This second article from Ayming’s inaugural UK HR Barometer looks at the ways in which the HR function has already changed, the new responsibilities being taken on, and how businesses in the IT and tech, construction, financial services, FinTech and public sectors have grasped the new opportunities.
Below we explore the impacts of the Great Resignation, reasons and responses to this period of significant upheaval, and discuss how HR leaders need to distinguish between short-term, feel-good tactics and long-term strategic imperatives.
The right HR environment
Well-being is – alongside recruitment – the biggest priority for HR professionals. Scott Ward, Partner for HR Performance here at Ayming, says, “Well-being was always going to be up there. It’s been behind the game and needed to be brought to the forefront. We need to do better in supporting our staff and their mental health. By doing so, not only are staff going to live happier lives, but it has a huge impact on operational performance.”
It’s no surprise that recruitment is the joint-first priority for our survey respondents, which is a more operational response to the struggle to recruit and retain staff. We go into detail on the Great Resignation in our HR Barometer, but the combination of Brexit and Covid-19 has caused an undeniable resourcing problem at all levels.
Karen Demetrious, Head of People & Practices at Our Health Partnership, explains, “We’ve had long-standing GPs who, due to the pressures of COVID, decided to retire early. One GP who left wasn’t even 50. And it’s not just GPs; the most thankless job in a practice is a receptionist, who are often the ones on the receiving end of frustrated patients. It’s not an inviting environment, which makes it hard to recruit into.”
All the best teams are built on trust, which is dependent on having a culture that allows people to flourishScott Ward – Partner – HR Performance
This may go some way to explaining why culture is much more important among public sector respondents compared to others. In our HR barometer, 34 per cent of respondents said it was a priority, compared to only six per cent among financial services (FS) firms. Clearly, public sector organisations recognise that they need to improve culture to help retain staff.
Overall, culture was still the least important, with only 18 per cent of total respondents saying it was a priority. Ward suggests, “All the best teams are built on trust, which is dependent on having a culture that allows people to flourish. A successful business is a team sport; it’s about working together and getting the most out of each other.”
As with any other sport, training is also a vital piece of the puzzle, which comes in as the third most popular response, at 41 per cent, and contributes to talent attraction and retention. Hannah O’Sullivan, Head of Learning & Development at Volker Vessels, says, “Our employees really value development and career pathways. They are much more likely to stay with us if they feel there’s a future and a pathway for them.”
The role of Digital Learning in HR
Of course, an increasingly critical part of training is learning and development (L&D) technology. When asked whether they use a learning and development technology or platform, it’s good to see most firms (92 per cent) using either an internal or external L&D platform. With remote working now the norm and staff turnover so high, a robust digital training structure is critical.
Ward says, “Digital learning platforms allow us to be in touch with everyone, irrespective of location. However, it also gives us very valuable data and analytics on impact, participation, and future improvement, which you simply do not get from in-person workshops.”
Whether firms opt for an internal or external platform should depend on what the business needs. Some businesses will simply not need a platform. And on that basis, there is a small minority of organisations which do not use a platform at all, of which a disproportionately high amount of these are construction firms.
The capabilities of platforms vary significantly. They can be relatively unsophisticated or bespoke AI-based learning, depending on what’s needed. The most important thing is that it is fit for purpose.”
Once they know what their requirements are, firms must then decide whether to build and manage it in-house or look externally. While larger firms are more likely to use an internal platform, smaller firms are less likely because they do not have the internal resources and technological support.
Internal or external platforms
In some cases, it might make sense to have both an internal and external platform, which is the case for a quarter of organisations. Our Health Partnership is one such business. Demetrious says, “We have an internal one for training, then we have an external which is more around wellbeing via an app. However, uptake of the external platform is relatively low.”
L&D leaders are spoilt for choice when it comes to external platforms. However, the ability for firms to take some creative ownership of the platform, rather than being told what they can have, is important.
Demetrious says, “There are loads of companies out there. I often see what they have to offer and would love to take different parts of each platform. For us, nobody has got it spot on. In an ideal world, we would want someone to speak to the people in our business and deliver something quite bespoke.”
Whichever route suits an organisation best, L&D platforms should be part of a broader development package that includes a combination of learning and coaching tactics, including in-person and online tools. Firms have a real opportunity to create an environment that nurtures their employees, upskilling their workforce, spiking engagement, and encouraging them to stay within the business.
Ward argues, “There has to be a multi-faceted engagement piece to ensure people use platforms and then continuously improve it through that feedback loop from participation. To do so, we need to give people the experience they are craving. This has to be a community hub for sharing, dialogue, communication, and advice. In a way, it will be more like a social tool rather than a learning one, taking characteristics from the likes of Facebook and Twitter.”
Comprehensive people planning
Despite the pressures, it’s an exciting time for HR teams. HR leaders have the power to reinvent HR and steer the direction of the company.
They must leave no stone unturned. Whereas organisations would often exclude a human element from their business strategies, they must now develop full people-centric plans. If they don’t, they risk significant knock-on effects to both costs and performance as the effects of the Great Resignation unfold.
For further insights, you can download the full UK HR Barometer here.
