HR has shifted out of the back room and into the heart of the company. Employers are recognizing as never before that HR professionals have the power to shape the organizational fabric. 

In the era of COVID-19, as employees demand more support from their workplaces, HR is more important than ever before. Yet there are also more opportunities for HR professionals than ever before. Experts now say that viewing the employee experience through a customer lens can help HR drive a better experience. The key is understanding how to fit that experience to your unique sector. 

If ever there is a widespread topic, it's the topic of effective leadership. It has many approaches and different facets, but ultimately comes down to one question: Do you know if what you are doing as a leader is effective? If not, you are failing and may not even realize this. 

The best leaders have wavering styles and connect with people differently and situationally, but two of the most common traits are showing humility and empathy. And great leaders also possess an uncanny communication style, one developed using a combination of empathy and self-awareness. They are also great storytellers who can engage and relate when working with anyone from executive leadership and board members to direct reports. 

Also, given the highly charged societal issues facing our world today, showing concern for workplace issues along with those happening around us shows an awareness. It brings conversations, normally tabu in the workplace, to the forefront of meaningful conversations. These discussions create more room for transparency and engagement.

We all dream of finding a job that thrills and satisfies us. Unfortunately, many employees still struggle to find a deeper connection to their work and find themselves trudging along through the daily grind. It’s not that anything is wrong, it’s that nothing is quite right either, and so you’re coasting along, disengaged from your work. 

That's a big deal, considering that companies with happy employees outperform the competition by 20% and happy employees are 12% more productive. And happiness matters to employees—36% of employees report they would give up a $5,000 pay increase to feel happier at work. Which means it’s time for employers and HR departments to invest in an engaged and happy workforce.

The 2020 - 2021 pandemic took its toll on businesses in part of the world. Employment and how companies manage through this with their greatest asset, their employees, have also been challenging. People are re-examining their options along with their employers with re-organization of the workplace, more job opportunities with work being mostly remote for many, and people opting to retire with or without the offer of a golden parachute. The upheaval of these actions has brought us, once again, to face the talent cliff. 

The talent cliff places hiring companies in a position to suffer losses of key people who filled critical roles aligned with the organization's overall business strategy. Finding and filling these roles quickly is essential but not always possible, especially when it's a job candidate's market. This void creates bumps in the smooth running of the company and can have long-lasting financial implications on the business.