12 HR Trends You Need to Watch Out For This Year

With new trends and technological advancements appearing in HR all the time, it’s difficult to know exactly what all the buzzwords mean. The first step to understanding how to shape your HR strategy for the coming year is to first know what’s hot and what’s not.

So which trends should you be thinking about this year?

Augmented Workforce (AI)

An augmented workforce is a blend of human employees and technology. This involves employees utilizing AI and cognitive technologies to help streamline and automate processes that would otherwise have taken longer when done manually.

Automation

Automation in HR involves the automating of mundane and repetitive tasks without sacrificing the quality of the work being carried out, allowing HR to focus on more important aspects of their job. This can involve managing and organizing files and documents in an easy to access system.

Company Culture

Company culture is about defining a company’s vision, its values and its beliefs. Each company will have its own unique culture which is made up these elements and reflected in its employees. The culture of an organization requires nurturing in order to create an enjoyable work environment.

Digital Skills

Digital skills refers to the digital literacy of an individual. This is the capability to be able to understand, share and create information via a digital method. This can range from accessing documents via Google Drive to being able to execute complex equations in Excel.

Diversity & Inclusion

Diversity and inclusion within the workplaces refers to the variety of people in an organization. This includes people from different backgrounds, ethnicities, age groups, genders, personalities and religions. The inclusion of a diverse workforce is becoming more important as organizations can realize the benefits of a having a broad-minded group of employees.

Gamifying Employee Learning

Employee gamification involves incorporating ‘game elements’ into a professional setting. Gamified learning incentivizes L&D within the corporate environment to encourage employees to take part and therefore supports their professional development.

Ongoing Performance Reviews

Ongoing performance reviews involves a program where managers use multiple meetings throughout the year to monitor the progress of employees, as opposed to the more traditional annual review.

People Analytics

Also known as talent analytics, people analytics is the application of technology, data and statistics to make executive decisions around hiring, employee morale and retention. This form of analysis and research allows HR teams to be more effective in their people management and recruitment techniques.

Social Hiring

Social recruitment is the process of utilizing social media channels in order to source candidates. LinkedIn is one of the more popular platforms for this method of recruitment and can provide a wide range of benefits; including reduced costs and increased reach.

Stress & Wellbeing

Stress is a serious issue in the workplace and can cause problems with both your physical and mental health. Improving the wellbeing of you and your employees will help to reduce stress and create a healthier environment to work in.

The Generation Gap

The generation gap refers to the gap in age between generations in a single workforce. With different mentalities, experiences and likes and dislikes, this can often cause a divide amongst employees. Addressing the generation gap is a top priority for employees who want to create a harmonious workforce.

Unique Benefits

If an employee receives any perks or offers and services that is beyond their standard salary and statutory requirements, this is considered a workplace benefit. Creating unique workplace benefits has become a top priority for businesses who want to distinguish themselves from the competition in the eyes of their employees, and boost employee loyalty.

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