HR Tech Trends for 2020 and Beyond – What You Can Expect
A new decade has begun! Between flexible working, the gig economy and an explosion of HR tech solutions, these factors have left many human resources practitioners scrambling to make sense of a fast-changing and tech-driven workplace. Hang onto your hats because the HR tech will be an exciting new challenge in this upcoming decade. Here is our United Agencies List of Top HR Tech Trends for the 2020s:
HR Tech & Emerging Trends Defined
Basically, HR tech generally consists of various software applications that help to improve HR processes within the company. HR departments use technology for everything from employee management to talent acquisition to employee payroll, and everything in between. The primary goals of HR tech are to streamline HR practices, cut costs, boost employee engagement, and improve outcomes. In order to determine which HR technologies are right for your business, it’s important to first understand emerging trends and how these trends can improve effectiveness.
Remote/Virtual Workplace Technologies
It’s no surprise that collaborative workspaces and virtual office spaces will be a huge focus this year (decade) and will only continue to grow. This sector is still in its infancy, and the next 10 years will see a race for businesses to develop solutions to cater to the “remote workers boom.”
Rise of the Health & Wellness Market
Most of the large healthcare providers are pouring money into new AI-based automated tools, and these can be mixed and matched to fit any workforce in the world. Wellbeing platforms can bring these applications together and create real behavior change to the workforce. Tools for mental and emotional health, proper diet, stress reduction, physical fitness, and financial wellbeing are beginning to proliferate, a market that really didn’t exist even ten years ago!
AI & “Digital Ethics”
HR will play a significant role in the ethical introduction of automated technology, such as if an employee needs to be redeployed, due to the influence of AI.
Increased Use of “People Analytics” for Insights
HR will need to enhance their use and grasp of analytics, such as running experiments and influencing business strategies, which boost the company’s bottom line. According to a recent report, The Changing Face of HR, just 42% of companies are using data to drive HR decision-making. That means there is a lot to do!
Active Listening
While technology can make managing employees more efficient, it’s important for employers to maintain a human element. Active listening through tools, such as chatbots pulse surveys, and check-ins can improve engagement in the workplace by allowing employees to provide feedback quickly and effectively. Also, HR active listening tools give employers the power to go well beyond the standard annual survey to obtain real-time, consistent employee feedback. Emerging technology doesn’t only collect employee feedback, but it helps employers act on this feedback by providing next step prompts and keeping everyone up to date as to the status of the feedback. Integrating active listening technology into HR practices enables employers to improve employee engagement throughout the workplace.
Phone & Device Fatigue
While technology is obviously at the forefront of nearly everything, it’s beginning to take a toll on our health. Did you know the average person checks their smartphone approximately every 12 minutes and receives over 60 phone notifications a day? That is a lot of overload! It’s no surprise device fatigue is rapidly on the rise. Couple device fatigue with the pressures of social media and online interaction, the impact of digital “bombardment” from both hardware and software is overwhelming, and will be an issue for HR departments to address.
Employee Recognition
According to Gallup’s recent State of the American Workplace report, enhancing employee recognition in the workplace can improve quality, reduce shrinkage, and decrease absenteeism. To achieve results like these, however, employee recognition must go well beyond the annual performance reviews. Today’s employers want real-time recognition and rewards. The reality is that employers must embrace emerging technology if they want to provide the high level of recognition and rewards that today’s employees have come to expect.
An advanced employee recognition platform enables both manager-to-employee and peer-to-peer recognition. Your employees can receive real-time recognition on a daily basis and quickly participate with one-click recognitions. In addition, recognition software makes it easy to celebrate birthdays, work anniversaries, and other special events. HR tech can also track employee recognition activity, giving you real-time insights on user activity and overall program performance. As HR tech continues to advance, it will make managing employee recognition and rewards more efficient.
Want to Know More About HR Tech?
Our United Agencies experts are standing by ready to help.