HR is a dynamic and ever evolving field that requires ongoing research and education. This article examines emerging HR trends and provides insight into what 2014 will mean for companies of every size.
Update Recruiting and Retaining Practices
As the baby boomers continue to retire, the need to attract and retain young professionals in a highly competitive marketplace will become the focus for many organizations.
Attracting young professionals starts with understanding their mindset. View our article on which perks millennials want. Update your approach toward workplace satisfaction so that you can attract and retain young contributors. Key points include flexible scheduling and volunteer programs.
In terms of recruiting, social media should play a large part in how your company attracts new workers. Twitter and LinkedIn have both proven effective for achieving this objective.
Keep Up with Changing Legislation and Complex Legal HR Issues
State and federal government entities are continually enacting and refining various legislation, which causes some confusion for employers. Changing laws impact employee rights. Be diligent to reach out to HR organizations, HR Consultants and/or attorney to fully understand the law. The next step is planning. Don't plan within a vacuum. Communicate with your executive staff and strategize the right steps to implement changes and fully understand how it will affect your workforce and management.
The national health care reform isn't the only matter that employers need to think about this year. According to HR Morning, there's a laundry list of government issues that could affect companies, including:
- The regulation of medical marijuana
- The potential for increasing pressure from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
- A Supreme Court ruling on whether President Obama's appointees to the National Labor Relations Board were valid.
New Technology
We can all agree that technology is an important asset to the HR professional. Payroll/HRMS applications and HR tools can better organize the department and provide key reports at the executive table. In 2014, research new web based technologies that excel at integrating HR, payroll and benefits on one platform. To learn about the benefits of integration, see our blog on the subject. These new HR technologies place an emphasis on the HR department becoming an integral department within an organization