The past couple of years have been nothing short of a rollercoaster for HR leaders. With the swift shift to remote work, a large pool of resignations and redundancies, economic volatility… what should HR leaders expect in 2023?

Employee wellbeing, flexible work models, diversity, equity and inclusion have been the main priorities for companies as they have learned to adapt to this change. As we look at the year ahead, many of these trends will remain at the forefront, as organisations zone in on communication, skills development, and relationship management.

Here are the key areas HR leaders will focus on:

HR trend 1: Financial wellbeing

With the cost of living rising due to inflation, it is not surprising that salary is the main concern for most employees. This mainly affects those on a lower income. Recent surveys also show that this year nominal wages are estimated to increase by 2.2% on average across all sectors. Because of this, salary reviews, pay equity and benchmarking are likely to be a high priority for HR managers to avoid the risk of losing existing talent. In addition, employee benefits and their communication are becoming increasingly important.

Not all companies can offer wage adjustments in times of political and economic uncertainty where budgets are tight. New approaches are needed – flexible workforce management can play a key role in ensuring that the core team is adequately paid while at the same time reacting flexibly to external circumstances such as market changes. Ultimately, the right balance needs to be found between investment in labour and technology to optimise workflows and further increase efficiency.

HR trend 2: Leadership and management training

With each generation, leadership styles will adapt and evolve. The traditional focus of leaders on KPIs and business success is now being complemented by empathy.

This shift may be the reason why companies are investing in specific leadership training, with a focus on ‘human’ leadership. Empathic leaders are more capable of responding to the individual challenges of their employees and proactively supporting them in achieving their goals. Leadership based on trust and empathy also makes the team feel valued and respected, increasing overall morale and motivation in the workforce.

HR trend 3: Hybrid work

Before the pandemic society believed that working in an office was more productive than working remotely. However, in the past two years, recent data from America has shown that people who worked hybrid were 9% more efficient when they worked from home. According to an online survey by Deloitte, almost half of employees in Switzerland say they feel more productive working from home than in the office – and vice versa, only 16% rate their productivity higher when working in the office. Companies will continue to support this style of work through 2023 by providing a solid structural system and appropriate equipment.

HR trend 4: Diversity & inclusion

Companies are more aware that a diverse and inclusive work environment is beneficial for both employees and the company itself. Diversity refers to considering people’s differences in terms of gender, age, ethnicity, cultural background, skills and other characteristics. Inclusion refers to creating a work environment where all employees feel accepted and valued and can fully develop their talents, and skills. Some steps that companies can take to follow these trends can be: Including diversity in the recruitment process, create a corporate culture that promotes inclusion and offer awareness training to employees.

Digitalisation has fundamentally changed the way we work. Digital staff leasing promises the advantage of responding to this trend by providing access to an extended reach, and therefore a diverse pool of applicants within a very short time regardless of location. Diversity strategies can be implemented easily and in a targeted manner, by job offers being made accessible to all people, regardless of their background.

HR trend 5: Employer Branding

Employer branding is one of the key trends for 2023 and helps to improve a company’s image, and reputation as an employer. Therefore, it is essential as a company to communicate that the well being and development of employees is important to them. This is especially important for Millennials: 78% of Swiss women and 62% of men say that a positive working environment is the most important factor when choosing a job. Every company loses potential talent and future leaders if this working climate cannot be communicated effectively.

HR trend 6: Further education

Most workers are looking for a company where they can grow their career. According to a recent study by Gartner, which surveyed more than 800 HR leaders about their top priorities in 2023, 44% feel that their current company does not offer compelling career growth, so they tend to look for new opportunities.

In a rapidly changing labour market, and an increasingly complex business world, it is important to continuously update and expand employees’ skills and knowledge. Offering or supporting further education also helps to increase the attractiveness of the company as an employer and to strengthen employee loyalty. Companies that invest in further education for their employees can also improve their competitiveness and their position in the market. In Switzerland, where unemployment is at an all-time low (2.2% in 2022), and competition for skilled labour is high, it is crucial for companies to retain and develop their employees through further education and training.

Did you know? Temporary workers have a special status in this field? Thanks to the “temptraining” further education fund, they receive financial support after 88 hours of temporary work in order to develop themselves with selected further education and to improve their professional prospects and their chances of being hired in the labour market. Find more information here.

HR trend 7: Flexibility

In Switzerland, flexibility has become an increasingly important trend. More companies are offering their employees flexible working hours, teleworking, and other forms of flexibility. This has many advantages, such as a better work-life balance for employees, higher motivation and productivity, as well as the possibility to attract talent from all over the world.

Flexibility is also seen as an important factor in the attractiveness of an employer and can be an advantage in the competition for qualified workers. The pandemic has ultimately contributed to the increased emphasis on flexibility in the world of work.

More and more people are looking for this flexibility in their jobs with the aim of better balancing their work with personal commitments and priorities, to organise their work in a self-determined way, and to use their time and resources according to their needs or to handle several tasks or projects at the same time.

HR trend 8: Elderly workers

Age stereotypes and age discrimination are an obstacle in a long professional career. Fortunately, an exciting trend has been observed for the last two years: The unemployment rate for 50–64-year-olds has dropped from over 3% to 1.9 %. Family planning is complete and experience is high – the qualities and know-how of older workers are increasingly in demand. We recently shared the testimonial of our 61-year-old Coopler Beata N., who was able to deepen her knowledge in the hospitality industry through a further education course and was then able to actively participate in the labour market again. Opportunities for older workers support this trend and actively counteract the shortage of skilled workers.

Summary

After a long period of living in uncertainty, employees now have empathy and transparency at the top of their list when it comes to their career in order to cope with the crisis.

We have entered another challenging year in which HR managers are confronted with a new level of disruption. The time between planning and implementation is getting shorter and the demands are increasing, making it even more important that HR managers learn to thrive within these changes by putting people first, focusing on their wellbeing, job security, and using technology to help them become more agile.

Flexible workforce management around the core team, simplified implementation of diversity strategies or targeted further education for experienced flex workers are just some of the ways digital staffing companies like Coople are helping businesses address and effectively implement the key HR trends of 2023.

The topic is everywhere and there seems to be no end to the reporting about it: The shortage of skilled workers is always on the minds of HR professionals and entrepreneurs across many industries.

Why is the shortage of skilled workers still an issue?

The reasons have only partially changed: The demand for staff, for example at airports or in the event and catering industry, was extremely high after the pandemic subsided. The reason for this is that companies that had survived the pandemic were virtually awakened from hibernation and were confronted with expectations of delivering a pre-pandemic offer. However, this is still not possible in many places.

During the pandemic, workers had time for extensive reflection on whether and how their jobs should determine their lives in the future. The movement to put life at the centre of existence rather than work has led many people to actively choose more flexibility and, by temping, to decide when, where and how much they want to work.

Another factor is the wage development in some professions

Real wages in the food service industry in Germany and Austria have increased faster than in Switzerland, which may be one reason for the lower immigration of skilled workers – even though chefs now earn CHF 8.30 more per hour than at the beginning of the year, depending on their level of training. Back in March, we published the results of a survey among our Coopers who work in the hospitality industrywith the result that only about one third were convinced to return to their old job.

Unexpected events, such as a major distributor’s short-term need for 800 employees to meet new safety requirements to prevent the spread of COVID-19, or a company where, unexpectedly, all the employees are sick (as the Swiss newspaper NZZ recently reported David, Vonplon, 02.08.2022,) – such short-term shortages of skilled workers can cause considerable damage to unprepared companies. This is one reason why companies are increasingly implementing a flexible pool of workers directly into their HR planning.

Which skilled workers are currently lacking in Switzerland?

The shortage of skilled workers affects not only the sector of skilled crafts and trades as well as professions in the STEM disciplines (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), but also the logistics sector, nursing and health professions, and the event and hospitality industry in particular.

What can be done to tackle the shortage of skilled workers? As a digital staffing agency, we are actively combatting this problem with our platform where we connect companies looking for employees with qualified workers in a highly efficient way.

„We are tackling the shortage of skilled workers by using our digital approach, offering workers flexibility that cannot be found conventionally. This encourages many qualified profiles (e.g. in the healthcare sector) to re-enter the labour market or remain loyal to a sector. We open up segments of the talent market that often remain closed to companies”, explains Yves Schneuwly, Chief Commercial Officer of Coople.

Read more about how we connect a huge pool of temporary, external workers with companies – quickly, transparently, and independent of time and location.

In 2020, we surveyed over 900 of our Cooplers (the flexible workers on Coople’s platform) to understand why they look for temporary work and what attracts them to specific flexible jobs.

As expected, many of them use our platform to reach their earnings goals with extra shifts, or stay flexible to care for family. More surprisingly, the largest group of them work flexibly to acquire new skills or discover their abilities.

When it comes to selecting jobs, temporary workers share the same needs as your permanent team. They want to contribute and be part of a great team.

Have a look at our data for more insights:

On the 14th April media conference, the Federal Council announced that on 19th April, outdoor hospitality (restaurant terraces) may re-open under strict rules and conditions. It still remains unclear when the hospitality sector will be allowed to completely re-open.

Staff planning in the case of market uncertainty – are you aware of best practices?

For Swiss restaurants this means, despite the possibility of being able to serve guests outside again soon, there is still great market uncertainty. Demand may return slowly or – due to weather conditions – increase rapidly. Additionally, the timing of further relaxation is hard to plan for.

Therefore, responsive staffing is a top priority in the coming weeks and months. Staff planning must remain as flexible as possible to meet demand, manage costs effectively and achieve positive results.

In conclusion, there is a great need for staffing solutions that react in real time to unpredictable market changes. Coople’s digital platform helps to manage planned and unplanned absences as well as variations in demand in an optimal way.

The right staff in real time

Coople supports swiss hospitality businesses as a competent partner in this challenging process and offers active support during the market re-opening.

Advantages of your flexible staffing partner:

• Scaling up or down with demand
• Rapid hiring with our intuitive, technology-driven platform
• High quality, fully vetted, qualified workers
• HR relief through outsourcing all personnel administration and payroll
• Cost effective with no hidden subscription fees, prepayments, set-up costs or minimum hours

We are pleased to be able to support Swiss hospitality businesses with flexible staff during these challenging times.

How to hire flexible staff with CoopleFlex.

More about what a good recruitment strategy looks like in an uncertain market.

If you’re not making use of digital solutions in your recruitment process, you’re probably leaving some efficiency gains on the table. Technology has been redefining and revolutionising the way businesses find talent. With the ability to create job ads in seconds and vet candidates online, organisations can hire faster and better than ever. Businesses that rely on digital solutions are reporting significantly improved operational efficiency, greater profits and reduced cost-per-hire as the top few benefits.

The global pandemic has heightened the need for digital solutions, with McKinsey research citing that COVID-19 has accelerated digital transformation by seven years. Can your business afford to be left behind?

Digitalisation is changing full-time recruitment

Finding the right full-time employees used to be a painful, drawn out process. Using traditional recruitment methods, the Swiss average time-to-hire is up to 90 days. However, technology is changing this fast. Whether it’s onboarding niche talent or utilising data to reduce bottlenecks, HR teams are increasingly relying on digital staffing technology for full-time talent recruitment – and they’re seeing results:

• Reduced cost- and time-to-hire. The longer it takes to fill a role, the more business resources and time it requires. Drawn out hiring processes also mean greater risks of losing out on top candidates. Technology, for example applicant tracking systems, help by allowing more people to participate in the screening process in real-time, as well as by automating candidate communication to allow for a smoother onboarding experience.
• Access to real-time data. Accessing real-time data means that businesses can make informed decisions to build a smart workforce. Having access to insightful metrics allows recruiters to monitor and eliminate bottlenecks in the hiring process, leading to more efficient turnaround and greater conversion rates. With the benefit of backend data, recruiters can also track live responses to amend job postings if they are not attracting the right candidates or increase acquisition spend if they aren’t attracting enough of them.
• Virtual recruitment. The temporary pause on face-to-face hiring hasn’t stopped businesses from finding high caliber talent. Throughout COVID-19, hiring companies have implemented virtual onboarding and online interviews to screen candidates anywhere, any time. Such processes have enabled recruiters to conduct essential training and right to work checks with ease. Similarly, virtual recruitment allows for borderless talent acquisition, helping businesses to easily recruit for niche skillsets in tricky locations.

Technology enables new ways of hiring: The rise of digital staffing platforms

Whilst technology has made full-time recruitment more efficient over the last few years, it also enabled an entirely new kind of hiring. The use of digital staffing platforms has increased nearly 300% in the last three years. Digital staffing is a faster way of finding temporary talent and it’s clear to see that it’s not just a hype.

Temporary staffing itself is not new, but on-demand, short-term staffing has been made possible by technology. It enables hiring companies to build pools of regulars: high-quality, fully onboarded workers whom they can rely on when demand goes up unexpectedly. Typically time-consuming tasks are fully automated with digital staffing, meaning hiring can be reduced to a few clicks when screening, filtering and sorting applicant data, allowing for reduced time-to-hire, fewer dropouts and more quality hires.

How a flexible workforce can help your business

With all the benefits from technology that we can see in permanent recruitment, digital staffing has opened up a whole new world of potential for flexibility in your workforce. Digital staffing platforms such as Coople help to stay flexible, agile and cost-efficient.

Here’s how it works:

• Source specialist talent: it’s easy to find niche talent with a digital staffing platform. Thanks to advanced algorithms, you can overcome traditional recruitment limitations – allowing for faster job matching and greater quality and volume of hard to find candidates.
• Cohesive workforce management: get real-time status updates on shift coverage, attendance and time-tracking to make informed hiring decisions. Take quick actions as plans change: add shifts as and when you need them, request more workers and stop hiring any time.
• Flexible, last-minute coverage: you can scale up and down to meet demand with a flexible workforce. Read more to understand how Coople helped a leading supermarket chain find 600 skilled flexible workers for urgent cover in less than 48 hours.
• Cost-effective with zero commitment: reduce costs and manual processing by outsourcing recruitment, administration and payroll. With no subscription, upfront fees, setup costs or minimum hours, you can avoid surprise fees and find quality workers without any hiring commitments. Read to find out more about Coople’s flexible pricing structure.

Are you in need of a responsive, flexible recruitment strategy to get up to speed with modern staffing challenges? Find out how your business can benefit from Coople’s digital staffing solution today.