Insights by Andy: Why 2022 Needs to be People-Centric

Hello everyone and welcome to 2022! I want to take this opportunity to talk about what we have learned so far from 2021 and what the lessons mean for 2022. This year will surely be a very exciting year!

What 2021 has taught us

2021 gave us many lessons, but the most important lesson is: it is all about people!

I observed three key trends that emerged last year and will continue to dominate the workforce:

1. The greater importance for the war for talent
   
   The Great Resignation, led by the pandemic, has left many organizations struggling to fill positions as employees have different expectations from employers. This makes the war for talent even fiercer compared to the pre-pandemic level, which means that organizations need to access different talent pools and start prioritizing internal mobility now more than ever.
   
   
2. The increasing need to be agile
   
   The war for talent also translates to the need to make data-driven decisions quickly and for individuals to work in a more agile manner. As the way of working has also evolved, organizations need to ensure that their people are equipped to work effectively in the hybrid working environment, for example through re-skilling, upskilling, training, and so on.
   
   
3. The stronger emphasis for work culture, values, and employee engagement
   
   A key part of the employee value proposition and organizational effectiveness is culture. Focus on your people through more purposeful actions rather than mere surveys and words, and find shared values to drive engagement, create a meaningful employee experience, and build a genuinely connected culture. Those are the things that are crucial to build a future-proof organization.

So what does the above mean for 2022? This year, organizations need to increase their focus on the needs of the workforce—not only of the organization. A people-centric approach will help organizations sustain any unexpected events such as the pandemic. Moreover, we also need to maintain an agile workforce to respond to any opportunities and challenges that will arise this year. Finally, the trends call for organizations to have an ever-improved hiring experience to win top talent, so eventually we can all turn the Great Resignation into the Great Retention.

What you can expect from SHL in 2022

2021 was a transformational year. Our achievement is nothing short of outstanding.

• We launched new solutions to package together science, technology, and data for both Talent Acquisition and Talent Management
   
• We continue to see an unprecedented demand for people insight
  
  
• Our innovation continues to drive success and meet market demands

And as we welcome 2022, I am sure that this year we will continue to lead the market. There is lots to talk about, but personally I am really excited about:

1. Our Talent Management solution - Mobilize
   
   Though SHL’s Mobilize solution, our customers can now have a better understanding of their people data with real-time, visual, and actionable insight which enables them to make better and wiser people decisions and support business performance, whether these are for digital transformations, sales force effectiveness, succession planning, or personal and team development. Our solution is also integrated with HCM or Talent Marketplaces for an easier access for recruiters and hiring managers.
   
   
2. Our modular hiring or Talent Acquisition solution
   
   Hiring processes need to be agile and the workflow needs to be optimized as they determine the smoothness of a hiring experience for candidates and recruiters alike. Certainly, data that supports the optimization is needed to ensure that the recruitment experience is exceptional from start to end. To do this, our customers expect a modular approach with the ability to switch in and out the new functionality, which we can offer through our Talent Acquisition solution.
   
   
3. Consolidating Talent Acquisition and Talent Management data
   
   Both Talent Acquisition and Talent Management data is vital to understand an employee’s journey. As we are joining these two types of data, our customers can gain actionable people insight that can help both employers and employees determine the next steps in the employees’ career path.
   
   
4. The market
   
   The market pace is driving both opportunities and challenges. And as we continuously innovate and adapt ourselves to meet our customers’ demand, I am looking forward to the new partnerships and collaboration that are waiting for us this year.

We live in unprecedented times and what we do at SHL has never been more relevant than now. I would like to thank all our customers and partners for their continued support. Finally, we are very much looking forward to what 2022 will bring!

Check out our Talent Acquisition and Talent Management solutions to learn how you can build a people-centric organization with high-performing workforce that is up for opportunities and challenges.