As we transit from the Chinese Year of the Ox to the Year of the Tiger, our Managing Director Evelyn Chow looks back on the highlights of 2021, and what will keep us busy in 2022.

2021 was the Chinese Year of the Ox, and perhaps it can be said that DecodeHR has charged forth in the past year to better meet the evolving needs of our clients.

Two years on, the pandemic has wrought numerous challenges which we are all still dealing with. As organisations adapt to meet these challenges, we find that we are playing an increasingly important role in helping organisations to support their workforce with solutions which are both innovative and strategic in nature.

WELLNESS

Globally, employee wellness is one of the most important areas of concern.

2021 is the year DecodeHR started working with three new tech partners in the wellness space – Promises, wellteq and Safe Space. Before 2021, we did not have wellness tech partners.

All three offer comprehensive tech wellness solutions which are personalised to meet the needs of diverse workers in different organisations.

Said our Managing Director Evelyn, “Employee wellness is more than supporting employees with mental health initiatives. It is also about equipping them to leverage all the tools and resources that they can access so it’s not simply about working harder. This includes providing coaching at the workplace. Addressing the demands of today’s pace calls for a holistic approach. That is a critical part of the overall HR strategy. It is important that organisations help their workforce to deliver their best by ensuring they are supported and equipped, so they can stay passionate about the work that they do.”

To that end, she stresses that it is not just about putting in an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) and leaving it to run on its own, or sending fruits and nuts to employees, offering access to videos or yoga classes.

“The danger is that some employers may think that they have checked all the boxes and that since they have done their part when it comes to wellness, they can continue to keep their foot on the accelerator and drive their employees hard.”

“But there is no easy solution or quick fix. They have to understand what the root causes of distress/stress are, and see each employee as a whole person. Not just who they are at work, but also outside of work. We recognise this calls for dedication and empathy on the employers’ part and that this will not be an easy feat.”

In 2022, DecodeHR will focus on deepening our partnerships with our tech wellness partners – with a view to providing stronger support to the staff of the companies we work with, which would be sustainable and meaningful in the long run.

Evelyn also intends to throw the spotlight on the importance of wellness as part of a larger HR strategy. “Some companies underestimate the importance of a holistic robust HR strategy,” she said.

RECRUITMENT & TECHNOLOGY

In 2021, we made big strides into the recruitment space especially in the area of technology, which aligns with a huge shift towards digitalisation.

Said Evelyn, “One of the things that I'm really excited about is how we have taken off in terms of our recruitment services. The emphasis has very much been on tech roles and companies in the tech sector. I think that really complements our offerings and it converges very well with our vision for our tech arm, dchr.tech.”

In the year ahead, DecodeHR will further curate the tech products and services which we offer to our clients. Currently, we have over 40 tech partners.

“We really want to emphasise the value that we will be able to bring in terms of partnering our clients, working with our tech partners, and making technology accessible to all regardless of size.”

“But one thing that is clear - we are not looking at volume. The only brands we would share with our community are brands that we ourselves fully understand and are confident to use.”

PERFORMANCE COACHING

These are particularly challenging times for leaders, and the trend is apparent from the increased demand for performance coaching services.

Said Evelyn, “While we as a firm have been offering leadership assessment and coaching services for many years now, we believe there is a need for quality coaching. This is certainly an area that we want to focus more on because we see a compelling need.”

What she has observed is that leaders could be better equipped with what she calls “self-leadership”. “This is a skill of objectively assessing yourself to be more self-aware and resilient, having the ability to adapt your own behaviour so you can be more effective, managing yourself when you work with very challenging teams, adapting your own expectations and communicating differently.”

This is important because the future of work is so fluid – the way people work keeps changing, and expectations are very high. There is an increasing set of demands that are placed on people and leaders every day.

“We need to be equipped, even as individual leaders, to be able to better manage ourselves and support others. In my coaching work, I found that this was the need. Leaders need to learn how to manage their strengths and their weaknesses better.”