Former GE businessman, Lawrence Bossidy, once said, “I am convinced that nothing we do is more important than hiring and developing people. At the end of the day you bet on people, not on strategies.”
While I agree that people are the most important part of any business, there is something to be said for the strategies and tools we use to find, educate, and support those individuals.
In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, we at Better Chains want to take a moment to show some love for the HR management professionals who are the true backbone of our operations and the ones responsible for creating our workforce.
“Human Resources isn’t a thing we do. It’s the thing that runs our business.” – Steve Wynn
We know that technology does a lot to streamline and improve the way you work. HR management is not an easy job, so, we want to take a closer look at the tech trends expected to bring even greater improvements to your job this year.
HR Technology Trend #1: Software as a Service
While Software as a Service (or SaaS) is not a new trend, we’re definitely going to see more of this as businesses look to shed bulky machinery in lieu of cloud-based software solutions. In addition to cutting down on hardware, HR software also reduces the paper trail as well as the complexities that go along with it.
HR Technology Trend #2: Digital UX
As more of our experiences with one another are relegated to the Internet, a greater emphasis will be placed on the user experience (UX). Since HR management is all about making high-quality connections, we’ll see improvements made to the digital experience between HR and prospective or current employees. This means more intuitive digital interfaces for HR managers to work with and more user-friendly channels through which they can communicate.
HR Technology Trend #3: Seamless Integration
In order for employers to establish genuine connections with highly qualified job candidates and to hire more effectively for the long-term, HR management needs access to tools that will help them to do their job more easily. This means HR software will need to integrate with other company systems, including applicant tracking, onboarding, training, employee reviews, and scheduling.
HR Technology Trend #4: Real-Time Mobile
Companies can no longer shy away from mobile integration within their business. If HR teams haven’t already adopted this, we’ll see more acceptance of smartphones within their workflow. This means companies will start providing mobile-friendly applications for managing HR-related tasks in real-time. For instance:
- Online application management
- Applicant screening
- Interview question templates
- Employee paperwork tracking
- And more
Another mobile trend we think we might see more of: companies using text messaging as a way to communicate with prospective and current employees.
HR Technology Trend #5: Better Data
There are very big benefits associated with big data—and this is hopefully a trend we won’t ever see go away. While it’s something we typically associate with general business management, big data is especially helpful for HR management, too. With access to more data and smarter systems to process it, HR professionals can be more effective in their efforts. For instance:
- Applicant tracking systems will assess a candidate’s ability to meet HR’s pre-set qualifications and weed out those who don’t fit the bill.
- Records of previous job postings will help HR determine which ads and messages resulted in the most successful hiring spurts.
- Social recruiting efforts will lend additional insights into who is looking for employment and where your business’s best recruiting platforms are.
- HR software will also automate the process of tracking employee hours, performance trends, training success, and more for better insights into the current workforce.
- With a bird’s eye view of business operations, HR management will be able to use previously successful hiring techniques to ensure long-term retaining of employees.
2017 Will Be a Good Year for HR Management
When we talk about cloud-based technology, we’re typically referring to “smarter” tech. But in the case of HR management, it’s all this smart technology that will enable them to make smarter talent management decisions.
With less time spent shuffling through papers, trying to recruit qualified candidates, and attempting to provide employees with consistent training, HR managers can be more efficient with their time and efforts now. They’ll be able to focus on producing quality hires instead of racking up large numbers of candidates to sift through.
If you’re as excited about all this HR management technology as we are, get in touch today. We’d love to talk to you about how HR software is the flexible, cost-effective, and smart solution your HR managers will need in 2017 and beyond.
