Human resources is a fast-changing field, and it’s never been more vital to the development of organisations worldwide. Using new data and technologies, HR has the power to revolutionise how we work. But, what kind of changes can we expect?
We've identified five key trends will shape the future of the HR profession, and the future of business over the next ten years.
1. AI and automation will become commonplace
It’s long been acknowledged that manual labour jobs are falling to the wayside and being replaced by machines. However, machine learning means that robots will also be able to take on many cognitive tasks better than their human counterparts.
This will radically change the workplace and the workforce. HR will have to find and maintain a balance between machine labour and human labour, and potentially begin to come to terms with with a re-imagining of human workers’ purpose and scope for the future.
2. Performance management will be replaced
The current approach to performance management, with ratings, annual reviews and sporadic feedback, fails to reward or encourage consistent high achievement while simultaneously failing to improve low or unmotivated performance.
As we move into the new decade, continuous coaching and feedback will become the norm, and learning and development will become more integrated into everyday work.
3. Online training will cut costs and increase results
As coaching and learning becomes a core part of every role, online learning will allow on-the-job learning at the point of need. Using smartphones, employees will be able to access the information they require when and where they require it.
Recent research from Towards Maturity and CIPD suggests that online learning reduces training time by 27% and cost by 18% while increasing productivity by 14%. The changing face of training will translate into increased ROI, and enable L&D departments to do more with their budgets and have a bigger impact at work.
4. HR tech will allow for personalisation, even at large companies
Different people have different needs, desires and motivators. However, at large companies, it’s currently impractical to offer incentives to fit each individual mindset in the way you could at an SME.
Complex data management systems and AI will allow HR to truly understand their employees and offer rewards and professional development accordingly.
5. Millennials will require new ways of working
By as early as 2020, 75% of the workforce will be Millennials. They will bring new working styles and social values with them into the workplace. Millenials tend to consider work-life balance and quick progression to be more important than job stability or even compensation which is a major shift from traditional work styles. HR must adapt to Millenial employees' needs to be able to attract and retain the best Millennial talent.
Overall, the HR landscape looks set to change more in the next 10 years than it did in the previous 30. You can’t predict the future - but you can make sure you’re prepared for it.
Are you prepared for the future of HR? ICS Learn offers online courses to earn CIPD Diploma and Certificate level qualifications to keep your knowledge and skills relevant.
About the Author
Abby works as the Communications Team Lead for findcourses.co.uk with a mission of connecting learning leaders with the data and information they need to provide the best training possible for their people.
Originally from Indianapolis in the U.S., Abby studied her bachelor’s at Hanover College in Business and Literature and has worked for findcourses since 2015. She is passionate about corporate learning and works internally to help organise Learning at Work Week within findcourses.co.uk's company of 165 team members, and provide and source external training in content creation as an in-house expert.
Abby is also the creator and editor of the UK L&D Report which interviews and surveys L&D leaders from top UK companies to help uncover data-driven best practice and easy-to-implement advice.
