Human Resources saw significant growth in 2016 and experts agree that it is posed for even more growth in 2017. HR departments will continue evolving, becoming even more dependent on technology, especially as more Millennials enter the workforce. We’ve rounded up some of the top HR trends we anticipate seeing this year.
Anticipated HR Trends
- Big Data – Big data has become a dominant analytic tool. Information is easy to filter, which will make it easier for HR to create detailed job descriptions. Big data will play one of the most important roles in recruiting talent into companies.
- Integrating Work and Life – Past trends have focused on having employees create a good work and life balance. In fact, with today’s social media advancements, employees can talk, chat or video chat with their family or friends during their breaks, which in turn makes them feel more connected to their personal lives. Happier employees are more productive. Having a good work-life balance is very important for Generation Z and Millennials.
- Employee Engagement – Studies show that underperforming companies have one thing in common: employee disengagement. This year, employee engagement is one thing that mid-size companies can no longer ignore.
- Employee Skills – Older generations will need to be trained to keep up-to-date with Millennials in the job market. Managers will need to organize company-wide technology training sessions. Larger companies may wish to hire off-site trainers to complete this training. If employee skills are there, it is cost-effective for companies to simply expand their training efforts.
- Freelancing – The past several years has seen a significant increase in freelancing. Many people enjoy the freedom that freelancing offers, including the ability to better balance their home and work lives. Freelancers bring fresh, new and exciting ideas to projects, which means this field cannot be overlooked this upcoming New Year. The latest employment data shows that nearly 15-percent of people in the workforce are freelancers.
- Cloud to Mobile – Cloud technologies will remain a steady force in the work environment, but this upcoming year will see mobile dominant apps. For example, employees can use their mobile devices to clock in and out of work, check their employee benefits and better manage their time.
- Employee Flexibility – Retaining good employees is essential, as turnover costs companies approximately 20 percent in salaries. This amount increases by approximately 200 percent for executive positions. Companies can consider implementing supplements for annual reviews, offering more performance feedback throughout the year. Regular and ongoing feedback helps produce better employees that provide higher quality work performance.
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) – This upcoming year will see an increase in HR departments incorporating AI into their everyday routines. For example, AI can review job applicants’ resumes, analyze application forms, institute tests and even analyze applicants’ personal attributes. Video interviewing with AI is also posed to be very promising.
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