Remote working tools, a rise in the number of people freelancing and a desire for a better work-life balance have all contributed to the end of the classic nine-to-five culture, especially amongst millennials. With so much evolution and revolution, HR professionals have never had so much to consider or stay on top of.
Here are five trends that all HR professionals should be aware of for 2016
In-house HR will take on more roles and responsibility
New technology will see firms place less reliance on external agencies to assist in areas such as hiring. Instead, digital platforms such as Workable and Bamboo, specifically designed to simplify the hiring and payroll process, will help in-house HR departments lower recruitment costs and speed up the process of finding the ideal candidate.
Freelance culture will continue to grow
Freelancers are the fastest growing group of workers in the European Union. Now that more people are choosing to be their own boss, HR departments should look at whether freelancers are the key to helping them find talent on tap.
2016 will see a continued rise in the number of companies using freelancers to easily and quickly bring in specialist skills or extra manpower to cope with boosts in workload or to manage special projects.
The ‘parent-child’ staff training model is going to end
The arrival of more millennials into the workforce will force a shift in how HR structures internal training. A focus on lifelong learning will see more HR teams abandon annual review formats and replace them with more frequent and relevant touch points – helping to motivate fresh job entrants who expect more instant progress than their predecessors.
There will also be a move away from a ‘parent-child’ teaching relationship, where only senior staff act as mentors. Constant evolving technology will see ‘360 degree’ learning become the norm, as more tech-savvy younger people will help upskill senior staff on how to use the latest digital software.
More organisations running internal background checks
Thankfully for HR directors, the background checking industry is finally being dragged into the 21st century. Processes that were once slow, paper based and required cooperation with countless external agencies are now being automated and digitised. This is lowering costs, eliminating bureaucracy and reducing waiting times.
More robust than traditional methods, these digital platforms will give HR teams the ability and confidence to run background checks and identification verification themselves, rather than outsource.
Increased pressure on HR to upskill on compliance
Uncertainty around legislation relating to employing foreign workers, and a renewed vigilance from government on the matter, means companies will need to be more focused than ever on making sure they meet all legal employment criteria. Processes such as ‘Right to Work’ checks, for instance, should be rigidly applied to all potential hires, regardless of whether they have given verbal assurances of their status or worked in the UK previously. 2016 will also bring in a wide range of major changes on everything from pensions to the living wage.
Robert joined the HRreview editorial team in October 2015. After graduating from the University of Salford in 2009 with a BA in Politics, Robert has spent several years working in print and online journalism in Manchester and London. In the past he has been part of editorial teams at Flux Magazine, Mondo*Arc Magazine and The Marine Professional.
- Robert Leeming
- Robert Leeming
- Robert Leeming
- Robert Leeming
