Introduction
In 2023, Human Resources professionals will be expected to do more than just help their team members find jobs and build a culture that allows them to thrive. The uncertainties that persisted in 2022 have been addressed with adequate data to support them. You will be expected to be more creative and innovative than ever before. As a Human Resources professional, you will have to be skilled at adapting to new technology platforms and products that allow the company to innovate rapidly and adapt quickly when the market changes. This will allow you to communicate clearly with clients, vendors, and other stakeholders about the occurrences within the company so that the members of the organization can stay on top of any changes.
You will have to be able to work across departments in order to get as much information as possible about what’s going on within an organization so that they can make good decisions about how best to support their team members’ needs. You’ll also need strong organizational skills to collaborate with not only your department but also other departments outside of HR.
At the same time, real-time data analysis has made it possible for HR professionals to make decisions based on analytics that were once impossible or impractical. Now you will be able to gather huge amounts of information quickly, analyze it in real-time and then act on that information with precision and speed.
It’s a great time for HR professionals to make sure you’re not just surviving in this new era—but thriving in it!
But what does this mean for HR professionals? In order to stay relevant, you have to be willing to adapt your approach to meet the needs of your company and all the employees. Here are five trends that we think will shape Human Resources in the coming year:
1) The Rise of AI
The implementation of AI and machine learning will change how HR professionals handle work. AI technology has already changed the way companies recruit candidates—now it’s changing how they hire them as well! AI has created a new world in which humans are no longer the undisputed masters of their domain. In fact, it’s the AI that is learning how to learn, how to think for itself, and how to apply its own logic and reason to solve problems—and it’s doing so faster than ever before. Advanced AI technology will help improve hiring time, diversity, and workforce management within a company. Areas like performance analysis, succession planning, applicant tracking systems, travel and expense management, recruitment marketing, payroll systems, and employee relationship management will all be catered to in a more systematic and efficient manner, thanks to the emerging HR Trends of AI.
2) Automation of Workflow
The rise of workplace automation will impact how HR professionals manage their teams in different ways than before. While some people believe that this will lead to less work for HR professionals, others believe it will create more opportunities for those who can learn new skills or take advantage of new types of technology. The combination of advanced technology and in-depth analysis of the company’s work processes and employees can accelerate several tasks within the organization and reduce redundancies that could hinder the company’s growth. Automated processes and industry-specific automation tools can help in the fields of analytics, data entry, marketing, inventory management, and customer relations, which in turn dramatically enhance an HR Professional’s work.
3) Blockchain Technology in HR
Blockchain Technology is a fool-proof system that tracks and maintains information that cannot be hacked or altered across a connected network of computers. The technology can be used by both individuals as well as organizations as vast as a full-fledged corporate company. While it has largely been in use for cryptocurrency transactions, blockchain is quickly being adopted by big companies like IBM and Amazon in their HR processes. Data security, recruitment, and smart contracts that cannot be manipulated are some of the advantages of using blockchain strategies at work. The emergence of blockchain technology could disrupt how we use our current systems, which could result in more opportunities for those who can adapt quickly—but can also create new challenges for those who don’t keep up with these technologies.
4) Focus on Employee Well-being
Despite the pandemic ending nearly two years ago, COVID-19 has left an adverse impact on humans. Employees have faced several losses—personally and professionally. While personal losses are hard to recover from, economic crises like mass layoffs, inflation, and recession can still be prevented with a few precautionary measures.
Individual and family health and well-being have taken the utmost priority, which has led to a shift in the perception of work-life balance. That said, a large percentage of employees, globally, are facing burnout, depression, and several other mental health issues. Addressing this issue and promoting the betterment of mental and physical health within the organization is one of the new trends in HR after COVID-19. Some of the measures include employee engagement, flexible work schedules, and health awareness programs through fun workshops and small sessions with therapists or experts. Providing relaxing facilities like a library or an area for workouts, or even something as trivial as extra breaks can come a long way in helping an employee’s well-being. Providing monetary aid to recover from the impact of the recession is also a good strategy for employee retention.
5) Working Styles
Over 70% of employees in several large organizations chose to work in remote or hybrid working environments in the year 2022. Remote working was a perfect solution for an undisrupted workflow during the pandemic as it protected employees’ health and well-being and was also a cost-effective strategy during the financial crunch. The last year saw an increased need for employees to be present at the workplace, even if occasionally, for better working conditions, and hybrid working models were quickly adapted. The coming year sees a large shift in working models as more companies are embracing the hybrid working style. Employees too, now prefer their old cycle of 9–5 working hours as the convenience of working from home has now turned into fatigue. While the strategy of hybrid working is still preferred by certain employees like working mothers or employees with unwell family members, a sufficient number of employees are readily willing to work in an office environment. HR professionals are now looking at revising their planning strategies and managing resources to accommodate a large amount of their workforce to work in a hybrid working style.
Some of the other emerging HR Trends in 2023 include smart retention policies, gamification in work processes, adapting to the Metaverse, diversity and inclusion, and giving more prominence to CSR activities.
HR in the year 2023 sees a significant rise in the adaptation of technology and data-driven strategies for the improvement of work while keeping an employee’s comfort and well-being as the organization’s prime focus.