As one year ends and another begins, it’s the ideal time to start preparing for the challenges ahead. There are some standard things to put in any preparedness checklist, such as reviewing your staffing plan, ensuring open enrolment is working, and talking to department leaders about their resource and training needs.However, after the extraordinary events of recent years, you may need to include some additional items in your strategic planning.
What Human Resources Leaders Should Be Thinking About in Preparation for 2023
Your strategic HR plan is all about ensuring that the HR function stays aligned with organizational goals. But company goals have been subject to change recently, thanks to unavoidable real-world events. As a result, the standard HR checklist templates will need some additions.
Here are a few HR strategy questions that will help you build a new action plan to help anticipate future needs.
1. Do employees feel understood and supported?
We've all been through a lot recently, from the pandemic to the cost of living crisis. Employees may have experienced a shake-up of personal circumstances, and that will have a direct impact on engagement and retention.
This is an ideal time to plan regular check-ins for the year, such as monthly pulse surveys to assess employee wellbeing. You may also need to review Employee Assistance Programs to ensure that everyone has the support they need.
2. Are your total rewards packages ready for next year’s challenges?
During the pandemic, people really understood the benefit of a well-designed total rewards package. There’s a greater focus on things like health insurance and access to remote working, as well as flexible training strategies and meaningful recognition programs.
In 2023, employees will expect to see more benefits that help with the post-pandemic period, including support for remote working and flexible leave policies. Unfortunately, the hard truth is that some employers may have to scale back their outlay on compensation, training, and benefits. If you’re in the latter situation, it’s best to communicate to employees as soon as possible and set expectations for 2023.
3. Do your org charts reflect the current structure?
We're still seeing a lot of back-and-forth on the topic of remote work. Leaders generally favor a full return to the office, while employees want remote options—and they're willing to change jobs to seek out opportunities. As a result, your team may have a changing mix of remote, on-site, and hybrid workers.
It’s worth starting the year by reviewing your organizational structure and seeing what’s changed. The switch to remote working may have affected team structures in some parts of the business. There are also financial challenges ahead for most companies, which will mean that most managers will need to do less with more, leading to further restructuring.
4. Have you considered new policies for full-time remote workers?
Remote working is a fact of life for most organizations, thanks to remote hiring. Many companies are filling talent gaps by hiring outside of their locale, with some even acquiring employees from other countries. Immediately, this raises HR issues like onboarding new hires, talent development, employee engagement, and performance management
This also raises issues around compensation, such as the question of whether everyone gets the same salary, or if it’s appropriate to vary remuneration according to the local cost of living. HR departments will need to monitor progress on this issue and flag up any concerns about how such policies might impact recruitment and business strategy.
6. Have you prepared for any upcoming legislative changes?
2022 saw a raft of statewide changes to employment law, with California facing especially dramatic new legislation. If you’re in the Golden State, you’ll have to consider changes to minimum wage, contact law, diversity requirements, and several rules related to Covid-19. Other states are bringing in their own laws, so it’s a good idea to double-check with your local authority.
Meanwhile, at a federal level, President Biden continues to push for legislation that may impact worker relations and benefits. Most of these plans have been stalled and blocked, but keep an eye on the news for further developments.
7. Are you ready for a cultural reboot?
External events have transformed the way we think about DE&I. For example, the cost-of-living crisis has emphasized how employee financial wellbeing is a crucial part of how you attract, engage, and retain top talent. Along with changes associated with remote working, this has been a very disruptive time for company culture.
But this is also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to renew your office culture. Right now, at the beginning of the year, is the ideal time to have a high-level discussion of how you want your teams to function. What are your most important values? How should people communicate with each other? What drives each team?
8. Have you taken a moment to recharge?
Finally, it’s time to reflect on your own experiences in recent years and prepare for the challenges ahead. All of these events have kept HR professionals on their toes, to say the least. It was a year of sleepless nights, snap decisions, and working tirelessly to support others.
The most important thing for HR leaders right now is to take a moment to pause. You’ve probably been encouraging your people to practice self-care over the last 12 months. Now, you should put some of those self-care tips into practice for yourself. Look after yourself, and get ready to make 2023 a year to remember.
Need help making a HR plan? Book a call with a Helios HR consultant, and let's talk about what's on your HR strategy checklist.
