Although 2020 is behind us, organizations in America are still experiencing the effects of the challenges that came with it, from COVID-19 and social unrest, to natural disasters and an unprecedented election. Employees continue to reel from the mental, physical, and financial difficulties of 2020, while employers seek to bring balance back to their business. It was a transformative year for the workplace and a pivotal one for HR as they met the challenges of fully remote teams, new health and leave legislation, declining mental health, virtual recruiting, and more.

The work continues in 2021. To help guide your organization this year, here are four trends to keep at the forefront of your people management strategy:

• Life-work synergy: Focus on employees’ lives — take this opportunity to center work and the workplace around your people, which will help boost their performance
• The rebirth of HR — solidify HR’s role in your organization’s long-term business strategy and improve its competitiveness in the market
• People before profits: Greater commitment to CSR — practice corporate social responsibility (CSR) and be a steward of the community
• Keeping up with COVID-19 — protect your employees’ health and safety to help ensure business continuity