It’s normally at this time of year that I’m telling everyone what a busy year we’ve had, what kinds of challenges we’ve faced and what our plans are for the year ahead. This time last year, however, none of us could have had any idea of the world we’d be living in during 2020 and beyond.
Predicting the future is hard enough in a normal year, but when a year’s been beset by everything from a global pandemic to unprecedented social upheaval, and plagued by uncertainty and unpredictability, that makes it even harder. In many ways, this also means that our first Talent Trends report couldn’t be better timed. Now more than ever, businesses need to know how these events are going to affect their talent – from their morale to their performance, from attraction to retention – and devise effective talent strategies to navigate these challenges.
At the same time as the pandemic has kept us physically separate, it’s also given us all something in common. The remote working world is every employer’s oyster. With employees no longer necessarily tied to a location or required to be in the office for the full working week, companies have the opportunity to pick from a much larger and more varied talent pool, which should ensure a more diverse workforce. The impact of the pandemic, the widespread adoption of remote working technology and enforced flexibility mean that in theory, we have everything we need for a more diverse and inclusive workplace.
However, is that always the case? While we’re all probably fatigued with Teams calls and online quizzes, leaders need to maintain the right amount of one-to-one dialogue with their teams to understand how each individual is feeling, what they need to thrive in their role and what kind of support they require. People need to feel supported, involved and valued in their remote environment, to know that they’re still part of the team.
Having these regular conversations is important to understanding the barriers to diversity and inclusion in your business, and what you can do to address them. A strong feeling of community and a sense of belonging come from more than just team meetings and nights out. People will feel more invested in the business if they’re being treated well, if you take the time to get to know them. By providing a great talent experience for everyone who works for you, you’re doing your own good PR in a world where technologically at least, we’re closer than we’ve ever been.
Now we’ve all got something in common, the technological means and the corresponding shift in attitudes, we have a chance to achieve genuine equality of representation and opportunities in the workplace – but it won’t just happen. With the tools in place, it’s now up to us to use them to build workplaces where everyone can thrive.
As well as market updates on each of our specialisms, this report provides expert insights on the trends we’re likely to see in the areas of talent, Brexit, workforce planning, D&I and technology in 2021, and advice on how your business can meet these challenges.
We hope that you’ll find this report useful and a big thank you to all our contributors. If you’d like to talk to us about any of the insights in this study, or you’d like a more detailed discussion about how these trends will affect the talent in your business, please contact us.
