Top 2019 HR trends to keep on your radar

HR leaders can no longer afford to slate planning for once a year. It is an ongoing process that is constantly evolving. As leaders revise their strategies at the half-year mark, focusing on changes, new objectives and new projects, a recap of the top 2019 HR trends is a great way to get some additional perspective.

In addition to the way gamification has transformed how companies recognize employees, there are several other 2019 HR trends that have already changed the way employees interact with one another, how they collaborate, and what types of training and learning opportunities are available in the workplace. Here are some of the top HR trends that have already proven themselves in 2019.

Artificial Intelligence, the not-so-new HR trend

Through Artificial Intelligence (AI), HR teams are incorporating technology to optimize, automate and simplify operational tasks related to recruitment, hiring and HR management. In this regard, AI has proven to be especially effective in reducing the turnover rate of staff and increasing retention rates and motivation levels, as well as identifying and attracting talent to the organization. AI will continue to be a star of the latest trends in human resources.

In recent years, companies have invested in people analytics (metrics and data analysis about the workplace and HR), obtaining more and more data about performance indicators and goals achieved, training, compensation, and recruitment, among many others. It is not a secret that today, with the right software, HR can compile data on a wide range of events (attrition, turnover, time-to-fill vacancies), manage people talent more effectively, and even predict employee behavior.

But, is this information enough to impact employee behavior and generate a real change in company outcomes?

Although this type of “hard” data is increasingly more commonplace at the decision-making table, few organizations have been able to apply data intelligence to indicators such as commitment, recognition, communication, motivation, and team spirit, for strategic decision making in HR. This “delay” is paradoxical since research has proven that these concepts, which together determine “job satisfaction,” directly influence employee performance and, consequently, the achievement of business objectives.

Source: https://wol.iza.org/articles/are-happy-workers-more-productive/long

As an expanding of the digital transformation process, one of the HR trends 2019 is the consolidation of platforms and technological tools that enable organizations to have behavioral reports and valuable information in real time.

Learning and technology, another key 2019 HR trends

HR leaders from all over the world seem to be aligned with the idea that training and technology go hand in hand, and this concept will be one of the 2019 HR trends that will be implemented in organizations. How will companies prepare their teams to perform better in a highly competitive environment? It will be achieved through training, which is set to grow exponentially due to the technological innovations in the learning field.

As operational tasks are automated and executed using different software, training programs have evolved, with their focus shifting toward developing soft skills, such as negotiation, collaboration, and communication.

According to Gallup research, “it is likely that employees who are able to establish bonds with each other will have a greater commitment to their job.” “Social” skills are those that really generate a significant relationship with the organization and motivate the employee to achieve his goals.

New trends in HR that will spread in 2019: from collaborative systems to social networks

Collaborative technology systems, which emerged more than 30 years ago, have evolved and multiplied in the last decade. They have proven to be the best business tools to generate value in many ways: facilitate teamwork, reduce costs, manage global projects, and increase productivity, among many others.

Source: https://www.zdnet.com/article/how-digital-collaboration-will-evolve-in-2015/

Collaborative systems gained wider acceptance with increased complexity. Their implementation has extended to different areas of companies, from customer and supplier relationship management to the different internal work teams. They transformed the way teams interact, share content and work together in real time. The transition to inclusive and collaborative working platforms, which companies often implement in an unplanned, unorganized and unsatisfactorily communicated way, strongly impacted daily habits and practices, generating varied reactions from resistance to fanaticism, as in any change process.

What opportunities have these innovations that are defining the present and future of the human resources trends brought to the table? For example, does having tools to work collaboratively help to truly enhance the value of teamwork and cooperation? The good news is that the answer is: Yes!

Organizational culture has been transformed since these new technological platforms have been appropriated by the real protagonists of change—employees—and integrated into their daily work. Offering software best suited for the teamwork dynamics in each company is a clear trend solidifying in 2019.

Empowering employees through technology, one of the top 2019 HR trends

With the arrival of digital natives to the workforce, resistance to digital work platforms only lost steam, and the arrival of “other” social networks within organizations was accelerated. If employees are communicating with each other through Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc., why not create social networks legitimized by the company to encourage interaction and exchange, helping to build an integrated community and promoting, at the same time, the values of the organization?

The revolution that social networks imply for society has spread to the corporate world, and everything indicates that, far from reaching the saturation point, the number of social networks will grow and diversify moving forward, offering different advantages and alternatives for every need. The human aspect is perhaps the greatest benefit that comes together with these platforms, allowing important social changes: creating bonds between different generations and geographical points, enhancing social practices, promoting 2.0 socialization and recognition channels, sharing experiences and even having fun, a feeling that has been revalued as a key aspect in the work environment.

Companies create applications, add hashtags to their internal events, use emoticons, share images, ask for feedback and vote on team initiatives. But not only are they appropriating the “language” and functions of social networks, but they are also using them as communication horizontal spaces in which the voice of the employee/user is the only thing that matters. In the future, the challenge for companies will be to find the perfect tool to enhance their own business culture.

Processes that will define HR trends 2020

Managers want flexible and communicative employees, and teams that can adapt to changes with agility. Employees, increasingly connected and informed, have high expectations about the resources (platforms, channels, tools) available to them to enhance flexibility and communication, both individually and collectively. It is no longer an option for companies to close themselves off to the digital revolution in HR. Their strategic planning for 2020 must take advantage of the multiple technological advances to innovate and adopt changes. Is your company prepared for the shift toward a more digital HR?