Technology and Flexibility Remain Key to HR Effectiveness in 2018 - American Society of Employers - Heather Nezich

Technology and Flexibility Remain Key to HR Effectiveness in 2018

As technology continues to evolve, it affects the workplace and the workforce.  For organizations to remain competitive in a tight talent market, they must keep up with these changes.

Four key trends that continue into 2018 include:

1.      Flexible Work Schedules – This trend continues to rise into 2018.  Work-life flexibility remains a key priority for millennials as well as other generations.  According to SHRM, 52% of HR professionals said their companies currently offer flexible work arrangements.  They also state that retention improves when organizations simply announce to employees that they are launching flexible work arrangements.  Experts are predicting that by offering flexible work schedules, recruitment will be easier and turnover will be reduced.

2.      A Remote Workforce – Along the same lines of flexibility, employees continue to seek the ability to work remotely.  Currently, 80-90% of the American workforce prefer to work remotely at least part of the time, according to Global Workplace Analytics.  Over the last ten years, telecommuting has increased 115%.  Even more important is the fact that multiple studies have shown that productivity is greater in remote workers.  Additionally, they tend to have higher morale, lower absenteeism, and work longer hours.  If talent acquisition and retention is a key initiative in your organization, offering remote options could set you apart or help you remain competitive with other companies.  

3.      Social Recruiting – 85% of companies use social media to recruit.  Expect to see even more companies leveraging mobile recruiting platforms in 2018.  According to Pew Research Center, 28% of all Americans use their smartphones for job searching.  Half of those have completed an application on their phone.  Your hiring platform should be mobile friendly and easy to navigate.  In addition to Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, organizations are also posting on professional association social networking sites in order to get in front of passive candidates.

4.      HR Program Management Technology – Technology continues to evolve in the HR arena.  According to Sierra-Cedar’s 2017-2018 HR Systems Survey, 50% of organizations now use a cloud-based HR application.  In 2018 expect to see a shift from simply automating systems, to systems that actually increase productivity and help teams work better together.  With the change to agile performance management, also expect to see new technology emerging to help with ongoing performance management.

Hot topics expected to continue into 2018 include:

·        Sexual Harassment

·        Pay Equity

·        Diversity and Inclusion

·        Drug Testing

·        Employee Handbooks

·        Employee Well-Being

·        ACA

·        Employee Leave

·        Workplace Violence

·        Talent Acquisition

·        Data Security

·        Workforce Planning

·        Federal Law Changes

 

Sources:  hrmorning.com, forbes.com, benefitnews.com

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