HR Learning: 7th February, 2022

 1. How will hybrid working impact the future of L&D?     

 For most organisations, the introduction of hybrid working requires a significant culture change. New practices and policies must be in place to accommodate such structures – and naturally, this requires more digital tools and communication. Training programmes have to be far more agile and flexible as employees need to be able to learn from anywhere, at any time and, most importantly, on their terms. 

Whether employees are working in the office or remotely, leaders must ensure employees have a more positive work-life balance and provide more opportunities for them to grow and reach their full potential, as they look for greater job fulfilment and satisfaction. After all, numerous businesses have been facing the ‘Great Resignation after many employees have experienced burnout over the last year.

2. The Downside of Working from Home: Loneliness.        

Everyone loves working from home! No commute. You can get the laundry done and protect your packages from porch pirates. And, you don’t have to deal with annoying coworkers who listen to loud music, constantly snack on crunchy foods, or have less than perfect hygiene habits.

But, you know what you don’t have when you work from home? A lot of face-to-face interaction with live humans.

Zoom meetings are different. Slack conversations are different than sitting at lunch with someone. While people who worked together for years and then switched to work-at-home two years ago can more easily maintain those relationships, it can be difficult for new hires to make friends and fit in.

While managers and HR should be wary of making friends with their employees, it’s okay to make friends with peers.

3. The Pros and Cons of On-Demand Pay.

The overall benefit of on-demand pay is that workers can access their wages as they earn them, helping alleviate financial pressures between paydays. Providing quicker payments to workers and helping them build a safety net eases financial pressures and boosts productivity, engagement, and retention. 

Further, on-demand pay presents a premier upskilling opportunity for workforce management systems and HR tech platforms, delivering a return on investment (ROI) and revenue stream with no risk. 

Now let’s weigh some cons for on-demand pay. On-demand pay fees are typically passed to the employee, not the employer, meaning they pay each time they access their earned wages outside of the traditional payroll period. As employers implement on-demand pay solutions, they should be mindful of this fact, looking to companies that don’t attach fees to wage advances for the employer or employee.