According to Google, a trend is a general direction in which something is developing or changing. I know that the word trend is usually paired with the word fashion, however, tech also has a trend, tech HR also has a trend. Tech HR trends are the new ways of doing things in HR powered by tech that maximises the output of HR.

I know that a lot of people don’t think of the word trend as a positive word, but why does change ever happen? Why do people move from the former way of doing things to a different one? It is because the new is usually better and easier to use. Current tech HR Trends have survived until now because they have made the HR work easier and faster.

Generally, technology makes our work easier; however, tech HR Trends, the current way of doing things being adopted by well meaning organisations and companies have gone a notch higher, and made things not just easier but more interesting. A HR tech solution aims to do a few things;

• Store data
• Enhance analytics from data
• Automate repetitive tasks
• Enhance staff collaboration

All of these are aimed at making core HR functions like recruitment, employee communication, development, workforce planning etc easier and more effective.There are many tech HR trends that can make your work a joy by eliminating all the drudgery, leaving you with just the juicy, creative parts, let’s get started on some of them

1. Leadership and Mentoring Skills over Task management as Prerequisite for Promotion:

Before now, people became qualified to become managers based on 2 things; how much they know about the task to be done and how long they have done the job. However the current Tech trend in HR is that people who have leadership skills manage others. In fact, sometimes the word manage is not used as often as the word cross functional.

Cross functional teams are made up of people with expertise in different areas who work on a common goal together. The team works independently, ideally with decision making powers. Such independent teams do quite well without the word manage. This is the reason why Agile methodologies have cut across all kinds of industries in existence today.

2. The use of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning:

What is machine learning? It is a branch of computer science in which computer systems are taught to make decisions based on inference they have drawn from patterns observed. For example, just as I saw in a Chinese movie, you teach the algorithm how to recognize your staff in whatever get-up they appear in and once they get to work, the AI announces their names, the time they got to work and the peculiar consequence of each level of lateness.

Today, tech has penetrated everywhere; real estate, health, fashion, just mention it. Machine learning has greatly improved the fashion industry with techniques to create new materials and improve the processes of production and design of materials.

It has reduced the number of personnel needed physically for production. The other processes have been made even better and easier. The possibilities of machine learning in all kinds of industries are immense and endless. With AI performing tasks hitherto associated with only human beings our work is not just easier, it is more effective.

3. Hybrid and Flexible Working Processes:

With technology, if you don’t like the view outside your office window you can just sit in your favourite chair at home looking over your garden and work. You should give your talents this option, after all what you want is maximum productivity not a perfect attendance.

Working remotely is a current tech HR trend. You have to adapt because you could lose top talents by insisting that they sit right outside your office where you can have your eyes on them. There are so many tools today that enable communication among teammates like Zoom, Slack, Asana, Google Workspace etc, maximize them.

You can have employees working from their rooms and you can have some others in your office. No matter your industry, it is not every staff that you need to sign in to work. After all, what do you need? You need results that drive you closer to your business goals and objectives, not people being punctual and unmotivated in your workplace.

4. Digital Learning:

Every industry needs growth, yours inclusive. Knowledge is instrumental to growth, and you gain knowledge by learning. If you have been a part of HeelsandTech for some time now you would know that we are pro growth.

If your organisation grows as large as I know you want it to, be sure that you cannot gather all your employees under one roof to teach them what will make them succeed. Digital learning is a tech trend that you must take advantage of.

5. Diversity and Inclusion:

Hopefully what you need are talents that will drive results and not a replication of your hometown in your company. If I am right then this tech trend of diversity and Inclusion is for you. Talents come in different genders, colours and sizes, forget the container, it doesn’t matter, what you need is the content.

There are top talents you cannot attract into your organisation if you are not proven to be D&I (Diversity and Inclusion). You also need to create a space where your employees feel like they belong, where they are aware that they are not being marginalised and will rather be assessed based on the value they bring to the table and not by their gender, race, or whatever may be the case.

6. Use of HCM Platforms like SAP HR SuccessFactors:

If you have a human resources department in your company (you hopefully do) then you know what SAP HR stands for. But if you don’t, just click away.

We mentioned initially that a HR solution aims to store data, enhance analytics from data, automate repetitive tasks and enhance staff collaboration. SAP HR does all 4 of the above. Let’s emphasise the first 2 though. Today’s world is data driven. If your business is going downhill, something in your data will let you know what went wrong.

Your most important asset is your human resource, therefore you need to gather as much data as you can about this particular asset. SuccessFactors does wonders with this and very soon you will have your employees heading in the same direction as your business.

7. Emphasis on Mission and Vision Statements:

This is another tech HR trend that may not sound very techy. Today people emphasise personal purpose, fulfilment and causes over money, and guess what, your HR is made up of people. How do you attract and keep the best? By making them see a greater cause than just making money. By becoming more socially responsible too.

This is the reason that vision and mission statements are becoming incredibly popular. With them people feel that they are involved in a cause that is more than just them, something fulfilling, and in no small way this drives employee engagement.

In conclusion, just the way that HR is people centred, tech HR Trends are too, and as long as there are people working for you they will remain relevant. It is general knowledge today that organisations that use HR Tech outperform others. Don’t sit out on this anymore as we’ll never go back to the past. Invest in HCM tools, encourage diversity and flexibility and prioritizementorship to catch up with the trend. If you really don’t know the first step to take towards transforming your HR digitally check this out and get moving.