Workforce Management Featured Article
2016 Workplace Trends Driven By Talent-First Approaches
When it comes to trends in the workplace for 2016, the year promises to be transformative in a number of ways. According to the Workforce Institute at Kronos (News - Alert), investment in talent, tools and retention will all mark a year where the Presidential Election will form an important backdrop.
Kronos said that the improved economy, aggressive recruiting practices and websites such as Glassdoor and LinkedIn (News - Alert) have all contributed to a dynamic shift in the employer-employee relationship. Talented workers have more leverage than ever before, and it is nearly impossible for an organization to hide its true corporate culture from job candidates.
“Progressive organizations understand that the only sustainable business model is to ensure they have the right talent, in the right place, at the right time, with the right skills,” the firm noted in its predictions. “The C-suite will be more directly involved in talent management strategies in 2016, with a focus on winning with engaged employees.”
Part of this trend will be increased investment in younger workers in the form of leadership development, succession planning and training programs. With Baby Boomers on their way out, a skills shortage looms—so savvy organizations will invest more in middle management to ensure they can properly hire, coach and motivate their employees.
This talent-first focus for 2016 will also cause many organizations to rethink and retool their benefits strategies to create a competitive advantage, Kronos predicts. Since benefits will be used to attract and retain the most diverse and multigenerational workforce in history, there will be an emergence of unique benefits that target employees at different stages of their lives. These include student loan repayment programs, unlimited vacation, paid time off for hourly workers, expanded parental leave, child care support, retirement assistance and medical benefits that help care for aging parents.
As for more traditional benefits, as the Obama Administration enters its final year and the spotlight on workers’ rights shines brighter around the world, government regulation around paid time off, overtime, minimum wage, healthcare, schedule fairness, family leave and more will put increased pressure on organizations to maintain compliance. Organizations large and small will require tools and technologies to juggle different regulations across cities, states and countries where they do business, while ensuring employees are treated fairly within the law with the ability to generate reports that prove compliant practices to avoid fines and penalties.
Thus, in a final prediction, Kronos believes that 2016 will also see wider adoption of employee self-service, mobile and intelligent scheduling technologies that empower the worker while unburdening managers. Employees will have tools to take more ownership of their schedules, while smarter technologies will support greater equity in staffing models. Additionally, the growth of the freelance economy will increase the need for white collar workforce features.
“However, as these technologies are implemented to balance productivity, compliance, and fairness, expect increased government scrutiny on how workforce management innovations are used in the workplace,” Kronos said.
Edited by Stefania Viscusi