“Time and tide wait for no man,” opined the 14th-century bard Geoffrey Chaucer. Clearly, the pace of 14th-century life was getting a bit much for poor old Geoffrey. One can only imagine how the esteemed sonneteer would cope with the velocity of 21st-century existence.
Imagine for a second that Geoff — we’re on first-name terms now — was to be an HR leader and needed to watch out for the emerging tech trends in 2023. The mind boggles at how he’d cope.
But someone’s got to do it. And if you’re reading this, that someone is probably you.
So, let’s get down to it.
While you no doubt already integrate Slack and Gmail into your daily processes, the latest developments in HR technology focus primarily on solving the unique challenges thrown up by the rapidly evolving modern work environment.
For example, adopting some task-specific software or implementing a new tech-driven approach to a previously inefficient area of your operations can drive efficiency and save you a lot of time in the process.
As an HR leader, you’ll be more than aware of the importance of keeping up with the latest tech insights. Keep doing the same thing – or, as it’s otherwise known, using outdated methods – and it will lead to diminishing returns. It’s widely accepted that early adopters of technology stay ahead of their competitors. So don’t hang around!
So, in no particular order, let’s take a look at the top tech trends HR leaders need to watch out for in 2023.
And remember, while technology is being used increasingly throughout HR, there will always be a requirement for the human touch. In a nutshell, adopting new HR tech is not going to do you out of a job!
Article by Yauhen Zaremba, Director of Demand Generation at PandaDoc
More remote/hybrid working
Unless you’re emerging from a deep cryogenic slumber, you’ll be aware of the increasing prevalence of remote working. And guess what. It’s here to stay, and the army of remote workers is growing rapidly.
Therefore, communication is essential. Adopting new technologies to keep people connected from anywhere will become progressively more vital to organizations. An integrated office with virtual training and virtual team-building exercises will become more prevalent.
With increased levels of remote working, solid agreements between employer and employee are essential. You can use a free release of liability form template to get you started down that road.
Increased eLearning
With more people working remotely, we have to have a new approach to training and development. It had previously been straightforward to upskill or reskill staff by sending them on training courses or inviting outside training organizations into the workplace.
But what if the workforce isn’t there anymore? Indeed, they may not be in the same city, region, or even country.
Therefore, the adoption of eLearning solutions has become increasingly essential.
eLearning platforms are becoming increasingly sophisticated. HR leaders will do well to focus on short, video-based courses, as these are shown to be more engaging to employees, leading to better outcomes. This will, of course, mean online course platforms becoming ever more prevalent.
HR analytics driving efficiencies
HR analytics is a data-driven, goal-oriented method of studying all employees’ processes, challenges, functions, strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities at work to establish and subsequently address any shortfalls in overall business operations.
For example, a recent report found that the use of HR analytics can lead to a 25% rise in business productivity.
Larger organizations are increasingly using smart technologies founded on AI and big data to streamline their processes.
More people working from home means that more data is available on their working patterns than ever before. Companies are able to monitor and measure everything that their employees do. They can subsequently use this information to improve employees’ performance and avoid burnout.
Upskilling of staff becoming increasingly essential
To requote old Geoffrey (remember him?), ‘Time and tide wait for no man.’ Or woman, child, cat, dog, or budgerigar for that matter. With a rapidly changing work environment – particularly in the lightspeed arena of technology – skills are just as rapidly becoming outmoded.
In this area, the companies that will leave their rivals in the dust will be the ones that introduce programs focused on producing a flexible and high-performing workforce.
Those that invest in the technology that makes it easy to upskill staff will be the ones coming out on top in the future.
Increased hiring of overseas staff
If your staff work remotely, does it matter where in the world they are?
Particularly for short-term or one-off projects, location is becoming increasingly irrelevant. After all, you just want the best person for the job, right? Therefore, you can significantly increase your chances of getting the right person for the job by expanding your recruitment net to encompass the globe.
When doing this, it’s a good idea to get a memorandum of agreement in place. If you’re scratching your head wondering what is a memorandum of agreement, then follow the link.
A more personalised workplace
Have you ever wondered what work environment gets the best from your employees?
No? Well, maybe it’s time to consider this.
In today's world, personalization has seeped into many areas of life, from e-commerce sites to streaming services. These sites use algorithms to personalize the user experience.
Therefore, expect to see an increase in technology aimed at doing the same thing in the workplace. New software will allow an employee’s history, preferences, and online behavior to be utilized to personalize their working interactions and streamline their workday experience.
Greater automation
Automation has been becoming increasingly prevalent in every industry for many years. For HR leaders heading into 2023, automated processes will likely be applied to almost every area of your operations.
For example, the increased use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in contract management can streamline this part of operations, eliminating all the time-consuming people-hours it used to eat up.
Expect more automation in everything from recruitment to training and right through to offboarding. And as an added bonus, automation can also help take your security to the next level.
Redefinition of the employee experience
With “quiet quitting” becoming a recent buzzword, savvy HR leaders will have recognized that something has to change. Therefore, to address this movement, a redefinition of the employee experience is not just desired, but required.
Greater use of communication tools to recognize employees’ achievements and send simple positive affirmation messages is a start. Expect to see more employee recognition software platforms and reward programs hitting the market to help with this.
You don’t want your employees to “quietly quit,” after all.
Cloud-based HR systems
With an increasing amount of people working remotely, staying connected is more important than ever. To ensure a joined-up approach, more companies are adopting cloud-based HR systems and human capital management solutions.
A good cloud-based HR system will help HR leaders oversee all aspects of an employee's interaction with the company.
Cloud-based HR systems provide an HR solution that can help manage the workforce plus evaluate collaboration and performance with the wider team.
Remember, with all remote working, you’ll need a solid contract in place. To get started, take a look at different examples of an agency contract template. Make sure that your contract covers all the additional aspects involved with remote working.
Higher focus on wellbeing
A 2022 survey found that only 51% of organizations currently take a strategic approach to employee wellbeing. The same survey also unearthed the hardly revelatory fact that this 51% were far more likely to achieve positive outcomes throughout their operation, on both a personal and organizational level.
As a result, expect to see more wellness platforms entering the workplace. These provide a great way for HR leaders to monitor and improve the overall wellbeing of their staff members.
There are already some great corporate wellness platforms out there to help you along the way. These platforms can reduce time away from the team with health issues and lower staff turnover.
