TRENDS IN HR POST COVID-19

MADE BY- ABHAY TIWARI

AKASH YADAV
SUPRIYA PRAJAPATI
SHIVAM PAL
1. Using Artificial Intelligence
Nearly every industry uses artificial intelligence (AI) to simplify its processes. Human resources is no different. One of
2020’s HR trends is incorporating more AI tools into everyday operations for better efficiency and workflow.

HR professionals can also use AI to:

•Verify experience and education listed on candidates’ resumes

•Spot behaviors that indicate an employee wants to leave the company

•Manage employee performance

•Answer employees’ HR questions

•Customize suggestions for career paths, professional development options, etc. for each employee

•Detect anomalies in behavior that could indicate time theft, corruption or other misconduct
 
2. More Remote Employees
4.7 million people work remotely in the US, and that number has
increased exponentially due to the outbreak of COVID-19. With so many people working from home, HR
departments face a unique set of challenges. For instance, how do you:

•make employees feel a sense of company community?

•manage employee productivity and morale?

•operate when employees are located in different time zones?

•investigate concerns and complaints when you don’t see the people in-person?
3. Organizing Virtual Team Building
 
With employees located in different cities, states and countries, you can’t rely on traditional team building
activities. HR professionals have to get creative, offering virtual team building ideas to managers to help teams
bond.

Michael Alexis, CEO of Team Building, says that “as more teams work from home, some organizations will
figure out how to make [virtual team building] a long term plan.”

His company offers video-call-based activities where far-flung teammates can have fun together even though
they’re not physically together. These include virtual versions of office olympics and a “campfire” complete with
s’mores.

Alexis’s other suggestions include:

•Tea vs. Coffee: Each team member receives a package of tea and coffee samples to taste together during a virtual
hangout.

•Museum Hack: Remote teams learn storytelling skills in a fun, guided environment.
 
4. Automation of Tasks

HR professionals have a lot to do and often not enough time or staff to complete it all. Reduce your
workload by automating the following tasks:

•Payroll

•Billable time management

•Recruitment and onboarding

•Records management

•Employee benefits management

•Employee evaluations
5. Data-Driven Strategies

Using metrics and analytics removes the guesswork, which is why it’s one of the biggest HR trends today.
“There’s a wealth of information that can be tracked and measured,” says Ellen Mullarkey
, Vice President of Business Development for Messina Staffing Group. “The most successful companies in
the coming decade will be those who figure out how to use this information most effectively.”
Use data-driven HR strategies to:

•Choose candidates based on performance capability, skill set and potential to work for you long-term

•Determine risk factors for leaving and eliminate them for better retention

•Gather insight into how to better engage and motivate employees

•Find areas of risk in your organization and implement training to address them

6. Emphasis on Learning

According to Clodagh Beaty, Co-creator of the Emotional Salary Barometer. Beaty notes that
“while professional growth and development will continue to be important, we anticipate an increase
in personal growth initiatives. The importance of personal growth in leadership development and the focus
on purpose and meaning at work will continue [emphasis original].”
How can you encourage employees to take control of their personal and professional learning paths? Try
these suggestions:
•Offer annual education stipends

•Require (and pay for) at least one annual professional development course for every employee and/or
manager

•Add paid time off for volunteering and educational opportunities to employee leave allotments

•Ask employees to share their professional and personal goals in their annual self-assessments
7. Better Onboarding

“Onboarding also takes more importance as certain jobs are eliminated, new technology is brought into
a company, and workers change positions,” says Holubeck.
Don’t just rely on a day-one orientation about your company’s history. Add elements to your onboarding
such as:

•Your company’s core values

•The direction your company is going in

•Annual organizational goals

•The company’s vision, as stated by your CEO or other senior managers

8. Focus on Workplace Experience
 
Rather than focusing on employee engagement, Beaty says, HR professionals should 
work toward a better employee experience. This HR trend shifts “away from the paternalistic towards a
more human-centred interaction, empowering employees and encouraging responsibility.”

To achieve better employee experience, Beaty suggests focusing on the following elements:

•Purpose: Help employees find purpose and meaning in their work

•Autonomy: Consider giving employees more say over how, when and where they work

•Belonging: Find ways to include remote and freelance employees, as well as those of different
generations, ethnicities, gender identities, etc.
9. Health Advocacy Programs
 
“As the high cost of health insurance continues to challenge employers, more companies are turning to
group high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) to contain costs,” says Teri Dreher, RN and President of
NShore Patient Advocates. Because these types of benefits plans often require higher out-of-pocket costs
for employees, they may need help navigating their healthcare choices.

That’s why including a health advocacy program in your benefits plan can improve employee experience.
Advocates guide patients through their healthcare options, acting as liaisons with medical practitioners,
financial advisors and resource for medical questions and advice.
According to Dreher, these programs may actually save your company money by bringing “health
insurance costs down as employees become more knowledgeable about healthcare.” HR professionals will
also save time, as they can redirect health insurance questions to an advocate.
10. Caregiving Benefits
 
As the world’s population is aging, one in six employed Americans have to juggle caring for an elderly or
disabled family member with their job. Many caregivers stated that their responsibilities “significantly
affected” their work. In 2020, HR departments should adopt elder care benefits for employees.
What can you offer to help employees with caregiving responsibilities? Rachel Lyubovitzky
, CEO and Co-Founder of EverythingBenefits suggests:

•Flexible work hours

•Remote work options

•A care assistance plan to offset caregiving costs

•Respite care to give employees time off from caregiving

•Paid family leave

11. Concentrating on Inclusion
One of the 2020’s HR trends will be to concentrate on the “inclusion” aspect of diversity and inclusion
programs.

As mentioned above, a key part of improved employee experience is a feeling of belonging to the group. HR
departments must find ways to build inclusion into company culture for a more and more diverse workforce.

Fostering a workplace culture that “empowers employees to feel that they can show up to work and be
themselves will become more vital as the line between work and life continues to blend together,” says 
Stacey Engle, President of workplace communication training company Fierce.

In addition, she notes, the year’s US elections may lead to strong opinions and short tempers. Make sure
employees feel safe, respected and free to share their beliefs. To boost your inclusion efforts, crack down on
harassment, ensuring you apply policies consistently.
 
12. Open Workforce
 
In order to find the best talent, many HR departments are turning to the open workforce.
That is, hiring freelancers and independent contractors on an as-needed basis. These
non-traditional employees can fill skill gaps in in-house teams, as well as pick up the
slack when you’re short-handed.

“HR has to be innovative in their recruiting and retention efforts,” says 

Michael Morris, CEO of tech talent network Topcoder. More traditional recruitment
strategies, he says, “don’t work for this new age of employee—a mobile, multitasking,
gig economy workforce.”

Over 4 million Americans are independent workers. If you don’t tap into the open
workforce, you may be missing out on top talent.
13. Improved Candidate Experience
 
One of 2020’s biggest HR trends, according to Malte Scholz, CEO and Co-Founder of
Airfocus, is improving candidate experience during the recruitment process. With more
open positions, companies have to fight for the best, most skilled candidates. One way to
do that is to make the application process smoother.

“No more resumes and cover letters,” urges Scholz. Instead, use “applications [that] take
just a few minutes to fill out” or that pull relevant information from applicants’ LinkedIn
profiles. If your application process is too long or detailed, you could miss out on great
candidates who are too busy to complete it.
14. Pre-Employment Assessments Over Resumes
 
Relying on resumes and cover letters to determine a candidate’s suitability for a position is becoming a
thing of the past. In 2020, HR professionals should craft pre-employment assessments to test applicants’
skills.

•“Test your candidates before hiring them,” suggests Dmytro Okunyev, founder of Chanty. “That way,
you can hire based on the candidates’ ability to get the job done and not the words on their resume.”
Skills tests: test the candidate on specific skills and tasks required for the position

•Personality tests: uncover personality traits to see if the candidate would fit well in the position, the
team and the company

•Aptitude tests: test the candidate on skills that apply to every position (e.g. problem-solving, critical
thinking, ability to learn)
15. Recruitment Marketing
 
Hiring the right people in 2020 requires a “reflection into who the company is as an employer. HR
departments are now thinking strategically about their employer brand,” says 
Cass Bailey, CEO Slice Communications. To do this, use recruitment marketing.

Recruitment marketing is similar to the traditional marketing process, but instead of trying to attract
customers, you’re attracting candidates. Unlike regular recruiting, recruitment marketing is proactive
and ongoing.

Even if there are no open roles at your company, you want to communicate what it’s like to work
there through your social media and blog. For instance, share videos of employees talking about their
experience as an employee or behind-the-scenes photos of employees at work.
16. Mobile-Friendly Recruitment
 
“In 2020, tech-savvy jobseekers will expect to be able to find jobs on their mobile devices and apply
for [them] on the go, instead of having to wait to do so,” says Dane Amyot, Managing Director of
bountiXP.

Most adults have mobile devices and, for some, it’s their only way to access the internet. As a result,
a mobile-friendly website is one of the most essential HR trends to follow. If it is slow, hard to read
or difficult to use on mobile, you risk losing out on qualified candidates who abandon the process.

A mobile-friendly recruitment system also makes HR professionals’ jobs easier. If you need to travel
for work or have a long commute on public transit, you can still screen and communicate with
candidates.