The Top Three Challenges Facing HR Now
And How Coach Can Solve Them
Getting through the first year of the pandemic meant adapting almost overnight and helping your team transition to remote or hybrid working. Now that the initial challenge is over, new ones have risen up in its place, like an HR hydra. It’s no secret that things have been difficult for HR professionals since.
You’re now managing a remote workforce; hiring has taken off during the pandemic, so all your new employees have been onboarded virtually. Gone are those watercooler moments, learning that Mehdi from marketing moonlights as an amateur pastry chef, or that Paula from two desks down went to university on a golf scholarship. Maybe you’d be surprised to find out how many of your colleagues have lived on multiple continents, and who can belt out the entirety of Beyoncé’s Lemonade at karaoke.
The pre-COVID workplace paradigm has shifted, and brought a new set of priorities and concerns. From our conversations with HR professionals and industry research, it’s clear that three main challenges are top of mind for organization leaders and HR professionals:
1. The Great Resignation
2. Remote Culture Building
3. Enabling the ‘Inclusion’ in DEI
Fortunately, we’ve developed Coach, a zesty culture-building app for Slack. It’s empowering and supportive, and helps you learn about yourself and your team (without feeling preachy or forced) to specifically address these problems.
How Coach Can Help
By now, you’re probably aware of what’s been dubbed ‘The Great Resignation’ in the media. Workers have been quitting in droves since the pandemic upended employment conditions, necessitated lifestyle changes, and led to a general re-evaluation of career, family, and location choices. Ultimately, one of your best defenses against ‘The Great Resignation’ is keeping your employees engaged with both their work and the company’s mission .
It’s no wonder then that employee engagement has become a hot topic for companies looking to ensure they retain their top talent. Broadly speaking, employees are most able to engage in their work when they believe it’s meaningful, feel psychologically safe to be themselves at work, and are given the support necessary to mentally and physically conduct their work. Perhaps unsurprisingly, companies which are quick to invest in digital workplace tools perform better when it comes to employee well-being, a sense of belonging, and productivity.
Coach’s design and engagement prompts are based on behavioural science research, human resources and management science, industry best practices, and our own internal experiences (making it a well-read lemon!). Furthermore, because Coach operates within the day-to-day messaging of your Slack channels, employees and leaders can take part in team-building conversations as equals while avoiding the dreaded video call fatigue .
“Our team really resonated with Coach. It fit into our culture really well, sparks conversation, and asks specific questions that prompt engagement.” — Zag Creative
2. Building Culture Remotely with Coach
Coach is perfect for startups and growth companies because it facilitates diverse teams during times of expansion — or when you’re scaling up and scaling out. Building relationships, be that in-person or online, requires consistent communication . Small conversations that happen frequently help to build trust amongst co-workers and leaders, an important component of employee psychological well-being and factor in engagement. This is where Coach’s unique blend of pre-scheduled and automated messages come in, saving leaders time and energy by fostering team-building.
“Coach is really fun to use; we absolutely loved the GIFs! The bot kind of feels like having a feminist on your team, and I loved that too.” — Startup Edmonton
By operating in team channels, Coach allows managers to see positive company culture being built in real-time. More importantly, Coach has personality! We offer four different message packs, including “Empower Up.” Its posts can be authentic, encouraging, empathetic… but ultimately are reflective of your organization’s unique culture.
3. Investing in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion with Coach
Effectively working with a team spread across locations and time zones doesn’t simply happen-it requires innovation and leadership to ensure employees feel psychologically supported and able to open up to their co-workers. Inclusion can be particularly tricky : your remote/hybrid workplace has allowed you to attract and hire stellar staff from across the country, but now you need to make a good first impression so they feel properly welcomed and included in the workspace.
“Coach has been a great way to get to know everyone on my team, especially because I’m newer to the company.” — Zag Creative
Coach brings new team members right into the fold with its dialogue prompts, providing an equal opportunity to be part of the conversation right away. And because of its zesty personality, Coach makes for the perfect icebreaker-no awkward conversation starters or hurt feelings. Diversity and equity is nothing without inclusion, and to that end we’ve designed “Belonging Boosters”, a specific DEI message pack. And because it’s built on machine learning, Coach can do the heavy emotional lifting that you and your staff shouldn’t have to shoulder.
Coach is a great jumping-off point for managers looking to build relationships, solidify company culture, open up communication and take the pulse of their team members’ interactions. You can easily install Coach through the Slack App Directory or by visiting our website . Try Coach now to receive an additional three months free!
Originally published at https://www.aretolabs.com on November 10, 2021.
