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Five HR Trends Your Organization Should Consider Adopting In 2020

Forbes Human Resources Council
POST WRITTEN BY
Greg Furstner

This year, more than 80% of respondents in Deloitte's “2019 Global Human Capital Trends” survey said economic, social and political issues are putting more pressure on them to improve productivity and adapt to a more diverse workforce. And this need to move faster and acclimate to new business strategies compels them to develop employees and leaders differently than before.

Training is a critical cog in employee development, and from where I sit, human resources must take a more active role in planning, implementing and leading the learning and development process. Here are the top five trends I expect HR professionals will want to adopt to be more socially, economically and politically savvy in 2020.

1. Master online recruitment marketing.

Advancements in technology make upskilling or reskilling a priority for HR professionals, particularly for recruiting and talent acquisition personnel. Today’s worker has many choices for where and how they want to work, so recruitment marketing is a crucial skill for human resources. Our department deals with two types of employees: potential employees that we'd like to join our company and current employees that we must engage and retain. In either case, the HR team is the most effective conduit to deliver the organization’s values, culture and mission.

In fact, recruiters without recruitment marketing skills will not only be less effective in 2020, but they may soon become obsolete. Those who fall behind in using digital and social strategies will not only be left behind, but they also will put their employers at a disadvantage when competing for talent.

2. Manage unconscious bias.

In the journey to building a more diverse workforce, HR professionals must eliminate the problem of unconscious bias in the recruitment process. In its simplest terms, unconscious bias occurs when HR recruiters and hiring managers discount a more qualified candidate in favor of one they have an affinity for.

When there is a predetermined notion of what a preferred candidate should be, it often leads to bad hires, losses in recruitment dollars and adverse effects on the company culture and productivity. Furthermore, bias can result in potential lawsuits from the candidate you passed over.

In 2020, HR professionals must learn to identify and eliminate unconscious bias for themselves and hiring managers in other departments. In fact, I believe this should be part of your entire organization’s training and development plan.

3. Effectively communicate rewards and benefits.

HR professionals work hard researching, analyzing, modeling and budgeting benefit programs to maximize strategic contributions to the organization. However, employees often don’t recognize the value of what you’re giving them, which is infinitely frustrating. It’s essential for HR to clarify the advantages of your benefit packages — financially and personally — to current and potential employees during the recruitment process.

To do this, HR personnel need to think like salespeople. They should sharpen their communication skills to better explain the benefits so employees appreciate and take pride in them. Doing this strengthens company culture and creates brand advocates, which has a positive effect on recruiting.

4. Offer employees paid volunteer time off. 

One of my most important responsibilities is to help create a positive corporate culture that keeps our employees engaged, happy and productive. A big trend that will continue into 2020 is offering paid volunteer time off as an employee benefit. This can be especially important for younger employees who express the need to gain more meaning from their work than earning a paycheck and turning a profit. To attract and keep talented millennials and Gen Zers, a formal volunteerism program can give your company a competitive advantage.

Volunteerism has shown enormous benefits. Employees get the chance to give back, plus they can improve critical work skills such as leadership, communications, team building and adaptability. Employers gain happier, more productive workers and a positive reputation in the community. Nonprofits that partner with companies also gain a pool of willing volunteers, which allows them to use their in-house resources elsewhere.

5. Utilize tech and artificial intelligence.

While technological advancements have dramatically streamlined many time-consuming HR tasks, in my opinion, they are causing an even greater need for a human element. I see tech’s greatest influence on human resources in recruitment and talent acquisition. To guarantee the effect stays positive organizationally, HR professionals need new skills to better utilize and grow with technology. Applicant tracking systems use intelligent screening software to automate initial resume screenings. Chatbots can engage candidates in real time, and hiring managers can interview anyone in the world virtually if they possess the right equipment.

However, it will take a skilled HR person to safeguard the quality of data fed to the applicant tracking system or AI bots, eliminate bias from the candidate search or effectively interview candidates thousands of miles away. Plus, they need to analyze all the information and data to make the best hiring decisions.

Finally, we cannot lose sight of the fact that soft skills (communication, leadership, emotional intelligence and more) will always be critical in HR. Other than customer service, we deal with the human side of our business more than anyone. As the leader of my company’s HR department, I see a wonderfully exciting future. However, I know I must continue developing employees at every level for our company to succeed.

Forbes Human Resources Council is an invitation-only organization for HR executives across all industries. Do I qualify?