Canadian HR Reporter

CANADIAN HR REPORTER APRIL 2019 NEWS 7 Soft skills, work flexibility, harassment among trends transforming HR Employer-employee relationships changing alongside technology: Report BY MARCEL VANDER WIER TRADITIONALLY in a posi- tion of power, employers are be- ing held to a higher standard as technology empowers workers to share and access more infor- mation, according to a report by LinkedIn. Four trends are driving the change in relationship, including soft skills, work flexibility, pay transparency and anti-harass- ment measures, according to the Global Talent Trends survey. These stand out as essential to the shift in Canadian work- place culture, according to Chris Brown, director of talent solutions at LinkedIn Canada in Toronto. "Employees have come to ex- pect more transparency, flex- ibility and objective assessments from the companies that hope to attract and retain them," he said. "As such, employers that want to stay competitive will have to embrace a more equal employer- employee relationship — not just because it looks good, but because it's good for business." e LinkedIn report surveyed more than 5,000 global talent pro- fessionals and hiring managers — including 287 in Canada. Technological advances, along- side a low unemployment rate, are turning the workplace into an employee's world, said Monica Haberl, senior research associate at the Conference Board of Cana- da in Ottawa. "It's challenging for employers because they have to compete with each other for the best tal- ent," she said. "And that's where we're seeing some things emerge." Transforming workplaces e four major trends identified by LinkedIn are having a major impact on today's HR profession- als in terms of hiring and future planning, said Brown. Soft skills: Ninety-four per cent of Canadian respondents said soft skills are important for the future of hiring, though less than half of companies have a formal measurement process in place. Eighty per cent admit they are increasingly important to company success. Technological advancements are shortening the lifespan of many hard skills, and a renewed emphasis is being placed on high- ly transferable soft skills, he said. "Some of the most in-demand soft skills — such as creativity — are applicable to almost any role, and are not easily replicated by ma- chines, making them increasingly vital to employers," said Brown. Meanwhile, employers are struggling to attract and retain people for IT positions, manage- ment, sales and marketing, ac- cording to Haberl, "areas that tend to be dominated by soft skills." Flexwork: e ability for em- ployees to work remotely or shift their hours is increasingly an ex- pectation, according to the report. Nearly half (49 per cent) of Ca- nadian respondents believe work- place flexibility is a perk that helps in hiring. "Flexibility has become the new normal and is a top priority for candidates when choosing a job," said Brown. Two-thirds (69 per cent) of Canadian HR professionals also believe that allowing employ- ees an opportunity to work re- motely improves morale, found LinkedIn. Flexwork opportunities are now an expectation in office roles where employees toil at a desk. And while flexibility is hard to of- fer in manufacturing and custom- er-service positions, flexible hours may be an option, said Haberl. While full-time remote work remains uncommon, flexwork al- lows many workers to avoid com- mutes or inclement weather when necessary, she said. Anti-harassment: Nearly half (49 per cent) of Canadian hir- ing managers said employees are more empowered to speak up when uncomfortable, and 78 per cent have seen changes in work- place dynamics and culture. "We know this has been going on in the workplace for hundreds of years," said Haberl. "But with the media focus on the #MeToo movement — a lot more focus on diversity, equality and equity — people are more open to com- ing forward when they're having these experiences." "Organizations are taking note and we're also seeing lawmakers and governments putting in leg- islation that basically forces em- ployers to address this issue." Thirty-seven per cent of re- spondents said their company has highlighted existing policies and promoted safe ways to report, while slightly more than one-third saw improved policies or a zero- tolerance policy established. Pay transparency: Companies are facing increased pressure to be transparent on issues such as salary, and 27 per cent are now sharing ranges with employees and candidates early in the hir- ing process, with an additional 22 per cent expected to employ this tactic within the next five years, said the report. But even as access to aggregat- ed salary information is readily available through a variety of web- sites, 51 per cent of respondents indicated they do not share salary ranges with employees or early stage candidates, and are unlikely to do so within the next five years. Like harassment issues, pay transparency is a "new topic on the radar," driven by millennials and gen Z workers seeking equi- table workplaces, said Haberl. Compensation and benefits are likely always going to be hot-but- ton issues for employees, because of how important they are to qual- ity of life, she said. Advice for HR Employers would be wise to mea- sure their organization against the trends identified, then focus on opportunities to implement changes, said Brown. "While these trends are evolv- ing at their own pace, staying on top of them and continuously measuring improvement can help employers stay competitive," he said. "It's important for employers to remember that these initia- tives often require iteration and improvement over time." Each of the four trends point to corporate culture as a corner- stone, according to Haberl. "It's not something that's easy to create, but it's a good goal to have." Diversity, flexwork and trans- parency should become a part of the organizational brand in order to attract the best talent. For employers unable to offer flexwork, explaining the reason to staff can do wonders, she said. "ere's a lot to be said for or- ganizations demonstrating that they really trust their employ- ees, and treating them with re- spect and as equals," said Haberl. "Transparency is an important element of that." "So, while not all of these trends will necessarily be something that every employer will be able to push forward with… it's impor- tant to take all of these elements into account and to try to figure out where there are potentially some quick wins," she said. "But, really, when it comes to things like anti-harassment and pay transparency, a lot of it just comes back to communication — communicating what is available; how to report harassment, if nec- essary; training managers to make sure they know how to manage these situations and speak with their employees." Policy excellence will not have much impact if communication is poor, said Haberl. "Between communication and trying to shift the culture, I think those are good areas to focus on to be able to embody some of these trends." Such transformation must be- gin with the C-suite. If it is not practised by senior leadership, any efforts by HR will go unrec- ognized, said Carolyn Levy, presi- dent of technologies at Randstad Canada in Toronto. Transformational leadership is all about transparency, honesty and trust, rather than closed-door meetings amongst senior leaders — a culture that can often lead to increased turnover with employ- ees unclear as to where the orga- nization is headed, she said. "at's a shift… Focusing on building trust, we do that be- cause you need to foster new ideas and really reduce that fear of failure that may sit within the organization." For HR, two more trends to keep an eye on are transforma- tional leadership and change management, according to Levy. "ere's a ton that HR needs to do," she said. "Long story short… I do not think that businesses are prepared or have the right tools for how to handle all of this change in the workplace, on top of what's happening with the impact of technology." If they haven't already, HR pro- fessionals must move away from administrative tasks to focus on driving organizational agendas by way of human capital, said Levy. And for HR professionals to push their profession forward, they will need to continuously disrupt themselves, she said. "What are we doing to disrupt ourselves from the HR perspective in regards to what the experience is of working in the organization? is disruptive mindset into how you look after your people will be key moving forward." CAREpath is the only Canadian Health Care navigation program of its kind offered in Canada. We have extensive experience in navigating Canadians through the health care system. Cancer Assistance Seniors' Care Assistance HealthCare Assist Your Wellness Partner "ere's a lot to be said for organizations demonstrating that they really trust their employees, and treating them with respect and as equals."

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