The Future of HR - What Does 2030 Hold for People Managers?

What kinds of HR jobs will be available in the future? What expectations will HRs have to meet? What challenges will the people department be facing in the future?

There are endless questions relating to the future of HR, and it’s critical for HR professionals to understand what is yet to come to stay relevant.

I’ve had my eyes open for the changes in the preferences of the next-gen workforce and technological advancements in the HR space for a very long time.

This is what I found about the future of HR.

Also read : All you need to know about the future of work

What Does the Future of HR Hold?

In a nutshell, things are going to change drastically in the future in the world of HR. 

Let’s dive into the future of HR.

1. Employee Experience Will Have to Meet Expectations

Employees want more from their work than just compensation and growth. Today, over half of employees want a better work-life balance, and employees want to be viewed as more than just human capital.

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People also want to feel that they are making a difference in the world as part of an organization that values and respects them, so they feel that they are valued as human beings.

Therefore, the HR department's scope will change based on the shifting world of work. The future of HR will require professionals to handle employer-employee expectations better, which are in a state of flux.

HRs will also need to become more people-focused, employee-centric, and human due to these new employee demands.

For instance, organizations can invest in prospecting automation to find more specific leads. This will eventually help in reducing the costs and time and efforts salespeople would have to spend with non-converting leads, making their work life more streamlined.

2. Companies Will Welcome Dynamic In-Office and Remote Policies

During the pandemic, in-office employees were forced to work remotely, which has since been a permanent situation for many businesses.

Remote work options have been beneficial in addressing COVID-19 surges and meeting employees' needs. And while the pandemic’s threat has reduced, it’s expected that this trend of hybrid work will continue in the future.

Despite the prevalence of remote work and flexible working arrangements, some employers and employees do and will continue to value face-to-face time in the office to collaborate more efficiently as a team.

In this decade, more offices will offer hybrid policies for remote and office days, giving employees the freedom to make the most appropriate decisions for their situations and respond to evolving public health needs.

3. HRs Will Lead the Charge on Organizational Flexibility

Before the pandemic, only 29% of HR leaders were prepared for speed, adaptability, and agility. However, the world of work was altered dramatically and instantly when the pandemic struck.

Organizations that were already geared toward agility benefited the most. And if there was something that helped people departments manage this ever-changing landscape, it was being fluid, resilient, and agile.

Looking forward into the future of HR, people professionals will have to prepare and lead organizations through hierarchical changes and even strategic alliances.

Agility will enable HRs to make intelligent choices more rapidly and boost their company's performance. Hence, you must think outside the box to be truly agile and adaptable.

4. People Analytics Will Become a Necessity

We should be fully past relying on spreadsheets and gut feel by the end of this decade. It's time to start leveraging HR analytics to make better data-driven decisions towards people management.

Despite the fact that HRs have the chance to maximize the potential of new resources in the new decade through data analytics, there is still much work to be done.

In fact, 35% of HR leaders don't currently have the confidence or skills to analyze data to derive insights, and only 28% say they're experts at analytics.

Additionally, if the current predictions of a more flexible future do materialize, analytics tech will become a necessity, as successful hybrid working is only possible with good technology.

Also read : How Google is using people analytics to completely reinvent HR

5. HR Automation Will Mean Admin Liberation

Nearly 40% of HR leaders complain that they are too focused on paperwork and administrative activities.

The result?

It can bog down your performance.

Also, many businesses find it difficult to invest in HR technologies. As a result they still use separate HR systems, and the problem is that many of these systems are not updated regularly and may, therefore, hamper productivity rather than help.

But this trend might not continue in the future of HR. 

In fact, some HR experts are already approaching technological advancements like video conferencing software, HR analytics platforms, autoresponder software, writing assistant apps and more.

All of this means that the future of HR holds the arrival of a new age where sophisticated, repetitive HR duties will be handled by technology, allowing experts to concentrate on more engaging work like strategy, leadership, and expansion.

6. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Sustainability Will Become More Important 

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are more than just buzzwords for HR strategies.

Experts believe that creating an equitable working environment is the right thing to do, and it is also something 70% of job seekers prefer in a company.

As GenZ enters the workforce, businesses must take a more serious approach to equality, diversity, and inclusion to become more attractive for potential candidates.

Not only DEI, HR leaders must also be conscious of sustainability as they’ll have to play a key role in making their businesses more sustainable.

And that’s because employees will be looking for a company that reflects their values.

Hence, HR leaders should utilize people analytics to determine where they should focus their efforts to generate real change. It’ll help if you create a video stating your DEI policies and share it with the people you want to hire.

Conclusion

Businesses have been forced to alter their policies in response to growing social justice efforts and the flexible demands of the workforce in the past. 

Moving forward to the future of HR, the people departments should now prepare to offer their employees a variety of options, it’s the key to ensuring that your employees have a fulfilling relationship with the company.

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