Initial jobless claims totaled 803,000 last week, lower than the previous week's revised tally of 892,000, according to the Labor Department. "Even the widespread distribution of the vaccine is not going to be a panacea for all the scarring that's happened in the labor market," says Nela Richardson of ADP.
Managing performance evaluations during the coronavirus pandemic, with so many employees working from home, can be especially challenging. Here are several pointers on how to prepare for evaluations and hold productive discussions with employees during these unusual times.
Data-enabled platforms allow HR teams to track and analyze engagement data and benefits uptake, which helps HR redirect benefit spending to more important things, such as mental health or financial incentives. New services and in-demand benefits could be managed strategically using insights from analytics.
HR leaders should consider using augmented analytics, sensing technologies and prediction capabilities to meet the challenges of 2021, which may include supporting workers' mental health, according to Workday's Greg Pryor. The new tech will allow HR teams to better understand data, use it to quickly respond to issues and prepare the workforce for future changes.
Make New Year's resolutions that focus on the outcome you want, not the obstacles to achieving them, while making sure they align with your values, writes Susan Fowler. "The success of your resolution requires adapting your action plan as life unfolds differently than you originally planned!" she writes.
