HR trend 2022: 94% of companies will focus on training

Increased training budgets, strategies to avoid employee burnout and more attention to employee well-being: these are the trends that companies will focus on in 2022 according to the international Global HR research conducted by CoachHub.

The study, which involved more than 2,400 companies from 21 different countries, showed that 2022 will be a year for training and workforce development. This trend stems from the need to adequately respond to both the needs of employees (who are practically demanding more training) and the need to improve team operations and business organization in general.

But let's look more specifically at the results of the survey.

The Italian context

In Italy, the research involved companies (between 1,000 and 100,000 employees) distributed throughout the country. HR and personnel management department managers were interviewed, as well as all those figures within a company involved in policies related to personnel training and development.

Investments in training are increasing

Overall, 92% of companies surveyed globally said they would increase their training and development budgets (94% in Italy). The largest increases are expected in Singapore, South Korea, China and the United States; the smallest in France and Japan.

Most respondents (77%) agreed that, compared to pre-pandemic, there is a greater need to train employees and only 19% said no change is needed.

Buzzword: upskilling (between soft skills and technical skills)

Companies are moving primarily in promoting the upskilling (61%) of their staff and half of the respondents are convinced that it is a priority to invest only in technical skills. There remains the other half of respondents convinced that the professional growth of their employees must pass from a strengthening of soft skills. 

Differentiated training strategies

When it comes to training and development strategies, 23% of the companies surveyed discuss their training plans once every three months; 29% once a month and 11% once a year during reviews.

And, while in the majority of companies (65%), the training and development program is adapted according to the team, in one in three companies the training program is the same for everyone and only in one in four companies are the paths adapted according to individuals.

eLearning prevails

In terms of training modalities, the most used techniques are:

• eLearning training (67%)
• On-the-job learning (60%)
• Coaching (51%)

Not just training: here are the other HR trends of 2022

Hybrid and remote work
Forty-eight percent of the companies surveyed said they have received an increase in requests for flexible work from their staff. Thus, 2022 will be the year of the consecration of hybrid work, which will become a stable and lasting reality.

Focus on employee well-being
The survey also found that the number of employees struggling with burnout or wellness issues is around 35%, with the highest incidence in Southeast Asia.

Hence the intention of HR departments to initiate actions to protect the physical and mental health of staff.

Coaching
According to the data collected, an increasing number of companies have resorted to coaching not only for the training of their managers, but also for their workforce. Most coaching took place online, with particular success in companies located in Italy, Spain and the UK (which said they were less likely to want a return to in-person coaching).

Fifty-six percent of respondents said they have adopted one-on-one coaching as part of their internal resource development strategy, and 39% are considering doing so.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator