The primary gift of the pandemic in relation to HR practices was the forced pivot it demanded. 2022 will see us creating programs with employees, instead of for employees. The decades old organization development concept of empowering employees with autonomy has finally become imperative. In the last two years the curtain was pulled back, and the ugly and the dysfunctional revealed. Long standing inequity is finally being tackled, and employee feedback is propelling organization direction. We have adopted remote and hybrid models and retained on-site obligations. Moving forward we can eliminate the disconnects that these multi-option models have created by re-engineering HR operating systems and structures to be more cloud based. Meetings will become intricately planned and structured events. HR must implement DE & I vision with strategic thought, and a willingness to engage in difficult conversations with leadership who may operate based on embedded mindsets. HR professionals need to speak truth to those in authority within their organizations. We must demonstrate as much understanding of the why behind wrong mindsets about inequity as we offer to right thinking. This is not about identifying bad guys. It is about working to implement right understanding and thinking. Accurately named by industry analyst Josh Bersin, we are experiencing the “great migration.” Job openings topped 10 million from August through December. Again, our job is to understand the why. This requires a vigilant approach to communication. What do employees value? Metaverse is coming. What is it? An overly simplified definition is a digital universe that can be accessed through virtual reality. How does it relate to HR? We have gained convenience with remote work, and we have lost some organic engagement like watercooler conversations. Metaverse can restore that lost component. Metaverse often encompasses web3, which is a mix of technology, open standard, cryptocurrency, blockchain, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) Decentralized Finance (DeFi) communities and a new creator economy. What does all of that mean It is new terminology to me. In future blogs I’ll try to break some of those terms down and share how they might relate to HR. Most importantly, we must remember to incorporate technology in ways that effectively improve employee experience.