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Technology evolution seems to be everlasting; every day comes with its own load of inventions, technologies and news.
But even though, Human resources experts have nothing to be afraid of, since HR trends shows that HR specialists will continue having a lot of work to do in the coming years.
As long as companies continue to hire talents, HR will remain the backbone of every company, and will always work to enhance employee engagement and participate in their business development.
In this article we will list the top HR trends for 2021, to help specialists of this field get ready for what is coming. Companies can use those trends to make sure that their HR strategy involves more than software to engage and retain their working forces.
Everyone knows that company most valuable asset is: employees. In fact, this is the factor that makes the difference between a successful, growing and smart company compared to a weak and scattered one.
That’s why HR teams need to be more effective, while turning technologies like HR software into automate tasks, they should focus more on higher value tasks like boosting employee engagement, improving their retention rate and recruiting the best available talents on the market.
- Understanding young workers
Nowadays working forces are the most versatile ones, since many companies have four generations employees, including: Traditionalists, baby boomers, generation X and millennials and soon enough generation Z will be joining this mix.
The higher rate of employed millennials and generation Z will increase the number of younger working forces whose priorities, needs and values are way too different from the older generations.
Those younger generations seem to prefer work-life balance, which indicates more flexible schedules and Telecommuting.
Generation Z and millennials in the other hand seem to be oriented toward the collaboration, active learning and feedbacks.
The young generations prefer to touch base with their managers, and 60% of generation Z want to check in with their managers on a daily basis.
By knowing and diving into the needs, style and visions of the younger generations, HR specialists can create customized corporate policies that will keep them happy, motivated and engaged.
Another way to motivate millennials and generation Z working forces is to give them the collaboration tools that accommodates their working style.
- New ways to engage workers
The newest HR trends and challenges evolve around increasing employee engagement and retention, especially if we know that 84% of employees declare that they don’t feel entirely engaged at work.
One solution HR experts can use to make their workers more satisfied is to strengthen their corporate social responsibility strategy. (CSR)
This step seems to be effective, since more employees feel empowered and able to speak up.
In fact, employees need to be implicated and involved into the company vision, they must feel like they are capable to make the difference, to bring something newer on the table rather than just working.
CSR strategies are also a strong recruitment tool, as employees look for companies that give them the chance to volunteer and take action.
Another HR trend, that needs to be enlightened, includes changing the corporate culture: workers need more insights on how companies are directed, they want to be able to speak up their words on their company’s strategies, culture and implementation.
This explains why corporate culture moves from classical, heavy hierarchy towards flat and simple structures involving employees’ vision into the decision-making process.
- Consumerization of the workplace
Today workers seem to look for specific employment experience they are fetching for companies that empower them to make their own choices and take their individual decisions when it comes to their goals and tasks.
Employees bring a customer vision into their working places.
Simply put, people now bring a customer mentality to their workplace.
This trend with the abundance of the youngest generations among the working forces dictates that HR experts needs to show flexibility while responding to workers individual needs.
This means a one standard global approach will no longer work for any organization, because employees will need more customized schedules, tasks and benefits.
New generations like generation Y and Z expect to work in more transparent environment and collaborative spaces, unlike the old generations who worked under hierarchical model.
HR experts can use internal survey software, conducted personalized test to deeply understand their employees and create more personalized managerial approaches.
- Employees wellness is a priority
As a key element of employee’s engagement strategy, employee’s wellness will always be the core statement; HR practitioner have to work on.
These days employees are more stressed than ever, and companies have been pressured to advance workplace wellness programs.
These programs aim to ensure and strengthen employee’s wellbeing and help workers be healthy and have a good work life balance which will make them more motivated, engaged at work and loyal to the company.
Aside from classical employee’s wellness initiatives like healthy lunches, team building activities, site fitness classes and support programs, HR specialists should work more on the mental health area.
This explains why more than 65% of organization are increasing their expanses on mental health wellness programs.
- Embracing the big economy
Traditional recruitment days have been despised, as the global worldwide economy continues to grow.
A growing number of employees are choosing the gig work, especially after knowing that gig economy is now appealing a third of all US workers.
In fact, employees tend to prefer this working engagement because of the amount of flexibility and autonomy it gives them, which ensure a better work life balance.
Experts predict that more than 40% of workers will be independent workers in the upcoming years.
To go with this trend that is changing from traditional employment, HR practitioners and team leaders must look for new ways to keep their working forces efficient and agile.
Customized employees’ applications, software monitoring employees may take the place of the old employee’s management tools.
Moreover, telecommuting tools and freelance platforms will sooner become a strong tool in each company’s recruitment strategy.
This have been the first part of HR predictions and trends for 2021 that companies must be aware of, stay tuned for the second part of our article.
