Organisations are failing to bridge talent gaps among critical staff, chief human resources officers said in the analyst Gartner.

In fact, fewer than one in five (19 per cent) said they are tackling the number one HR trend. Half (48 per cent) reported concerns over mass turnover.

“While organisations are competing with peers for talent,”said Piers Hudson, senior director in the Gartner HR practice. “They are also contending with changing employee lifestyle preferences and ambitions.” For example, 65 per cent of employees said they are rethinking the role of work in their lives because of the pandemic.

Closer working

Today businesses take up to two weeks longer to fill vacant positions. This impacts productivity, increases offer rejections and strains HR professionals. While HR departments reach for recruiters for help, they could be better working closer with executive work. Some organisations now pool departments to achieve shared goals. Others redeploy existing talent to strategically important areas.

But all organisations are likely to revisit their employee value propositions (EVP). Staff now demand holistic support that can include emotional and mental help to personal autonomy and a shared sense of purpose.

Those experimenting with EVP have tried a variety of strategies. For instance, they pay employees with more time, such as guaranteed maximum workloads and reduced hours. Others have lowered promotion requirements for senior roles. Still others now focus on potential and have cut credentials on education, industry experience and criminal records.

Combatting apathy

The Workforce Institute at UKG (WIUKG) agrees that businesses will need to meet higher employee expectations throughout 2022. But this could be coupled with employee apathy.

Since people are not built to be resilient for years on end, the constant interruption to personal lives and careers has made people fed up. Businesses need to combat that by investing in people-centric workplaces, according to Human Resources Online.net

“Constant resilience gives way to apathy as employees prioritise personal preservation, and selfcare over professional passions, and performance,” said the magazine, citing WIUKG. ” This will impact millions of people, and fuel continued job-hopping.”

Employers need to listen and understand staff to avoid increased apathy. This could mean the “life” component of life-work balance will take precedent, it said.