With the ever-growing demands of modern business, it’s more important than ever to keep up with the latest trends in HR (Human Resources). The role of the HR teams is evolving. It is no longer simply hiring new employees and firing them.
HR needs to be aligned with the business management strategy which, in most cases, is to ultimately improve the bottom line of the company.
In fact, HR now has a wide range of roles and is expected to directly deliver value to the company. Does that mean that the work of HR has become tougher? Well, the answer to that is in the affirmative. Because of this reason, it’s becoming essential for HR to stay up to date with the latest trends.
This article discusses the seven modern trends that HR teams can adopt to make their jobs a bit easier and to help them stay ahead of the curve:
Be technology savvy
In today’s business world, technology plays a vital role. Whether it is using AI and analytics to automate tasks or implementing a cloud-based system to streamline operations, technology can help make your business more efficient and successful.
In fact, according to a recent survey by Forbes Insights, around 90% of companies are planning to have some form of the digital transformation initiative. In addition to adopting technology at workplaces, companies are also realizing the importance of another valuable asset – data.
As a result, it is becoming trendy for HR teams to make use of data analytics.
For instance, HR professionals can use data to see the teams that are performing the best. The data can be in the form of the number of employees in the team, attendance rate, years of experience, working hours, and other relevant factors. Analyzing the data will help HR understand the qualities of a successful team. This way they can replicate the team’s success with other teams.
It can be said that HR is becoming a product that has to consistently deliver value in order to achieve the business goals. The more tech-savvy the product is, the more focused it can be on delivering value.
It is becoming essential for team leaders to embrace technology to stay competitive and ensure that their organizations are equipped with the tools needed for success.
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Make corporate travel easy
In today’s hectic work world, the lines between work and home life have become increasingly blurred. Many employees are expected to travel frequently for work and have to manage both their personal and professional commitments at the same time.
In some companies, teams have to travel for work. In such cases, it is mainly the job of HR teams to manage different aspects of business travel such as planning the logistics, booking hotels, and purchasing flight tickets.
However, contemporary HR teams are making use of software to become efficient. For instance, teams have started using corporate business travel tools which allow employees to be responsible for booking and planning trips themselves.
Employees are also able to send invoices directly to the finance team and get reimbursed. This relieves HR professionals of a significant amount of work. It also means they can focus on other essential tasks.
Get to work on a flexible schedule
The Covid-19 pandemic has started a remote work culture. Employees now expect companies to allow them the opportunity of working from home. Hybrid or remote-first work culture is gaining popularity.
As a result, many employees are looking for more flexibility in the workplace so that they can better manage their time and meet the demands of their jobs as well as personal obligations.
HR needs to adapt to the changing work norms. By offering flexible work schedules to their employees, businesses can attract and retain high-quality talent while also improving productivity.
Implement an innovative culture
In order to remain competitive in the modern business landscape, companies must implement an innovative culture that encourages creativity and experimentation. This is particularly important for fast-growing startups that face stiff competition from larger corporations that are often better equipped to deal with rapidly changing markets.
Without an innovative culture that promotes creative thinking and collaborations, these smaller businesses will find it difficult to succeed in an increasingly fast-paced business environment.
Creating a culture that promotes authenticity can be beneficial. According to Microsoft, authenticity spurs well-being and productivity. In simple words, productive employees will be able to perform better.
In this manner, the goal of HR teams – to deliver value – can be achieved.
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Develop a clear vision for your company
Developing a clear vision for the future is a critical component of running a successful business. Every organization needs a mission statement that describes the core beliefs and values that guide its operations.
The vision of a company might be to achieve growth sustainably. The company might also want to showcase that they are sustainable by doing corporate social responsibility (CSR) campaigns. In that case, HR professionals might also have to do the tasks of a sustainability manager to carry forward the vision of the company.
Basically, the HR team has to promote the vision and mission of the company. Consider HR professionals as salesmen who sell the idea of your business to prospective employees. The clearer the vision of the company, the better will they be able to sell and attract the very best talent.
Once exceptional talent is attracted, they will also start believing in the vision of the company. When employees better understand the company’s goals, they have a better idea of the type of work that they should be doing each day.
That does not mean that all the employees working at the company will always believe in the mission – some of them will only work because it is a means of their livelihood or helps them achieve some personal goal.
Nevertheless, it always pays off to invest in your employees (which brings us to our next point).
Invest in your employees
According to a survey conducted by Gallup, only 36% of employees are actively engaged at work. This means that over half of the workforce is not invested in their job and may be open to finding a new job if the opportunities at their current company are limited.
As you might have noticed from job postings, HR teams are getting innovative when it comes to offering benefits to employees.
For instance, employees are offered a well-being bonus – a fixed amount that they can spend on the gym, spas, and activities that promote mental wellness.
Similarly, when a new employee starts working remotely, companies offer an amount that can be spent on purchasing new, comfortable office equipment that can help the employee perform well on the job.
These little HR activities actually depict an effective business management strategy. When you invest in employees, they feel valued and their loyalty toward the company increases. In fact, investing in your employees is the key to building a strong team and growing your company successfully.
It is important to give your employees the resources and training that they need to develop their skills and advance their careers. In this way, you can create an organization that is a great place to work and that will help you stand out from your competitors.
Develop a diverse workforce
Today’s highly competitive business environment means that companies have to find ways to attract and develop a diverse workforce. This is especially important in the tech industry, where many companies are facing a shortage of qualified candidates with specialized skills.
Developing a diverse workforce can help improve the productivity and creativity of your organization. It can also create a stronger corporate culture that is more accepting of different ideas and perspectives.
Having a diverse workforce seldom has its disadvantages. Not only does it make employees more open-minded, but it also results in new ideas. In other words, diversity breeds innovation.
Think of it this way. Employees coming from different backgrounds will have varied past experiences and must have developed unique perspectives about different things in life. The teams will always be full of ideas.
In addition, diversity in a team also means individuals have diverse skill sets. Combining all the skills together makes the team very strong. A strong team will be able to provide great value. It will also help in improving the company’s bottom line – which is the ultimate business management strategy.
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Conclusion
The modern business world is constantly changing and evolving. The above-mentioned HR trends are very helpful in modernizing business management strategies. They would help businesses to save time and money while maintaining high levels of productivity. By modernizing your business management strategy, you can stay ahead of the competition, attract and retain top talent, and improve your bottom line.
This article is written by Osama Zahid. Osama is a technology content strategist who is passionate about content marketing and all things SEO. He has helped various companies rank their content on the first page of search engines. In his free time, Osama loves to play football and travel.
This article is written by Osama Zahid. Osama is a technology content strategist who is passionate about content marketing and all things SEO. He has helped various companies rank their content on the first page of search engines. In his free time, Osama loves to play football and travel.
