Emerging Trends in Human Resources

Human resource management is a dynamic discipline dealing with the most important asset of the company its people. Organisations are affected by many factors such as the external environment and internal factors change is the common factor in firms thus changes influence people at in every aspect of work. 

A CIPD report suggest that three important changes have taken place at work they are ‘Work, Workplace and Workforce’ Megatrends (2013). They have brought about numerous changes influenced by global factors and technology. 

Global factors are causing fierce competition among local firms and they have to respond to the changes as customers are either demanding better quality and swift service delivery or consumers have been influence by global fashions and trends its not uncommon for people to purchase products online today. 

Teenager order all kinds of products online even in a country such as Sri Lanka and online trading platforms and social media platforms are grow at an alarming double-digit growth rate. Which means that HR professional as business partners need to support organisations not only with the human resources with new skills but also train and develop existing employees to learn new skills.

Other changes are workers are looking at flexible work styles such as working from remote locations, telecommuting, using new online tools, mobile devices social platforms so much so that everyone today has a smartphone (Ma and Ye, 2015).  Many of the connectivity and communication tools are at the end of the figure tip and business can be executed from the comfort of ones armchair rather than travel to a brick and mortar establish to buy virtual anything from banking services, order food or buy a expensive branded Apple Laptop.

Human resource functions and roles are adopting to these changes swiftly in some organisations that are proactive. HR has gone online in spheres such as online recruitment using the company website or job hosting boards. Appraisals systems are online, eHRIS, integrated human resources information systems assist managers with big data analytics CIPD (2013). HR professional’s designations have changed to reflect what they do. Remote or virtual teams are order of the day.  

References:

1. Megatrends (2013) the trends shaping work and work lives, CIPD Megatrends. CIPD UK.

2. CIPD (2013). Talent Analytics and Big Data – The Challenge for HR, London: Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development.

3. Ma, L., and Ye, M., (2015) The Role of Electronic Human Resource Management in Contemporary Human Resource Management Open Journal of Social Sciences, 2015, 3, 71-78.