Section 1: Challenges to Change

HR teams across the country have sat in the eye of a global business storm, acting as an intermediary point for all, from supporting employee well-being to managing overnight reforms and business policy changes. No matter what challenge has come our way, your HR lead has found themselves in a difficult but vital position.

MANAGING THE IMPOSSIBLE

Perhaps the biggest challenge faced has been managing employee well-being. Work/life balance has been at the top of every HR agenda. Where once the confines of an office acted as the boundary to HRs remit, the pandemic has blended the personal and professional.

The mental health crisis was something nearly all attendees were actively working on or had supported over the past two years. For many, mental health and employee well-being was the main reason for people either wanting, or not wanting, to return to the office. In the end, it was often up to HR to figure out the best approach to appease both groups.

The need for greater wellbeing practices has been an on-going issue in the pandemic. Our Conscious Workplace report found that nearly 1/3 of employees were finding health and well-being a challenge.

As one roundtable participant said, “We’ve had people dealing with very big challenges with their mental health, and it’s been on us to navigate this.”

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Customer Focus
HR Process

CHALLENGE:

The speed of on-boarding new staff meant the process could not keep pace with the retailer’s dynamic rate of expansion.

“Ricoh’s approach has been flexible, it has listened to our needs and advised on potential solutions that fit our requirements. It has then been agile enough to work through our requirements and change as we proceed, to make sure the system is robust and delivers the most benefit to the business.”

David Grady, IT Director, B&M Retail

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POLAR-OPPOSITES

The role of mental health in deciding how people would return to the office signifies the second biggest challenge facing HR; polarisation.

As one of the roundtable participants said:

“There is such a polarisation of view. It is tricky to get people to test before they come into the office - some people believe it’s a violation of their human rights and some are very nervous of interacting face to face. So, all the time, you’re working with this polarity of opinion, making it incredibly difficult to develop a plan that will keep everyone happy, healthy, safe and productive.”

This polarised view was echoed in the wider group. The roundtable highlighted that businesses must listen and lead the conversation to create a successful return to office strategy. Senior leaders should be tapping into the HR team’s expertise and insight and use this as a consideration, rather than a deciding factor, as there is unlikely to be a solution to suit both groups.

KEEPING STAFF HAPPY VS KEEPING STAFF

This polarisation of views bleeds into the third and final major challenge faced by the HR lead: staff shortages, retention, and recruitment.

With staff and talent shortages dominating many sectors, it can be easy for senior leaders to fall into the trap of trying to appease all employees – but as explained above, this isn’t possible. Instead, our roundtable found that one of the biggest things businesses should be doing, according to HR, is focusing on training.

Our HR professionals felt that training was needed first to ensure all employees could work, whatever their location and that the training to effectively use tools was fundamental. And secondly, that training should be used to up-skill existing talent to ensure their future in the business is secure.

According to Elizabeth East, Senior HR Business Partner at WJEC, whose company has been using training to improve digital skills across the board, it’s important to upscale and to bring employees on your digital journey, but it also helps attract new talent.

Elizabeth said: “Ensure training is a part of the recruitment and applicant process, so we can ensure they have the needed basic digital skills.”

Essentially demonstrating that the talent market is also interested in working for businesses looking to invest in them, not just financially but professionally, by ensuring they have the skills needed to succeed.