I can’t say whether or not the pandemic is generally changing how organizations think, but it should! After reflecting on the HR Management class we’re nearing completion of, it’s come to my attention just how behind society has been. Ethically speaking, working for anything less than a living wage (a variant of where you live) is unacceptable, and employment for an organization without proper HR practices is equally so. I’ve experienced both, and I appreciate the personal reflection through the eyes of newly attained knowledge, which has proven necessary for several classes this semester.

Indeed, there is discussion around this, with progressive organizations accepting and embracing remote work and significant national companies at the forefront of skills training and self-care. Mary Baker of Gartner effectively portrays several societal shifts in corporate culture. (Baker, 2021) Still, from what I’ve seen locally, little has changed. Granted, my locale is a minimal data set. Employees have found a voice in standing up for better pay and a desire for job satisfaction, but how receptive businesses are is suspect. Government workers are being forced back to work in the office, even though many are more productive at home, and the style of work is equally suited to either office space, personal or official. This is a first-hand perspective of a friend of mine. Her superior is vehemently opposed to acknowledging anything but the company line, even though autonomous hybrid work has become a mainstream topic. The optics of an open government desk doesn’t sit well with her supervisor, who is trying to climb the ladder of seniority.

Dishwashers offered $50k a year (Shen, 2021) declares that companies are having a challenging time filling open positions. I argue this reflects desperate restaurants trying to stay open during the pandemic while simultaneously and inadvertently acknowledging that employees have historically been underpaid. There is no doubt that reflection during the pandemic and government stimulus have woken up a sleeping giant of underpaid, underappreciated employees who are no longer willing to work for minimum wage or anywhere near it.

The only way out of this mess and the impending labor shortage is through training, development, and thoughtful HR management practices. In the Global news article (Press, 2022) Jordan Press highlights this fact as stated by the federal Employment Minister, Carla Qualtrough, and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce senior director of workforce strategies, Leah Nord.

Rampant inflation and lagging wage rates were mentioned in the Global article, stating that overall labor markets have returned to normal. Still, hospitality services are down 17 percent from pre-pandemic levels, attesting that employees are re-trained or pursuing better paying and more satisfying jobs. Press echoes this, saying, “where [youth] work has shifted from accommodation and food services to professional and technical services [and] health care.” (Press, 2022)

We may be seeing the end of the pandemic, but we’re staring down the barrel of stagflation, recession, and collapsing economics. I don’t know how smaller organizations will be able to keep up, and we will all be paying for the solutions one way or another. It will be up to HR managers to balance an organization’s employment expectations and profits with employee satisfaction to achieve success. We are in an era of stakeholder capitalism, and who better to represent stakeholder best-interest than employees; the bulk of our population.

References:

Shen, N. (2021, October 20). $50K/year dishwashing job illustrates desperation in the restaurant industry. Retrieved from Richmond news: https://www.richmond-news.com/local-news/50kyear-dishwashing-job-illustrates-desperation-in-restaurant-industry-4533006

Press, J. (2022, March 11). Canada adds 337K jobs in February, unemployment drops below pre-pandemic levels. Retrieved from Global News: https://globalnews.ca/news/8675538/canada-jobs-unemployment-february-2022-pandemic/

Baker, M. (2021, April 29). 9 future of work trends post-covid-19. Gartner. https://www.gartner.com/smarterwithgartner/9-future-of-work-trends-post-covid-19