Upcoming HR Trends: Data, Tech, Remote Hiring, and Employee Skill Development

Technology has seen the world of business evolve its operations. Workplaces in 2023 are vastly different and unexplored, requiring HR to develop new and flexible approaches to ensure business sustainability. From the increasing use of tech-enabled platforms to prioritizing employee well-being, here’s what upcoming HR trends in data, technology, workplace, and employee development we can expect from now onwards:

1. Upskilling and Flexible Development

As workplaces become more advanced and the market becomes more competitive, more specialized roles are needed more than ever to keep a business relevant. However, talent acquisition through external recruiting and hiring comes with costs and risks, so HR will have to invest in upskilling and retaining the existing workforce majorly.

As per the World Economic Forum, HR will have to reskill or upskill more than 1 billion people by 2030 to meet the needs of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. This is also because organizations need a flexible and robust approach to keep up with rapid technological advancements and the changes they’re inducing in markets. 

Employers need to stay prepared to invest in existing employees while giving them enough incentives, personal and career development opportunities, and job benefits so that they stay instead of heading over to a new company. This also entails prioritizing employee retention as it is a cost-effective and sustainable method of ensuring sustainable growth. 

2. People Analytics, Data, Automation, and Metaverse

Given the digital transformation, automation is steadily being adopted by businesses and HR alike in their operations to enhance efficiency. Employers may increasingly adopt AI and people analytics tools and automate hiring, approving, and tracking procedures to make smarter and data-driven talent management strategies. 

The Metaverse will likely take an increasingly central place in workspaces as well by allowing collaboration like never before. Big names in business are expected to conduct virtual events through this technology, and the world may follow suit. HR can feasibly employ Metaverse to conduct more realistic interviews, training sessions, and meetings, breaking the 2D boundaries of the screen that constrain remote work for now. 

3. Workplace Flexibility 

Traditionally, workplaces have operated with rigid hours, contributing to employee burnout, work-life imbalance, mental health issues, and job dissatisfaction. The COVID-19 pandemic introduced more businesses to remote work models, and now, hybrid jobs can be seen to continue growing due to their flexibility. In fact, 37% percent of employees consider changing jobs if they can’t work remotely. 

HR will increasingly be seen prioritizing employee wellness and facilitating flexibility in the coming years as the importance of employee retention comes to light. The use of tech-enabled collaboration tools and software for scheduling, tracking, corresponding, approving requests, and sharing ideas will become more commonplace as well. 

4. Employee Wellbeing

As businesses realize the impact of employee burnout and lack of motivation on their productivity, employee-wellbeing is increasingly being discussed. And given the coming generation – Gen Z’s – unlikeliness to accept jobs that do not cater to work-life balance and 70% of Gen Z and millennials planning to leave their jobs, employers will have to prioritize employee well-being more than ever. This can come in the form of better job benefits, promotions, flexible schedules, counseling facilities, and ensuring workplace positivity and safety. 

Encouraging diversity, inclusivity, and acceptance will also pave the way to a more positive work culture that protects employees’ health and well-being. 

Endnote 

HR shall have to equip themselves to deal with newer challenges, like assuring a safe remote work environment, retaining and training employees, gaining knowledge about the latest technological advancements, and investing in learning people analytics. The role of technology in this journey will be profound, as we’ve discussed in our guide – TA Tech Buyer's Guide: A Comprehensive Overview of HR Trends and Tech Solutions. 

Given the increasingly remote nature of today’s workplaces and the ease with which people can be misled online, HR must devise new data-driven hiring strategies, especially in remote hiring, to ensure the workplace remains safe and productive.