The value of any company, be it small or large, has long since been expressed not only in terms of annual profits, turnover, number of company cars, salary levels and other financial indicators, because the quality of employees testifies to that value a lot more. It’s for this reason that the high-quality and professional management of human resources is one of the most important jobs, which is why the HR sector is becoming ever-more important
FIVE HR TRENDS IN 2022
The coronavirus pandemic, which has hit the entire world, has led to many changes to business processes and the way employees work. The majority of companies have faced numerous challenges that have implied changing plans and priorities, adapting to new circumstances and adopting new models of communication, working from home and increasing care for employees and their needs. All this has been reflected in the labour market, but also the HR sector, which has entered a new period in which trends like work flexibility, intangible benefits, wellbeing, digitalisation, the development of a growth mindset among employee and the embracing of diversity and inclusion are becoming an integral part of new corporate cultures.
EVER MORE EMPLOYEES FEEL WORK BURNOUT
According to the latest research, a work burnout trend is on the rise and affecting employees who work from home in particular, which is why it turns out that they need additional support. That’s the reason why this whole year will be dedicated to empowering employees through the creation of psychological resilience. This need has arose because not all employees have optimal working conditions at home, which makes it difficult to establish a balance between private and professional life, or a strict boundary between working hours and free time. Due to a desire and need to protect employees from stress and other unwanted consequences of work burnout, many companies have introduced strict working hours and, for those who work from home, introduced the practise of openly discussing these problems with colleagues and immediate company superiors.
APPLE SHAREHOLDERS SABOTAGE COMPANY’S CEO
Despite the fact that Tim Cook has increased the yields of shareholder dividends by 1,000 per cent over course of the past decade, since taking over the helm at Apple in 2011, those same shareholders are today irrirated by the fact that the CEO’s salary package last year totalled 99 million dollars, according to the BBC. Institutional Shareholder Services called on shareholders to vote against approving his salary package, expressing resentment over the fact that Cook’s package consists of shares, money and coverage of expenses, while they were particularly irked that he spent $630,600 on his personal security and $712,500 for his personal use of a private plane.
COMPANIES SHIFT FOCUS TO PEOPLE
Due to the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, companies are introducing radical new ways of working and doing business, which places the focus on issues related to the field of human resources. Companies are no longer developing plans for known scenarios, but are rather preparing strategies focused on people that enable companies to better adapt to immediate circumstances. Deloitte’s survey of global trends in the field of human resources, which included the participation of more than 3,600 managers in 96 countries, showed that human resources are at the centre of attention. Prior to the pandemic, 6% of managers said that their companies would focus in future on preparing plans for uncertain events with major consequences, while now, in the midst of a pandemic, 17% of managers gave this answer. Nearly half (47%) of managers say that their companies intend to focus on multiple scenarios, which is a significant increase from the 23% in pre-pandemic period.
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES HIT BY WAVE OF RESIGNATIONS
The last year has seen the term “The Great Resignation”, or “The Big Quit”, appear in Western media and spread fear among many employers. Though it remains difficult to assess how many workers voluntarily resigned in developed countries during the pandemic, the research that’s available shows alarming figures. Over the course of just one month in 2021, as many as four million employees resigned in the U.S., while a global survey conducted by Microsoft shows that more than 41% of workers are considering resigning or changing their careers. A similar situation has emerged in the UK and Ireland: more than 38% of workers are considering resigning and changing jobs over the next six months. Most of the resignations are in the retail and hospitality sectors, while those tendering their resignations are increasingly millennials and members of so-called Generation Z (born after 1997). At a time when Serbia has more than 115,000 unemployed workers aged under 30, it is difficult to talk about voluntary resignations. Young people in Serbia often lack opportunities to even gain employment, and youth unemployment is up 10.34% compared to 2020, but these youngsters nonetheless have significantly higher expectations compared to previous generations when it comes to the earnings that they consider normal and acceptable. Around 20% of respondents believe that a monthly salary of 50,000 to 80,000 dinars is sufficient for a decent life, while as many as 48% of respondents cite a range of 80,000 to 100,000.
HR SECTOR SALARIES ABOVE AVERAGE
According to portal InfoPlate.rs, salaries for employees in Serbia’s HR sector range from a minimum of 40,034 dinars to the “highest average” of 122,060 dinars, though in reality the maximum salary is higher. Depending on the job, position and company in question, salaries vary as in any other sector, but it is certain that the three highest paid positions are department heads, with salaries ranging from 61,913 to 178,583 dinars, HR Business Partner, with salaries between 67,941 and 170,658 dinars, and specialists in charge of the staff selection process, i.e. recruiters, with salaries ranging from 55,056 to 122,786 dinars
ENGINEERS EARN WELL EVERYWHERE
Some professions have always been much better paid than others, primarily because they are in higher demand. Even if a certain field has many experts and strong competition, it seems that you won’t do badly in terms of earnings if you choose “wisely”. In the U.S., the top ten spots for salaries are occupied by accountants, aviation engineers, architects, lawyers, business analysts, chemical engineers, civil engineers, electrical engineers, financial analysts and graphic designersv . No relevant research has been conducted in our country that would provide us with comparative data, though it is known that IT experts and engineers don’t have problems either with finding work or with salary level.