Advancements in few areas will heavily influence the future of Human Resources. These include technological changes, changes in demographics, and shifting employee expectations.
Here are five key trends that one can possibly see most visibly in the workplace today
- On Automation: HR functions such as recruitment, onboarding, and performance management are becoming more automated, freeing up HR professionals to focus on strategic initiatives. Roles in HR as well as even what the function will be called in the future will change.
- On EX: Positive employee experience (EX) will be shaped in a big way by HR. This will not just include fostering a sense of purpose but also promoting health, and well-being, and building a culture of inclusivity.
- On the reskilling and upskilling focus: As the nature of work continues to evolve, HR will play a key role in helping employees acquire new skills and adapt to changing job requirements. This will bring a major shift in competitiveness and ability to respond quickly to the external forces.
- On Data and Analytics at the Forefront: HR departments will increasingly use data and analytics to make critically informed decisions, constantly track employee engagement, and distill out several measures of the success of HR initiatives that are tied up to the organization's success. It's here that the investments in HR Analytics will pay off.
- On Flexibility and remote work: With remote work becoming more widespread, HR will need to develop new strategies for supporting and managing remote employees, including flexible work arrangements and virtual team building.
I did a detailed study on the impact of work configurations on stress and stress-coping mechanisms in the Covid 19 context and will share detailed findings in a coming post.
While these are five trends that may be on top of the charts for some time, we should note that the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated many of these trends, and their effects may be felt more acutely in the coming years.
