Top HR trends to look out for in 2020

2020 is set to be a transformative year for Human Resource as digitalisation is set to transform the way employers engage with their employees.

And with automation changing work processes, it’s vital for the role of HR to evolve to ensure that it stays relevant and effective in getting the best out of the employees as well as in recruitment and employee retention.

So here are some of the top HR trends to look out for in the new year:

1) Automation 

While the automation of hiring has made recruitment much faster and seamless, that does not necessarily equate to better quality. In fact, more candidates are getting better at outsmarting the system and not being entirely honest about their credentials. Therefore hiring managers should exercise more scrutiny and caution in their background checks and assessments.

2) Reskilling of Jobs

Digitalisation and automation has affected many traditional jobs and if the employees are not up to pace digitally, their roles will be in danger of becoming redundant. So it’s increasingly vital for companies to train their employees in digital skills so that their roles stay relevant and effective.

3) HR to have a seat at the table

HR has traditionally taken a backseat in the leadership of companies. But not anymore. With the increasing complexity and competition of talent recruitment and retention due to more flexible working arrangement and gig ecomony, HR’s importance cannot be underestimated. Thus we will start to see HR playing a more strategic role in major business decisions.

4) Flexible work

Gone are the 9-to-5 days. With more roles becoming digitalised, flexible work is becoming a trend and even a lifestyle especially among the millennial workforce. And with more employees being able to work remotely these days, we can expect more companies to jump on the bandwagon to offer flexible working hours such as different start and end timings and even working from home.

5) Gig economy

Just like flexible work, we will also see a rise of the gig economy with more companies hiring less full-timers and more project based and contract workers to meet their needs in an increasingly digital landscape.