The Malaysian Employers’ Quick Guide to Setting (and Achieving) HR Goals in 2022

We’re all familiar with the challenges that 2021 brought with it — the lockdowns, the economic effects of the pandemic, and the accelerated, mandatory process of digital transformation for all businesses in Malaysia, and in fact, around the world. But 2022 is now upon us, and with it comes a new beginning for employers and HR professionals to achieve their HR goals. 

But where do you even start? How do you set goals for your HR department (the right way)? With that in mind, here’s a quick guide on setting HR goals for your company in 2022 — and how to achieve these goals throughout the year. 

Setting SMART Goals for 2022

Don’t work hard, work smart, right? In this case, SMART is a mnemonic acronym that helps to set goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely goals. These can apply to personal, career, or business goals — and they should also form the basis of your HR goals for 2022. 

Start by reviewing the various needs and wants of your business, as well as the needs and wants of your employees. Then, as employers and HR managers, it’s important to find a compromise that forms the middle ground between the former and latter above. Keep in mind that the pandemic has seen a shift in recruitment trends, as evidenced by The Great Resignation (and all that entails). 

Then, set SMART goals as a rough framework to lay out objectives for HR — including aspects such as recruitment, performance management, learning and development, and employee engagement. 

Examples of HR SMART Goals

Every business will have different HR objectives for 2022, and this will also vary from industry to industry. However, here are a couple of examples of SMART Goals that you can set for your company’s HR in 2022: 

1. Improve talent retention rates & hiring

In 2022, hiring and retaining the very best talents at your organisation will certainly come with its fair set of challenges. In the year(s) to come, employee well-being will be a crux of successful HR recruitment in Malaysia and beyond, and you’d be best advised to review your HR practices in order to keep your best employees.

SMART Goal: Increase retention rate from XX% to XX% by December 2022

Note that the objective above must have a Specific goal, which is Measurable, Attainable, and Relevant — while having stated Time period. 

2. Focus on Learning & Development 

Studies show that a significant portion of the workforce needed to pick up new skills as a result of COVID-19-triggered changes in the workforce, serving to highlight the importance of learning & development for your employees. The business will also stand to benefit from initiatives that promote upskilling and reskilling for your team, with the 5th Industrial Revolution requiring new skills and competencies to survive, and thrive. 

SMART Goal: Implement (at least) one e-learning programme to help employees learn new skills

3. Offer employee flexibility — while maintaining/improving productivity

Most employees spent much of 2021 operating with flexible work arrangements — and some struggled with the adjustment, particularly those who had not begun the digitalisation journey yet. And even with vaccination rates, and even booster shots, going up in the past couple of months, it’s still pivotal to ensure that your business remains agile — as evidenced by the recent spike in Omicron cases in Malaysia. 

In addition to pandemic SOPs, flexible work arrangements can also help with hiring and employee retainment, and essentially, the ability to remain productive — no matter where your employees are — is crucial to building digital resilience and thriving in 2022. 

‍SMART Goal: Fully digitalise the company’s HR operations by May 2022 with an HRMS and other relevant tools

‍Tip: Get started by downloading our FREE HR Assessment Checklist + Questionnaire to get your HR ready for 2022