We previously published Part 1 and Part 2 of our recap of Bersin by Deloitte's report, HR Technology Disruptions for 2017: Nine Trends Reinventing the HR Software Market. Here is Part 3.
#7) Convergence of Team Management and HR Tools
New software systems like Slack, Trello, and Basecamp are making it easier for teams to collaborate on work, communicate with one another, and manage projects. This trend is indicative of a shift in importance — away from adopting tools that assist HR professionals manage their teams, towards tools that assist employees and managers perform better on the job. This doesn’t mean that HR tech companies are no longer interested in supporting HR teams, it simply means that there is a new branch of HR technology that is meant to be used by individual employees to assist in their everyday work. These HR tools are being integrated into employee workflows, so that they can be used by everyone.
#8) Emerging Focus on Personal Performance & Health
Emerging HR technologies will centralize the way we measure performance, work completion, employee happiness, and employee health, and converge that data to deliver new insights.
Today’s work environment is highly digital, and primarily online, fostering an “always-on” work ethic. Work emails are sent to smartphones at any and all times of the day, overexposing employees to work communication and activities. In theory, this promotes productivity, but in reality, it hinders it. Not allowing employees to “turn-off” at the end of a work day, causes high levels of stress, has negative impacts on overall health and wellness, and as a result, has negative impacts on performance and productivity.
Most companies offer various health services (such as insurance and coverage), but these services are not often included in existing employee performance or engagement programs - they require buy-in, and are considered to be “benefits”, or optional add-ons.
This is beginning to change - Organizations are becoming aware that employee performance is correlated with their personal health, so investing in employee well-being is essential. Organizations are beginning to provide services that help employees manage their well-being. Common methods include:
- Teaching mindfulness
- Yoga sessions
- Nutrition classes
- Motivational speakers
- Providing gym memberships
- On-site daycares
- Company counsellors
The employee management software emerging on the market is designed to keep track of our motivators, promote health, and balance our work and home lives - bringing these all together. Adding another layer to this, are analytics software, which allow users to measure and track the success and growth of employees as a result of these new tools.
Some organizations have taken it a step further, using mobile apps to help promote wellness. Companies like Fitbit and Oracle have created various fitness and health apps for employees to manage their activities, share their progress, and challenge one another.
This convergence of work, health, and fitness is expected to strengthen in the next year, as organizations find new ways to help their employees find balance and happiness.
#9) HR Going Digital: Workflow Automation
Voice recognition, augmented reality, and work automation technologies are emerging trends in the HR market. These tools allow automated transactions and processes, allowing HR professionals can essentially automate any process. This will eventually cause a transition from HR work done in a series of tasks, to journey maps with automated workflows for every step of the employee process.
For example, instead of automating the hiring of new employees, the entire onboarding process should be automated. That includes the interview, the orientation, and the probation period. This is just one example, but this process can apply to any HR process.
This means a complete reconfiguration and re-construction of the employee experience. Automating workflows create simpler work processes, can greatly reduce the cost of HR processes, and enhance the overall value of HR departments.
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