Human Resources Trends

Human resources have an essential role in helping business to adapt to the fast-paced, ever-changing business environments of the 21st century. While the purpose of human resources departments has remained the same since John R Commons first coined the term in 1893, many HR trends have come and gone. The list below outlines some of the most valuable human resources trends of 2020.

1. Workplace Wellbeing

The trend of worker wellbeing has been increasing in recent years. A study conducted by PwC and the University of Southern California defined worker wellbeing in a holistic sense that included physical, mental, emotional and spiritual focuses. The study also outlined practices that are designed to improve wellbeing. PwC Habit Bank suggests that reminding employees to stand up for short meetings, wind down before you sleep, make time to go outside with nature and turn off mobile notifications are all beneficial for wellbeing. Organizations must create a culture of wellbeing to ensure that business operations support this advice.

2. Employee Engagement

Employee engagement refers to the extent an employee is committed to an organization and its goals and is, therefore, motivated to take actions to further the interests of the organization. An engaged employee will go above and beyond in their work, and they are more likely to stay later and work harder. Employee engagement plays an important role in everything from loyalty (46% of employees would accept a job offer if they were disengaged in their current job) to absenteeism (engaged employees have a 41% lower rate of absenteeism). Increasing employee engagement can be achieved through a range of different practices, such as recruitment and employee engagement trackers.

3. Human Resources Software

Another human resources trend that is set to become a mainstay in human resources software. An HRIS is designed to improve every aspect of human resources. It automates making an offer to potential employees, getting new hires on board, managing employees, requesting time off and employee exiting. The software also provides business intelligence reports that help to improve your operations through insights on turnover, workforce diversity, employee compensation and more.

4. Encourage Creativity

As AI is taking over more routine tasks, it is predicted that workers that can think creatively and innovatively are going to become even more valuable to businesses. This trend should be a focus for recruiters when they are looking for new staff members. Employees should look for candidates that show creativity and thinking skills or signs of learnability and an aptitude to operate in a changing working environment.

5. Create a Healthy Working Environment

Awareness of the importance of promoting a healthy working environment is nothing new for 2020. A recent survey from Future Workplace and View recently surveyed 1,601 North American workers to find out which are the most valued healthy workplace changes and their subsequent effects on productivity. The survey found that employee’s value simpler changes before anything too flashy. Many cited better air quality, access to natural light, and the ability to personalize their workspace as the most important changes an organization can make to improve employee health and wellbeing.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or management of EconoTimes​