After being presented with so many challenges over the past year, the growth and acceleration seen in HR teams across the country has been exceptional.
HR has always been a key business partner, but they have been actively leading the fight for businesses during the pandemic.
Impact of Covid-19
The Covid-19 pandemic has put a lot of pressure on HR teams and the challenges it presented meant companies had to prioritise employee wellbeing, diversity, inclusion and belonging, hybrid and remote working, furlough, redundancies, virtual onboarding, employee engagement, and attracting the best talent, all while realigning company policies and procedures.
These emerging developments has seen HR teams adapt quickly and learn new skills that they hadn’t previously been trained in. It has been no mean feat, but many HR teams have excelled, and businesses have come to realise the importance of effective HR teams and the need to invest and grow their functions.
Opportunities for 2022
There are many opportunities for professionals and businesses in 2022. The growing use of HR technologies, such as workforce management systems, has opened many doors for businesses who are now realising that data can help inform critical decisions and transform operations to pave the way for growth, success, and optimised performance. Professionals with technology experience will likely be more in demand over the coming years and is a trend to watch in 2022.
Another role that is set to become a higher priority over the next year is compensation and benefits specialists. Businesses are now rethinking their offerings and providing a comprehensive benefits strategy that aligns with employee desires – especially as employees are now demanding more from their employers than ever before. Based on the latest data in our 2022 human resources salary guide, reward managers in Yorkshire and Humberside can expect an average salary of £55,100, £60,700 in the West Midlands, and as high as £74,300 in London.
This demand comes from salaries no longer being the sole motivator for jobseekers. Flexible or hybrid working has become an expected benefit since the Covid-19 outbreak and many businesses will find themselves losing talent and struggling to attract the top professionals if they fail to offer this.
One challenge that HR teams will face is acquiring that talent. Covid meant that many employers were forced to lay off a lot of their workforce, and there is now an urgent need for talent acquisition specialists who can effectively and efficiently provide solutions to attract new employees, while also embedding a good workplace culture and inclusion strategy. Recruitment managers in London can expect an average salary of £50,000, £33,100 in the North East, and £41,000 in Scotland.
Surprisingly, salaries for recruitment managers have only increased in three regions across the UK this year – the North East, Northern Ireland, and Scotland. It will be interesting to see how this changes in the coming year as businesses begin to rebuild and focus more on talent attraction.
Attracting and retaining staff
In order for HR teams to effectively manage the challenges over the next year, attracting and retaining the best HR professionals is key. Having a variety of work has always been an important driving force for HR specialists, but training and development is needed to ensure employees can effectively take on additional responsibilities.
An inclusive workplace culture is also a high priority for jobseekers. Most employees will conduct thorough research into a company and will be looking for reputable brands who are inclusive, look after their staff, and provide progression opportunities, prior to applying for a role. Therefore, companies need to put their employee value proposition high on their agendas - think about why people should work for them and what they can offer employees above and beyond their competitors.
For more information on salaries and benefits in the human resources sector, download our free 2024 human resources salary guide here.
