HR Outlook 14
Expert insight
“Our employees have told us that they like being in the office
sometimes but not all the time. We want to lead with trust and
flexibility through our hybrid working and remote roles so we can
all do our best work where it works best for us and our teams.”
Carol Wallace
Director of Compensation and Benefits EMEAL at LinkedIn
“2022 is when we are looking forward to reconnecting in person and
re-establishing our opportunities to network, collaborate, create and
learn on site. We are a multi-generational workforce and recognise
that returning to the office brings excitement for some and trepidation
for others. That’s why we’ll closely monitor emerging market trends and
best practices around this, benchmarking and challenging ourselves,
and bringing in fresh external perspectives where that makes sense.”
Lynsey Perdisatt
Head of Future of Work at Irish LifeYour guide to the year ahead: 2022 HR Outlook 15
The relationship between hybrid
working and company culture “Engagement will be different in a
hybrid world, so it won’t be just more of
As a HR leader, it’s your responsibility to ensure that employees
feel comfortable, happy and safe in their working environments the same. We will need to reassess how
– whether that’s their homes or in the office. Businesses are still we reach our people, sense check and
learning what method of working is best for them and what is hear their feedback in the hybrid world
preferred amongst their employees. So, how can you prepare
of work. We have lots of joint learning
your business for a new year of flexibility?
and experimentation ahead of us and see
1. Keep engagement levels high - Create opportunities to our hybrid model enhancing the overall
network, collaborate, create and learn on-site and virtually,
employee experience at Irish Life. Aligned
so people feel connected with their colleagues.
to this is our plan for building a shared
2. Emphasise balance - Use hybrid and flexible working vision for our office that reflects the
as opportunities to encourage a better work-life balance
important role it plays in supporting our
amongst your employees.
new ways of working.”
3. Have a clear message about the purpose of your office -
Employees may be reluctant about a return to the office,
whether that’s from a safety perspective or perhaps they Lynsey Perdisatt
prefer being at home. Head of Future of Work at Irish Life
We spoke to Lynsey Perdisatt, Head of Future of Work at Irish Life,
to ask her opinions on maintaining positive engagement despite
employees being scattered across the country:Your guide to the year ahead: 2022 HR Outlook 16
Health and Wellbeing 4Your guide to the year ahead: 2022 HR Outlook 17
Health and Wellbeing
As HR leaders, you’ll know that employee wellbeing is more than just a trend The importance of health and
– with increased awareness, adoption and higher workplace expectations, many wellbeing support in the workplace
people want to see their employers putting health and wellbeing measures in place.
Our research found that this is particularly important for younger Irish workers, with 58% of Irish workers expect their
80% of Gen Z expecting better health and wellbeing supports from employers. employer to provide better health &
wellbeing supports. This increases to
Employee wellbeing once involved providing a good office chair and ventilation 67% for those who are hybrid working8
– today, it’s expanded beyond physical comfort to focus on building a culture of
holistic wellbeing including emotional, financial, social, career, community
and purpose. At the heart of this is the growing need for flexibility – hence why 51% of Irish workers said that
many businesses are implementing permanent hybrid working measures. having access to health and
wellbeing supports would bring
them back to the office8
“We have reimagined our health insurance benefit in Ireland for 2022. In conjunction
with Irish Life Health, we have prioritised preventative lifestyle, wellbeing and mental
health benefits. This approach is a new way of looking at health cover: traditionally
70% of companies say
health cover is there to utilise when something goes wrong. We want our employees they’re taking action to help
(and their families) to live well now and have access to great benefits that support employee mental health14
their health and wellbeing all the time – not just when something goes wrong.”
Carol Wallace
Director of Compensation and Benefits EMEAL at LinkedInYour guide to the year ahead: 2022 HR Outlook 18
Sarah Kerrigan, Health & Wellbeing
Consultant at Irish Life predicts some of
the trends you can expect to see in 2022:
1. Many organisations will be looking beyond traditional wellbeing
Questions to ask your employees
programmes and trying to find new ways to engage and
about wellbeing in the workplace
support employees. For example, our client Johnson & Johnson
have included gardening as part of their wellbeing programme To gain an accurate insight into how your employees
to promote community, environmental wellbeing and self-care. feel about the health and wellbeing supports that
you provide, the best thing you can do is ask them.
2. There will be a continued focus on mental health in 2022
Here are some example questions to help you open
as employees continue to navigate the unknowns of the
the conversation:
ongoing pandemic. Much of our wellbeing activity will be
focussed on minding your mental health. Our MyMind Matters • Does our culture sufficiently encourage health and
Challenge on MyLife for example is not about counting wellbeing support?
steps or tracking exercise, but encouraging people to
take 30 minutes to read, meditate, listen to a • Do you feel that your job offers you enough flexibility to
podcast – whatever helps them to de-stress. maintain positive wellbeing at work?
3. CSR – many companies will be linking their wellbeing • Are you happy with the number of wellbeing-related benefits
programmes back to their CSR initiatives or vice versa. that we offer? If not, what kind of benefits would you like to see?
Our annual WorkLife Challenge encourages employees
to get active while also being in with a chance to win a
donation for their nominated charity. It’s a win-win for
both the employee and the charity!Your guide to the year ahead: 2022 HR Outlook 19
Guiding you through
the changing workplace
Wouldn’t it be nice to know what’s round the corner for your business
in 2022? Imagine having clear and actionable information that you could
use to not only make your life easier, but also to maximise the experiences
of your employees. Well, at Irish Life Health, we’re in a unique position to
guide you and your employees through the complex landscape of health
and wellbeing in the workplace during 2022.
With one-to-one case management, the right mix of virtual and in-person care
and more ways than ever to improve mental and physical wellbeing, you can
help your employees stay healthy no matter where they are. What’s more, you
can rest assured that whatever 2022 throws at you and your employees, we’ll
be by your side, to provide the support and assistance you need.
To find out more about how Irish Life Health can
guide you through this ever-changing world, call us on: Irish Life Health dac is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.
Sources:
1
Diversity Project | 2People Management | 3LinkedIn | 4Harvard Business Review
01-5625248 or visit irishlifehealth.ie 5
Universum | 6IBM | 7Forbes | 8PwC UK | 9ILH research | 10Irish Examiner
11
Personio | 12The Guardian | 13Benefex | 14McKinsey & CompanyYou can also read
