There are big expectations for 2021. Not only in terms of getting the pandemic under control, but also in terms of getting everyday life back to some sense of normalcy – both in a personal and professional capacity.

Before things can get back to normal (or a “new normal”), business leaders need to focus on the needs of their company’s biggest asset: its people. The pandemic has caused a lot of disruption – particularly in industries like healthcare – which in turn has taken a toll on workforces. Moving forward, there are a few opportunities for healthcare leaders to focus on to improve their company’s human resources (HR) initiatives, including:

1. Cultivating a Positive Employee Experience

For many industries, there has been a shift to prioritize employee experience (EX) since the pandemic began – and healthcare is no different. In fact, 95 percent of respondents who work in the medical and health field identified employee experience (EX) as a top priority in isolved’s Transforming Employee Experience Report. The primary reasons for this focus? Thirty percent say it’s because of the current remote work environment, while 28 percent say it’s because employees are more stressed than ever. 

Offering wellness programs that focus on mental health, like virtual yoga or meditation, can help reduce employees’ stress and improve their engagement. Technology can also play an important role. Digital engagement tools, for example, can be used to connect colleagues so they can collaborate and share feedback. All of these actions help foster a sense of belonging for individual employees, which research suggests has a positive impact on overall engagement. Healthcare leaders lacking access to engagement tools will need to look toward another area of opportunity for their business – upgrading their HR technology. 

2. Simplifying HCM with Comprehensive Technology

Consolidating multiple HR software systems is the second biggest area of opportunity for the healthcare industry’s HR departments according to isolved’s report. The best way to do that is with a robust HCM platform that is intelligently connected and simplifies the business of HR management. This is likely why 40 percent of the respondents said their business plans to invest in an HCM platform in 2021.

A comprehensive HCM platform not only provides HR teams with engagement tools, but also access to essential operations like payroll, applicant tracking, benefits enrollment, scheduling and performance reviews. What’s more, an intelligently connected platform securely hosts all important data, which means that teams can access all of the information they need with a single login (and without wasting time switching between systems). This streamlines processes, increases productivity and improves overall data security.

In addition to increasing employee engagement and simplifying common HR tasks, a comprehensive HCM platform can help healthcare leaders future-proof their businesses – another opportunity identified in isolved’s survey of 500 HR professionals.

3. Preparing for the Future of Work

Tying as the third biggest opportunities for healthcare’s HR departments in 2021 is: 

• Hiring a head of remote work manager 
• Being able to recruit from anywhere 

Both of these opportunities were created by the pandemic and both suggest that businesses plan to support remote work (in at least some capacity) even after a vaccine is widely available. HR teams can take advantage of these opportunities with processes that allow them to track applicants, identify top candidates and onboard new talent. A comprehensive HCM can automate these processes, saving teams valuable time with technology that manages the entire employee journey, from hire to retire. 

Investing in EX

After a difficult year – especially for workforces on the front line – it is important for employers to provide employees with the tools that they need to collaborate, provide feedback and stay connected. Investing in technology that is built to improve the employee experience is an investment that will benefit the entire enterprise. 

What other opportunities do HR departments have to improve the EX? Download isolved’s Transforming the Employee Experience Report to take a look at the data.

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