Emerging HR trends of 2017

By Betsy Tailor

As the year is just about to start, emerging HR trends are discussed among HR professionals. However, emerging trends bring their own management challenges. Although it is not an easy task to stay updated with new trends or to set new ones, HR specialists need to be aware of the trend curve to stay ahead and prepared to cope up with whatever 2017 will bring. It is beneficial for organizations to keep an eye on the shifts and changes in the HR sector that are likely to take place over the next year.

There are several factors that may have an impact on the HR functions such as advanced technology, big data and most importantly, social media. HR professionals should be expected to be prepared to deal with upcoming changes in trends due to certain factors. The impact is observed on HR activities like selection and recruitment, employee experience and engagement and Performance Management System.

As social media and new technologies are having an impact on many HR activities, therefore, the main focus lies on performance reviews and their effect on employee engagement, benefits and compensation. Let us have a look at some of the emerging HR trends of 2017.

Partnership within Business

HR specialists are working hard to change administrative roles to strategic ones in order to move away from monotnous routine work. HR specialists hold important value in the business as true partners who are willing to grow and expand the business. However, the role of HR business partner has gained popularity in the past few years and hence, requires more focus. It is expected that in 2017, more HR roles will be seen in executive positions to be able to add strategic value to the business.

Data Requirements

The concept of "big data" has become challenging for most businesses as it requires enhanced skills to collect, process and then analyse the information. One of the most critical tasks for a business is to analyse the data. Therefore, there is a need for advanced HR systems and processes. Businesses are required to learn to analyse big data as well as to manage the on-going challenges along with it. Data driven insights allow businesses to gain competitive advantage in the market as well as improve HR functions.

Employee Engagement

Firstly, you must have qualified and capable leaders to inspire their teams towards success. One of the best ways to keep employees motivated towards the ultimate goal of the organization is to keep the employees engaged. Skilled employees are an asset to the business and in order to retain them, organizations need to create goals that are mutual in interest. The key is to keep employees and their needs first. Therefore, the management needs to give priority to employee engagement and culture in 2017 business objectives.

Focus on Well-being

HR is no more bound to take care of only the employee engagement, compensation and benefit, motivation and retention issues. It is now a trend to focus on the well-being of your employees. This includes the well-being of employee’s mental, emotional and physical health within the organization. Companies are offering heathcare services and counseling services to their employees for ensuring their well-being.

Flexible Workforce

With advanced technology and increased globalization, employees demand flexibility in work timings as well as in work spaces. Remote working has become a trend nowadays where roles and teams have become remote. Businesses are using this trend to their advantage by managing it effectively. Virtual work gives the benefit of flexible working hours and working space. Employees are able to work from anywhere other than the office and this gives them the advantage of staying at home or going to a vacation but still working remotely. This enables the employees to manage their professional and personal lives simultaneously.

Therefore, by identifying the emerging trends in HR, understanding compliance issues within the trends, studying the impact of advanced technology and systems on HR processes and procedures and learning about new ways of doing work, businesses are preparing to succeed in the year 2017. HR technology is growing at a rapid pace due to which it is challenging for organizations to keep up with new and emerging trends. However, technology has enabled increased HR support and interaction towards their employees. Use of mobile apps and cloud in the HR industry has been the latest trend. Continuous learning processes allow companies to cope up with challenges and be a part of the trend. The approach to management has been changed from Talent Management to People Management. Instead of managing people in groups, now HR is able to manage staff at an individual level.

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