CAL’s top 7 Human Resources trends
The 2018 top human resources trends can fall into two main areas driving innovation and change in human resources. These are in the areas of Technology and Employee Experience.
Overall the human resources job market continues to grow and excites with possibilities. Seek Australia insights shows that HR and Recruitment job ads grew 20% in 2017.
2018 Human Resources Trend Area A
Technology – how it can be used to find, connect, engage and replace people.
1. In Hiring
Social Media
Across the world, social media has become a tool of choice for many recruiters looking to find new talent in the marketplace. This pursuit of the passive candidate is being done via social media platforms where a savvy recruitment approach effectively targets likely candidates.
Hiring Bias
Online blind screening is a tool being used to remove bias from the hiring process. Software products assess candidates on skill and capacity, and filter out bias markers such as age and gender. This streamlines the hiring process and ensures a better position fit.
Cognitive Gaming
Another innovation is the use of gamification in the hiring process. Using online games to evaluate cognitive ability is fun for the candidate and provides useful data for the employer. Fresh candidates and existing employees can benefit from being matched to better workplace roles suited to their assessed cognitive skills.
2. Remote Workforce
USA telecommuting employee numbers have quadrupled over the last two decades, to 37% or the total workforce. Tools such as VPN, video conference and online collaboration make remote working easy and engaging.
The development of the ‘Gig economy’ (defined as a labour market characterised by short-term contracts or freelance work, as opposed to permanent jobs), is continuing to change the face of work. 2018 will see more even people choosing their ‘gigs’ rather than seeking full-time employment.
3. Digital Tools and Artificial Intelligence
In many cases, artificial intelligence is replacing repeatable tasks while predictive analytics is replacing certain levels of management and decision making. AI and digital tools can be used to lower costs and increase employee job satisfaction. Singapore based OCMC Bank has developed an in-house app called ‘HR in your pocket’, that employees use to find answers to standard HR questions.
The HR Trend Institute states that in HR Services, both IT and hospitality are important and need to be provided 24/7. Friendly chatbots can be used to help employees and managers. In addition, high-level professionals will still need to fill gaps when the issue is too difficult for the chatbot.
In 2018, AI advancements will continue to challenge human resources to skill their workforce in management, problem-solving, troubleshooting and other areas that require a human element.
2018 Human Resources Trend Area B:
Employee Experience – a shift from Employee Engagement to making work enjoyable via engagement, culture and performance management.
4. Employee Intimacy
The focus for HR is moving from pleasing top management towards cultivating employee intimacy. This puts HR in an employee champion roll developing new areas such as ‘Employee journey mapping’ and ‘Employee wellness plans’. Wellness, communication and productivity technology tools are growing in popularity to manage the processes and outcomes required.
5. Fluid job roles
People analytics and a renewed focus on productivity are driving the emergence of fluid rather than fixed job roles. In this model, employees collaborate and craft their own job based on organisation projects. Agile skills and agile management processes supervise the process to make the best vacancy fit for people depending on their capabilities.
6. Learning solutions
Rather than long sessions with large groups, learning solutions are being delivered in smaller chunks (known as micro-learning) and delivered to staff when it’s needed via on-demand portals. Many leading organisations are incorporating Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality solutions into training and development to make it more effective, and fun too.
7. Demand for top HR professionals
HR Trend Institute in the USA believes that as the level of HR automation increases, jobs in HR services such as HR advisors and assistants will decrease and be replaced with technology.
The future then is bright for top human resource professionals and high-level HR architects who will be needed to manage employee experience and organisational transformation.
Raise your sights in 2018 and beyond with the right Human Resources qualification
2018 Human Resources trends show that HR is rewarding career path with opportunity for advancement and attractive salary packages.
Demand for confident and skilled HR professionals will continue. Human Resources Diploma qualifications from The College for Adult Learning are the perfect place to begin your HR career today.