2019 HR Trends

It's 2019 and everyone is determined to participate in the annual “New Year, New Me”. Just like the saying, HR is taking on the New Year with new trends. Despite the variety of expected trends, we have narrowed down the top three trends that businesses will face as we embark on the New Year.

1. HR Technological Innovation

No one can stress the impact of innovation. The rapid advances in technology have allowed for better research and easier transitions in business, especially in human resources. Over the years, the human resource department has transitioned to an impeccable member of the strategy team. In most cases, the HR department is thought to be the strategy expert. The department is being seen as a vital organ in business. It is the first stop for new employees and the last place an employee visits on their way out. For this reason, several companies are investing in HR technological innovations. This is no longer the generic functionality of HR software but advanced tools that capitalize on automation by digitalizing the majority of the work in the HR department. This allows less need for HR representatives and pushes employees to take advantage of self-service software. This frees up time and money for everyone in the business to focus on more vital projects. Selecthub.com said it best in there HR Trends in 2019: The Future of Human Resource Management article by stating “ease of use and automation are the future”. Where does your company stand on HR technological innovations? 

2. Trust

It’s a no-brainer that trust is difficult. Once lost it takes time to rebuild. Just like in your personal life, trust in business is difficult for most employees. Changes in the business have caused difficult roads for most employees but what is being seen in exit interviews are that many employees lose trust in leaders or the general business. When the employees begin to lose trust, a business can lose millions. The Trust Edge Leadership Institute published a recent research article called “The 2018 Trust Outlook”. This article noted that organizations across the globe lose billions of dollars due to lack of trust. It also pointed out that “Companies with high trust levels outperform companies with low trust levels by 186% (Watson Wyatt, Work USA)”. This is important for human resources as we can be a pivotal part of building employees trust. Through our employee relations and training our leaders. We are essentially a hub for pushing the business to the next level.  Our efforts in employee relations can build and sustain trust across the department. What are you doing about trust in your business?

3. Simplicity

Robert Browning phrased it best when he said: “Less is more.” This will play a critical role in HR for the upcoming year. Most have realized that the HR department is doing a lot and have begun personalization within the department to customize simple efforts with great impact. Rather than overloading the team, organizations are turning to I/O psychology consultants to assist with increasing workplace productivity with little effort. Scaling back the workloads to work smarter, rather than harder will assist with productivity increases and a harmonies workforce.

If you want to get ready to tackle the year and need some assistance, just give Lanuity a call today!