Top 10 HR Trends To Watch Out For In 2018

Erts, Norberts . Workforce Management (Time and Attendance) Excellence Essentials ; Aurora (May
2018).

Enlace de documentos de ProQuest

RESUMEN (ENGLISH)
As companies seek efficiency, high performance and cost-effectiveness to gain competitive advantage, there is
still plenty of room for improvement for HR departments. 2018 is going to be a mix of technology advancements
and changes in our mindset on how we lead and oversee our companies’ workforce and operations. With that in
mind, let’s have a look at 10 biggest trends awaiting HR world in 2018:

TEXTO COMPLETO
2018 will be a mix of technology advancements and changes in our mindset
Although 2018 will most likely not bring any striking modifications, one thing is clear –technology will remain the
main catalyst for changes.
As companies seek efficiency, high performance and cost-effectiveness to gain competitive advantage, there is
still plenty of room for improvement for HR departments. 2018 is going to be a mix of technology advancements
and changes in our mindset on how we lead and oversee our companies’ workforce and operations. With that in
mind, let’s have a look at 10 biggest trends awaiting HR world in 2018:
1# Understanding the Employee
For a long time work culture has been quite constant –do everything to please the boss –leaving the employee
secondary. However, slowly but steadily employee experience is becoming more important. Employers begin to
realize that employees are the force driving the company to success, therefore hearing and understanding their
wishes, needs and capabilities help build a high performing and resilient workforce.
What is the employer and employee brand? According to some experts, those brands have become synonymous
with “brand” overall.
Jim Link, CHRO of Randstad North America, admits that HR is undergoing some dramatic changes in the way
talent is identified. “More employees, especially younger workers, are seeking individualized, tailored career
experiences from their employers —and employers aren’t especially good at this yet,” said Jim Link. Although we
aren’t quite there yet, 2018 is an opportunity to sharpen up that employee experience and care for your talents like
never before!
2# Working Remotely
Employees are no longer tied to their office jobs; instead, technology enables employees to choose a more flexible
work. Be it working from home, a coffee shop or indulging in a nomadic lifestyle. Such trend is especially popular
among young professionals from the United States and Europe. Although the productivity of remote workers has
been a hot topic, studies have shown that compared to their office counterparts, remote workers manage to get
done more.
Compared to their office counterparts, remote workers manage to get done more. Moreover, a report by State of
American Workplace has shown that the volume of employees who have worked by telecommuting has risen to
44% (from 39% in 2012) and a forecast of employment trends by the World Economic Forum consider flexible work
as one of the main drivers of workplace transformation.
3# Being Unable to Secure a Safe Position in the Marketplace
That’s right! No company is safe! With emerging new products and services as well as the rapid evolution of

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technology, boundaries between markets blur. Even the largest companies will not be able to protect their
business; unconventional approach will be needed to maintain your company’s status. A small start-up could turn
the whole industry upside-down. 2018 will require CEOs and their teams to be alert and constantly up-to-date with
the latest novelties.
4# Blind Hiring
Bias in the workplace has been a common issue in many companies. Key information about candidate’s
background (gender, age, race, etc.) is subject to unconscious bias during typical screening and interviewing
process. Moreover, recruiting decisions may be affected by mutual liking. However, when hiring is a blind process,
any info revealing demographic data is excluded. Thus, the first impression is purely based on candidate’s abilities
and achievements.
Will blind hiring become the interview of the future?
Canada recently launched a blind hiring pilot project removing candidates’ names before their applications get
reviewed. Their goal is to increase workplace diversity by promoting gender and ethnic equality.
There’s even a recruiting software built to automate screening and anonymize candidates.
5# Creating Employee Experience Through Wearables
Employees are now just as important (if not more) as customers, and businesses are looking for opportunities to
use wearable devices (smartwatches, fitness trackers) as powerful HR tools. Promoting healthy lifestyle,
enhancing workplace safety are just some of the benefits wearable device trend can bring. Wearables allow
employers to track their employee behaviour which then contributes to better communication, optimized office
space and potentially better organization within the company.
6# Trusting Algorithms
Should you go with your gut feeling or trust algorithms? The use of algorithms in recruitment is increasing. HR
seniors may not be particularly happy about the idea of relying on algorithms, however, it is proven to be much
more reliable than a biased human instinct. For example, a leading American bank is using algorithms on digital
resumes to identify candidates with the bank’s preferred traits. Interesting that the same technology can be used
to make sure that the human interviewers are not overlooking strong applicants.
Success in HR is down to making the right decisions and plans about important people matters
The truth is… as HR becomes more sophisticated due to being a data-driven force, HR will require more talented
analytical professionals. Millennials are actively devoting themselves to work yet a lot of seniors are not ready to
retire. Therefore, managing roles will require new sets of skills and way of thinking to avoid the clash between
generations.
7# Bringing Passive Candidates in the Spotlight
Unfortunately, many employers prefer applicants that are currently employed over those who are not working. The
reason is the fear of making a mistake by choosing the wrong fit. Applicants are judged by their employment
status which does not indicate any talents or capabilities of the individual. Social media, search of hashtags, sub-
forums and other means of online communication is a convenient and simple way of identifying a talent. That way
recruiters can gain a better understanding of what they are looking for as well as whether the potential candidate
is ready for changes.
Here are 3 useful ways how to secure top talent and using social media is one of them!
8# Technology Pushing out Workforce
HR is about to experience a decrease in the number of jobs thus leading to shrinking HR teams. Manufacturing
and manual labour are no longer the only sectors in danger. Many positions like travel agents, flight attendants,
librarians and others are the most endangered and risking to be taken over by AI. While it may seem alarming for
some, bringing HR and robots together can help ease minor issues and let teams achieve greater things.
As teams become smaller due to increasing technology advancement, top HR professionals will be required to
transform organisations.
Read more about how technology advancements will affect future of HR here. Where does this leave the human

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workforce? In 2018, companies must evaluate their HR department and determine appropriate future positions. As
the team becomes smaller, top HR professionals will be required to transform the organisation.
9# Focusing on Wellness
HR departments are beginning to realize the importance of a healthy work-life balance.
* 57% of people with high health risk reached low-risk status by completing a worksite cardiac rehabilitation and
exercise program.
Within the next year employers will encourage their employees to leave the work behind the office door. Moreover,
personal and financial stress has always been an issue within an organisation. Studies have shown that healthy
employees cost less, therefore, increasing number of companies are looking for ways to help reduce employee
stress by working financial and mental health into their designed wellness programs.
10# Racing to Digitalize HR
This is possibly the most important trend –digitalization of the workplace itself. Nowadays almost every company
is undergoing digital transformation. Every aspect of a business can now be transformed with cloud, mobile
computing, AI and increasing automation. In a survey conducted by Fortune, CEOs were asked whether they
believed that their company was a “technology company”. The results revealed that 67% of the respondents said
yes which is not shocking at all. With the growing number of mobile phones and necessity for computers, in 2018
we will all plunge deeper into the Digital Era.
* 67% of survey respondents said that they believed that their company was a “technology company”
In 2018, it is inevitable that technology-driven trends will have an impact on further shaping the HR industry. After
all, the expectations are high, and all the efforts are made to create a slightly better workplace.
Many of the above discussed trends have emerged in the past yet they will continue to transform HR. These are
only some of the predictions for 2018 but they are definitely worth bearing in mind.
To sum up, here are the 10 HR trends to watch out for in 2018:
* Understanding the employee
* Working remotely
* Being unable to secure a safe position in the marketplace
* Blind hiring
* Creating employee experience through Wearables
* Trusting algorithms
* Bringing passive candidates in spotlight
* Technology pushing out workforce
* Focusing on wellness
* Racing to digitalize HR
Author Bio
Norberts Erts is Co-Founder of CakeHR.

DETALLES

Materia: Polls &surveys; Trends; Employees; Social networks; Workforce; Automation;

Candidates; Employment; Workplace diversity; Employers; Human resource
management; Human resources

Lugar: United States--US Canada North America Europe

Título: Top 10 HR Trends To Watch Out For In 2018

Autor: Erts, Norberts

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 Título de publicación: Workforce Management (Time and Attendance) Excellence Essentials; Aurora

Año de publicación: 2018

Fecha de publicación: May 2018

Editorial: HR.COM

Lugar de publicación: Aurora

País de publicación: Canada, Aurora

Materia de publicación: Business And Economics--Personnel Management

Tipo de fuente: Magazines

Idioma de la publicación: English

Tipo de documento: Feature

Publication history :

Online publication date: 2018-05-21

ID del documento de 2046074505

ProQuest:

URL del documento: https://search.proquest.com/docview/2046074505?accountid=43847

Copyright: Copyright HR.COM May 2018

Última actualización: 2018-07-09

Base de datos: ProQuest Central

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