5 HR Trends and Techniques to Consider Implementing This Year
The modern workplace is nothing like it was 20 years ago. To retain talent, companies have started turning the workplace into a more people-focused environment, and we have human resources professionals to thank for that. They understood that, for a business to be successful, it needs to shift its focus toward the engine that powers any company: the human element.
2020 marks the start of a new decade, a decade that seems to follow the same human-centered approach. Businesses have to compete with each other not only to become market leaders but also to find talented people to help them achieve that goal.
Right now, technology seems to be HR professionals’ main tool when it comes to scouting for and retaining new talent. Without further ado, here are the HR trends we believe any successful business should implement this year.
1. A Streamlined Job Application Process
If finding and securing new talent has become increasingly difficult, it may be because your company has a lengthy and complicated application process. This pushes potential applicants away and sends them right to your competitors.
If the application process is streamlined, it won’t only make the job offering more tempting for potential employees, but it will also help the HR department work in a more effective manner.
We know that the hiring process requires a human approach, but partially automating the job application process can help tremendously. For the first phase of the application, for example, candidates could be asked to take an aptitude test, such as those found on Practice Aptitude Tests. Based on the results and the applicant’s resume, HR specialists can decide if they should be moved into the second phase of the recruitment process.
This approach, paired with a tool that can sort through applications and qualify those which meet certain criteria, can help save HR professionals tremendous amounts of time. This time can be used for more comprehensive interviews with those candidates who fit the job description.
2. Placing the Company’s Image at the Center of Talent Acquisition
The labor market is becoming very competitive, especially as younger workers bring new standards to the job search. Not many are willing to compromise if they are not sure a company’s principles align with theirs.
If you want to hire top talent, you need to become a top company. This includes good sales results and, even more importantly, a good brand image. Your company culture needs to keep up with the modern world, and this sometimes means evolving and adapting to candidates’ current requirements.
Potential candidates will be keener to send their applications to a company that has sustainability programs in place, can provide good health insurance, allows flexible working hours, or provides various other benefits for employees.
A company can’t function without employees, and every business should aim to become a place employees can vouch for. However, this can only happen if your employees believe in the company.
3. Using Big Data to Aid the HR Department
Big data has been at the core of all major technological changes recently, and HR is no exception. Thanks to big data, we can now analyze and extract valuable information from gigabytes of data in just a matter of seconds.
When it comes to HR, big data can help uncover valuable insights into employee performance, motivation, satisfaction, and any challenges they may face. Now, all this information is at HR professionals’ fingertips.
Tools that leverage big data can help the HR department with tasks like employee time management, payroll, and other expenses. All the valuable information the HR department holds — including KPIs, employee statistics, and recruitment data — can now be leveraged to make better company decisions when it comes to hiring, promoting, or laying off employees.
4. Cultivating a Healthy Workplace Environment
Shocking news about toxic office environments has been circulating in the media for years now. Stories of harassment, verbal abuse, and discrimination have revealed the unhealthy corporate environments some employees have been forced to endure.
The focus of any business that wants to acquire new talent in 2020 should be addressing unhealthy workplace cultures and formulating zero-tolerance policies against discrimination or harassment of any kind.
Employees need to feel safe and protected in order to be productive and keep their focus on work. If they want happy employees, companies need to ensure they reinforce policies regarding proper workplace conduct, as well as listen to and address the complaints employees raise.
Open communication and transparency are key for gaining employee trust and transforming the workplace environment into a healthy one. Employees need to be able to speak up and come forward when they encounter any issues, and it’s the employer’s job to further investigate and come up with solutions.
5. Providing Employee Benefits
When considering a job offer, people are now looking at more than the paycheck. They are also looking at extra benefits the company can provide them. Even the way a candidate is treated during an interview can count more than what they would be paid if they took the job.
Healthcare benefits are at the top of many employees’ requirements lists, but companies rarely provide policies that cover more than physical health treatment. Not many employers acknowledge the huge issue that work-related stress poses right now. Employee stress can impact productivity and product quality, and providing wellness benefits such as gym passes, nutrition coaches, or therapy sessions can help employees reduce stress and continue performing at their best capacity.
Flexible work hours are yet another employee favorite, and technological advancements help us work from anywhere now. The modern workplace has evolved beyond brick-and-mortar offices, meaning employers need to consider providing more flexibility.
In places where a flexible work schedule is implemented, employee productivity and satisfaction often increase considerably. This fact has prompted more companies to start adopting this new working style. After all, we live in the era of freelancing, and anyone with a computer can do nearly all the tasks they used to do in an office.
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