As we enter 2023, there’s no better time for HR to reflect on the past year and start thinking about how best to support a business in the months ahead.
Although times are uncertain and the financial climate is looking decidedly challenging, bringing focus to what can be controlled means making room for an informed approach in new year. So, if you’re still deciding where to place your focus in 2023, here are a few goals you may want to keep in mind…
1. Manage your time more effectively
We all know HR has a wide remit to cover, but it can be easy to fall into the trap of precious time being taken up by completing routine tasks. So, how efficiently are you managing your day?
For example, is your inbox regularly full to the brim with unread emails? Try having a couple of set periods to check your inbox and respond to messages. When you’re done, close it down and keep notifications off so that you can concentrate on the most important tasks and projects on your list.
If you’ve made a habit of multi-tasking, making a more conscious effort to focus on one thing at a time can make an enormous difference to your productivity. Practising time management techniques such as time blocking or the pomodoro technique could help bring your full attention to your chosen task – meaning better focus, and likely a higher quality of work as well.
Also, are you able to focus on more strategic objectives, or are disjointed paper-based processes stopping you from making progress with more important tasks? When admin is taking up a significant portion of your day, it may be time to explore ways to automate routine duties, such as an HR management system.
Embracing technology can streamline the way you manage areas such as absences and performance, and self-service functionality gives staff easy control over their own data, too! An HR system with data analytics tools can also make analysis and reporting more efficient – meaning less time spent sifting through papers, and more accurate results at the end.
2. Emphasise communication
Given HR’s focus on reporting and compliance, it can be easy to get bogged down with lists and forms. But, are you making space to listen to what employees have to say?
In 2023, it could be time to focus on more regular employee check-ins and find out exactly what your staff want out of their workplace. Refine your performance review process to ensure the needs of both the employee and the business are being met, and encourage line managers to keep consistent with informal check-ins. You could also consider running pulse surveys for quick insights into how your workforce is feeling about particular topics, events, or initiatives over time.
But remember – communication goes both ways! Our recent recession survey found that managers’ biggest concerns for the recession are staff redundancies, salary freezes, and increased pressure on performance. Keeping transparent about key business changes and updates will help ease employee anxiety as to what’s happening next.
3. Put people first
In a similar vein, it’s important to remember that the next few months will be an uncertain (and likely stressful) time for many. So, it would make sense to focus in on empathetic leadership and the ‘people’ side of HR in 2023.
Managers in our recession survey ranked taking care of employee health and wellbeing as one of HR’s top priorities for 2023 . If you haven’t already, it may be time to consider how you’ll be keeping an eye out for employee wellbeing throughout the tough financial period – whether that’s training managers on empathetic leadership, ensuring your D&I initiatives haven’t slipped with budget cuts, or simply signposting useful mental health and financial support resources for anybody who may need them.
However simple it sounds, making a conscious effort to uphold the employee experience – particularly as we fare through uncertain times – will make a huge difference to staff motivation, retention, and even your business’ recovery time once the pressure eases up.
In 2023, consider exploring how you can implement effective rewards and recognition programmes and growth and development initiatives in your organisation, despite the financial climate: your employees will thank you!
4. Keep up with HR news
Finally, if you’re aiming to stay ahead of the game when it comes to people trends, it’s crucial to stay informed. And, thanks to the internet, it’s easier to do so than ever before.
2022 saw the rise of quiet quitting, the fall of the great resignation, and the business world’s first responses to the financial crisis. And with uncertainty all around, it’ll be imperative for HR to keep up in 2023.
Luckily, there are a wealth of useful HR blogs and news sites online. Plus, many have newsletters to make it even quicker and easier to digest upcoming news and trends. If you’re looking to get a head start, try taking a look at CIPD’s megatrends page – or even our own predictions for the key HR trends of 2023!
Chloe Turner
Graduating from the University of South Wales, Chloe is an experienced content marketing manager who's worked across the HR and legal business sectors.