As 2018 comes to an end, it’s time to start predicting what 2019 has in store for recruiting professionals and hiring managers across the country.
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With record low unemployment and competition for top talent at its peak, the 2019 workplace will experience its biggest shift yet as companies implement changes to attract and retain a younger workforce. One thing that remains constant: Millennials continue to represent the largest generation of the U.S. workforce and are projected to make up 75% of the global workforce by 2025.
Cloud-based scheduling solutions provider, Humanity, released a new whitepaper, The Future of Human Capital Management and Workforce Scheduling 2019 and beyond, which finds that there are five key trends facing enterprise organizations in 2019. Humanity also says that these changes should be considered as organizations plan for the year ahead.
Today’s workplace is set for dramatic transformation as human resource executives and human capital management (HCM) leaders seek to leverage analytics and adopt technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), cloud-centric solutions, and chatbot tools to improve operations, communications, and engagement with their employees.
Humanity examined the current state of the HCM market as it pertains to cloud-based employee scheduling software, services, and workforce analytics and has identified the top trends and challenges for 2019:
1. AI, Big Data, and the Future of Predictive Scheduling
The progression of AI/machine learning and predictive capabilities is paving the way for a new era of automatic scheduling and staffing personalized for employee and organizational needs.
For example, the future capability to predict staffing and scheduling needs based on sales analytics, employee skill sets, team productivity, and seasonal demand will have a profound impact on business efficiency and operations.
And, looking ahead to the future, the ability to integrate personal schedules into workplace scheduling capabilities where employees could benefit from proactive notifications for paid time off or warn managers of scheduling conflicts if a vacation, class, or doctor’s appointment was on the calendar.
In addition, the integration of third-party applications like Waze Navigation could warn employees of commute time delays and provide push notifications to help team members get to scheduled shifts on time.
2. Mobile, Mobile, Mobile
Younger people are mobile-first—bringing an expectation to the workplace that they will be able to work how, where, and when they want and using the device they prefer. To successfully manage, engage with, and retain today’s younger workforce, organizations need fully integrated mobile solutions that empower both managers and employees to manage their schedules, and provide and receive feedback from their mobile device.
Whether an hourly, project, or shift-based workforce, and across industries—retail, health care, hospitality, education, and more—an integrated mobile scheduling solution directly impacts organizational operations.
For employers who adopt such a solution, employees will be able to check schedules, pick up shifts, and communicate regarding sick time and family needs from their mobile device, and conversely, managers can more effectively engage with teams, apply real-time changes, and streamline overall operations.
3. Multiple Layers of Compliance
As state and local governments continue to add scheduling compliance guidelines, including the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requirements, organizations will seek and invest in technology solutions that assist in maintaining compliance.
Employers would be wise to seek a platform that features an advanced employee management engine, enabling managers and scheduling professionals the ability to track and protect against potential compliance issues, including overtime limitations and staffing based on certification or skill set.
When employers have this advanced layer of monitoring, managers and organizations can go beyond “checking the box” and work collaboratively to ensure the safety and readiness of the organization.
4. Ease of Integration
Connecting disparate functions in human resources (HR) and business divisions can directly address the needs, capabilities, and flexibility employees expect from today’s real-time culture. Companies should seek a software platform that syncs seamlessly with a range of business applications and HCM to ensure a cohesive ecosystem for managers and employees.
From hiring and adding employees, to augmenting job functions and locations, to tracking employee leave, companies need to be directly connected to core HR functions. This enables the direct flow of key business data to and from a specific platform, eliminating the need for extensive development, duplicative data entry needs, and IT support.
5. Chatbots and HCM Management
In today’s real-time workplace culture, the ability to streamline communications and the dissemination of information to employees wherever they are is critical. From addressing common HR questions to policy changes and company-wide information distribution, chatbots enable organizations to ensure information is consistently and readily available to employees.
When implemented correctly, chatbots are a viable alternative for interacting with employees compared to complex enterprise tools and processes. In addition, they can be a helpful source of data for HCM leaders to track questions, needs, and concerns of employees in an effort to enhance communications and ensure an organization is providing the resources and training needed.
While these five trends highlight a growing need for better HCM-software, recruiting professionals can attest to how important AI is becoming in their daily lives. Not only can HCM programs and software benefit employers, HR professionals, and managers, it can also aid in recruiting top talent.