Five ways your business can become more relatable 

Mercer’s Global Talent Trends Pulse Survey shows how HR leaders are responding to changing ways of working in 2023.

London, 27 February 2023 - Every business is still adjusting to new ways of working post pandemic. Last year, Mercer’s Global Talent Trends Survey found that future-fit organisations have become more people-centric and relatable – and they’ve done that by focusing on empathy, making measurable progress against goals that are relevant to all their stakeholders and speaking up for the values they stand for.

But how is the current social and economic environment affecting opinion and practice in organisations in the UK? Our latest pulse survey shows how thinking has evolved for HR leaders this year, across the five areas we believe help to create a relatable organisation: 

1. Reset for relevance

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) and sustainability have risen in importance this year, with UK organisations continuing the trend of ‘coming off mute’ to talk about what really matters to employees.  Positively, the UK was ahead of the global average on ensuring people are taking responsibility for DEI at an individual and team level.

2. Work in Partnership

In a tight talent market, the majority of UK organisations are offering some form of remote work or flexibility around hours worked to support employees, putting the lessons learned from the pandemic into practice. However, options aren’t yet available to all employees (for example, gig or freelance workers) and extending this to partners in their supply chain is not yet on the agenda.

3. Deliver on Total Wellbeing

Inflation, the rising cost of living and the threat of recession shaped responses to survey questions on total reward and wellbeing this year. The majority of HR leaders are focusing on what benefits really matter to employees and what impact total wellbeing offerings can have on attraction, retention and engagement.

4. Build for Employability

Addressing skill shortages and closing skill gaps is still a priority for UK organisations. What we learned this year is that building a skills-based organisation is the one area that has been most difficult for HR leaders to make progress on. That presents real opportunities for businesses to share their knowledge and experience in order to make bigger inroads.  

5. Harness collective energy

Last year, only 39% of UK employees reported feeling energised at work on a typical day – the lowest score of any country in our study. Employee exhaustion remains an obstacle to business success. The biggest culprit behind this? Too many competing priorities..

Find out more on how focus on these five areas can help your business become more relatable – and explore the risks and opportunities of becoming a more relatable organisation in Mercer’s Global Talent Trends report. 

ENDS