Top 5 people priorities that should be on your radar in 2023

In the wake of the pandemic, employers have seen significant HR changes. Some of these have presented fresh challenges while others have revealed opportunities to adapt and evolve.

As more people evaluate their work-life balance, this article explores the top five areas that should be on your radar in 2023 to help improve recruitment and boost staff retention.

1. Flexible hybrid working

There's a lot to commend hybrid working. Not only does it improve staff morale and wellbeing, but it can also boost productivity.

According to a survey from Gallup, 71% of employees said hybrid working improved their work-life balance.

Plus, if you’ve been toying with the idea of demanding that your team return to work in the office, bear in mind that LinkedIn recently revealed that two-thirds of workers said they would resign if required to return to the office full-time.

Going into 2023, if you have been tackling issues with a hybrid model, make sure you’re taking advantage of the wealth of technology that has entered the market to support remote and hybrid teams. These include:

• Virtual office tools
• Solutions designed to optimise hybrid offices
• Employee experience platforms to help employees socialise and develop stronger relationships.

2. Benefit packages to give workers a financial boost

The rising cost of living is a concern for many employees and, with the Bank of England expecting that the UK will be in recession for an extended period, money worries are likely to hang around for some time.

This means that helping your employees with their financial situation should be high on your list of priorities.

There are a range of ways that employers can provide practical support:

• Health cashback schemes can provide help in some of the key areas that employees are struggling with on a day-to-day basis such as dental and optical costs.
• Employee perks/ discount vouchers providing access to retail discounts can be a practical help for increasing household bills.
• Employee assistance programmes providing access to an advice line and counselling can support employees facing personal challenges, including financial wellbeing.
• A one-off cost of living bonus in place of offering a pay rise may be preferable to your workforce. While this could offer a welcome boost at the start the new year, be aware that any employee who may claim benefits may face unhelpful repercussions, particularly where benefits are means tested.
• A pay review – the Living Wage Foundation has introduced the highest rise to the real Living Wage in its 11-year history in response to the cost-of-living rises. Although employers have been advised to implement any pay rises as soon as possible, the latest date this should be done is May 2023 – so make sure it’s in the diary.

3. Support for mental health and wellbeing

Many employers have made substantial improvements to their wellbeing support over recent years but, for many, there’s still more to be done.

More organisations are investing in wellbeing programmes to promote a healthy working environment.

Again, with the current cost of living crisis, we should all expect a further rise in anxiety and work-related stress as people worry about their health, family, and jobs.

Strategies that remove the stigma surrounding mental health and a positive workplace culture can help improve team productivity and business performance.

If you haven’t already adopted a culture that supports employee health and wellbeing, 2023 is the year to get on board and take positive action.

Read more: 5 practical, proactive ways to support your employees' mental health

4. Enhanced employee experience

Employee experience is about more than offering a pay rise, fresh fruit in the office, or a free lunch.

As more people evaluate their work-life balance, employee expectations are changing. And, these days, it often takes more than a competitive salary to attract and retain the best talent.

Things like free lunches or free parking aren’t particularly favourable “perks of the job”.

If you haven’t already looked at ways to beef up your perks, consider adding more attractive benefits such as retail discounts, cycle to work schemes, and flexible working. Maybe even consider the business benefits of offering employees a four-day week.

Remember, employees who feel appreciated are usually happy and proud of what they do and who they work for. Meeting the needs and expectations of your workforce should result in several benefits, including engaged and productive employees, which will actively help lower absenteeism rates.

5. Employee benefit platforms

Employee benefits platforms can provide a simple one-stop shop to provide employees a variety of choice and flexibility for selecting and managing their work perks.

HR departments can benefit from streamlining and automating tasks that might otherwise be complex and time-consuming.

Introducing an online platform helps you deliver benefits and perks that are most useful to your workers. This can be a massive bonus if you have a diverse workforce of individual with different interests, living circumstances, and health needs.

Watch this space as we will be launching a platform that does all this and more in 2023.

Get in touch

We provide a complete range of employee benefits that can support the physical and mental wellbeing of your workforce and help you to ensure your team remain engaged and motivated.

To find out more about all the options available, please get in touch. Email info@lebc-aspira.com or call us on 01454 632 495.

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