HR Trends 2023

We are hurtling towards the middle of 2023 at quite a pace and it’s interesting to see what topics continue to lead the HR space. Let’s talk about:

• Remote and Hybrid Working

• Employee Wellbeing and Mental Health

• Diversity, Equality and Inclusion

• People Experience

• Performance Management

Remote and Hybrid Working

In 2020 the world was forced to adopt remote working. The COVID-19 pandemic meant that people had to stay indoors, whilst businesses fought to survive. Where previously working from home hadn’t been allowed, there really was little choice in 2020 as laptops and monitors were sent out in their droves.

As we transitioned back to some semblance of normality, the world of work was never going to be the same again. Employees had proven that they could perform well at home, whilst also juggling home school and family life. The company I was working for at the time had never allowed people to work from home so this really was a pivotal moment.

As we move through 2023 there are global businesses that operate a remote first model. This allows them to attract people from all over the world. HR people are having to work hard to continually evolved and refine the work from home / remote / hybrid working policies. As people demand more flexibility and the world becomes smaller things have to change. To enable people to work from anywhere HR can be looking at effective collaboration tools, communication channels and how we can effectively manage a distributed workforce.

Wellbeing and Mental Health

Organisations are increasingly prioritising employee wellbeing and mental health. With numerous national campaigns through the year (Movember, Mental Health Awareness Week) we are seeing more people stop and listen. Employees now expect there to be a wellbeing policy in place, they are asking in interviews what the business does to support mental health. We can’t ignore this. We need to continue to invest in programs, policies, and benefits that support the holistic wellbeing of employees. This includes initiatives such as flexible work arrangements, mental health resources (EAP Services, Wellbeing coaching etc), and promoting a healthy work-life balance.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)

The emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion continues to grow in 2023. Unfortunately I do still think that some businesses have it on the agenda to tick a box i.e. to get investment, funding, buy in etc but I have seen many more organisations really embracing the need to focus on this.

This isn’t an article about DE&I so I won’t go into the specifics here, but there are so many things you can do as a HR professional to impact this i.e. policies in place, unconscious bias training, diverse candidate sourcing strategies, set up various networks.

People Experience

I am so passionate about Employee Engagement. Employees feeling a strong connection with the business, their line manager and their own sense of purpose, resulting in increased productivity, higher levels of employee satisfaction, reduced absences, less workplace stress….the list goes on. In order to achieve Employee Engagement I think a great place to start is with considering the whole ‘People Experience’. This starts from the time you start interacting with a potential candidate until the time someone leaves (and hopefully they don’t!)

As HR professionals we should be looking at things through the lens of an employee. What is their day to day experience like working at the company? What is their experience of interactions with their line manager? Let’s focus on the People Experience in 2023 and see what a difference we can make.

Performance Management

Performance Management has been on the radar for the last few years. Questions around whether the traditional approaches are still relevant, still suitable for how we are working today. There seems to be agreement from many in the HR profession that something needs to change, but organisations are still figuring this out. Some are moving to Quarterly Reviews, some are moving to a very fluid approach with continuous feedback and conversations taking priority. HR teams can focus on how they prepare managers for this change by continuing to provide training on key things like how to give feedback, how to set clear goals, coaching, mentoring etc. As a HR professional it is definitely worthwhile exploring how the performance management processes are working within your organisation. Are you receiving complaints or feedback that it needs to change? One to continue watching in 2023 though I’m not sure we’ll have all the answers by the end of the year.

While these trends are likely to shape the HR landscape in 2023, it's important to note that each organisation may have its own unique priorities and challenges. Staying adaptable and responsive to emerging trends will be key for HR professionals to effectively support their organisations and nurture a thriving workforce.