Changing Gears: New HR Trends to Watch for in 2019
The HR industry is being transformed by shifts in the way employee management is viewed and by recent technology developments. Today, employees expect more from their companies, and HR departments need to work smarter to retain their employees and improve overall workplace culture.
With social media, employee data, recruiting and reporting software now readily available, HR departments have a world of new possibilities to consider. Even though many of these things are already in place, 2019 is going to be a time of refinement as companies work to smooth out the edges of new HR philosophies and strategies.
Now, the focus is going to be on how companies can utilize technology to make better and more data-driven decisions. It’s time to move away from data analysis paralysis and into a period of more informed employee management.
People Analytics
In 2017, there was a study that showed a significant increase in businesses’ focus on people analytics. In fact, the plans to implement data and to create a people analytics database increased from around 10 to 15 percent to 69 percent.
There are several issues related to data integrity and executives only having a surface level understanding of the data. In 2019, there’s going to be a better understanding and a level of data mastery that wasn’t present in the HR industry before.
Recruiting Technology
In 2019, modern recruitment management systems are going to be heavily relied on. This will help to further streamline the hiring process used by HR departments. It no longer makes sense for companies to use outdated strategies to find, engage and acquire top talent.
Employer Branding
While reputation management isn’t a new concept, in 2019 companies are going to begin exercising more control over the way that they are viewed by potential candidates and customers. They are going to move from just monitoring how they are seen online, to guiding the brand in the preferred direction.
More and more companies are now adopting the philosophy of giving to receive — they are working to build a company culture around what their team needs and values. This is going to be the central focus in the coming year.
No More 9 to 5
Modern HR departments are finally realizing that job roles are now more transient. It’s estimated that by 2020, approximately 50 percent of the workforce in the United States will be freelance, contract or temporary workers. This gives companies the opportunity to save money, all while having access to skilled talent on an as-needed basis.
With this in mind, HR departments can begin working to nurture an ever-growing network of talent, rather than being wed to a finite group of employees.
Settling In
While the eventual results offered by the changes mentioned here are going to be mostly positive, the transition period may leave several HR departments wondering what they need to do first. The good news is that 2019 is going to see an HR revolution. Companies are going to adopt the technology and trends to embrace the modern workforce and give them the information and technology needed for success.
