Published in Business Know-How

Human resources departments are facing changes and adjusting to expectations of new generations of workers. Here are the HR trends anticipated for the coming year.

With the changing political landscape and new generations of workers in the workplace, Human Resource professionals will need to stay informed about legal issues and proactively plan for trends in the field. Here are some of the upcoming trends to watch out for.

Millennials continue to play a big role in shaping the workplace. According to a 2015 survey by FlexJobs, the majority of millennials (85%) report that they want a flexible work schedule, which has led to more tele-commuting opportunities. Rather than a workforce of all full time employees, workplaces will include consultants, contractors, freelancers, and part time employees. Human resources professionals will need to develop plans for on boarding and training all of these workers.

Again, because of the influence of millennials, who desire continuous performance feedback, the standard annual performance review may be replaced by continuous feedback systems that build in coaching and suggestions from key stakeholders. HR professionals will need to create new feedback systems and provide staff with communication and training.

Companies are looking at providing benefits that complement work/life balance.A recent survey by SunTrust Bank found that seventy percent of working adults experience a moderate or high level of financial stress. Proactive HR professionals will include financial planning tools for workers in their corporate wellness programs.

Another trend is the changing look of the workplace.In a TED talk, Susan Cain stated that many open floor plans are “designed mostly for extroverts and their need for lots of stimulation”. Companies may want to create new workplace designsthat give employees the ability to choose a workspace that fit their needs. HR can play a role in creating these new work environments.

Outsourcing human resources functions has been popular over the last few years and will continue as a trend to save time and money.Internal human resources professionals will be focused on running HR as a service organization, measuring employee engagement, and continuing to embrace the use of HR technology for recruiting, on boarding, wellness, etc.

Last, in regards to the changing political landscape and employment law, many experts predict that the federal minimum wage will remain unchanged.We may see some changes from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The new EEOC head, Victoria Lipnic, voted against the EEOC’s 2015 decision that sexual orientation discrimination is gender discrimination, voted against the EEOC’s 2014 guidance concerning pregnancy discrimination that imposed greater accommodations for pregnant women and voted against the regulation that requires businesses with 100 or more workers to submit pay data by gender, race and ethnicity on their EEO-1 report. And last, Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsush, if confirmed, is predicted to be pro-business. It will be critical for HR professionals to stay informed about changing employment laws.