Every generation reassess the relationship of work in their life. New trends emerge that must respond to these realities.
Over the last several years a generational shift and new technologies has lead to new human resource trends that are now becoming best practices. Ideas that were appropriate for older generations might not be viewed as appropriate for new generations. The advent of the digital age has disrupted classic policies. Companies must navigate these tidal forces and change with the times.
Job Search
Job searching and job postings have migrated online away from traditional media such as newspapers. It is now common for a company and employee to continually be searching for one another. A company can use both general and niche job sites to cast a wide net. They seek to create a pipeline of incoming employees that will keep the companies ahead in their market.
With almost unlimited space and low fees, companies can advertise detailed job posts that can be found searching online. By selecting the correct phrases and keywords a company can quickly narrow down interested applicants. This allows less time pre-approving an applicant and leads to more efficient hiring practices.
Niche
Niche job sites allow a company to even further drill down and only post offers to a select community of job seekers. This condensed labor market creates a more competitive environment for companies. The pool of potential hires is much smaller than the general population. In this environment companies need to not only seek skills but also sell themselves to attract the best and brightest.
Resume
Today a currently employed person can keep a perpetual resume online advertising their skills. Even though they have a job it is very easy to keep a resume posted that companies can view. As the employee gains new skills they can quickly post these and have an updated resume in a matter of moments. They must learn resume writing for the digital age and present it in the correct format. For workers with generalized experience this is not a great advantage but for people with specialized skills they now have more competition for their labor. They can leverage another job offer for more benefits or salary at their current workplace or leave.
This mutual competition has led both employer and employee to view work as collaboration more than top down hierarchy. HR managers know that once somebody is hired retaining this person is a long term goal. But also they must face the reality that employees have more freedom to hop from job to job than ever before.
Work Culture
New practices have emerged to give more voice to employees on types of benefits they expect from a workplace. Every industry has different demands. But the overall concept is that work is now being viewed as more integrated into everyday life. This means that for many it is not just a day job. More people are identifying work as an extension of themselves. This means company culture becomes an import element for employee happiness.
Technology
Technology has been one reason work can be extended farther than before. The ability of an employee to work away from a home office environment but still stay connected has had a dramatic impact on labor. Companies are embracing these changes to allow people to work outside the office. Mobility technologies have proliferated and now are becoming accepted standard practices. HR managers must track productivity and other metrics to ensure that these changes benefit the business.
Metrics
Advances in technology also allow companies to more effectively monitor their employees. There can be tension if these practices are seen only benefiting the business and not delivering value to the employee. But innovative metrics can more accurately gauge things like employee satisfaction. Measurements such as these are seen as indicators of overall company health. Potential problems can be solved at an early date before growing larger.
Workplaces are ever changing environments. Relationships developed there have wide ranging impacts on all aspects of a business. The right mix of responsibilities and benefits needs to be examined yearly to ensure a healthy culture. Companies that make concentrated efforts to recognize changes will benefit most. More satisfied employees will translate to more satisfied customers. Thus, human resource practices play a direct role in the success of a company.
Bio:
Luisa Brenton is an ex- brand manager, present blogger, and a future professor at the Chicago University. Also she works as an educational freelancer for Smart Paper Help.You can contact her on Twitter.
