Personal Resolutions vs Emerging HR Trends for 2017?
Can you believe we’re halfway through February already? The weather doesn’t know what to do with itself, hot, cold, snow, sunshine – the seasons are to say the least a little confused. Before we hit March, I’d say it’s a good time to take stock and check if you’re on track with your goals for 2017…both on a personal and business level and avoid confusion! :0) Let’s remind ourselves of those Personal Resolutions vs Emerging HR Trends for 2017.
Have you stuck to those personal resolutions?
If you made any that is! Let’s face it resolutions are bit off trend now – I’m more for being realistic and doing what you can. These days we all put too much pressure on ourselves to be amazing at everything, at home, at work, with family – we try to be experts at juggling it all. Tim Lott at The Guardian wrote a great piece I’d like to share with you about resolutions, ‘My New Year resolution is not to do better, but to do what I can.’
The key is don’t put too much pressure on yourself, and you could argue it’s becoming even more important to stick to your goals though, in an ever-changing world of work.
So, from a company level –are you on track to hit your first quarter targets? Is your company ready for the emerging trends for 2017? If you thought 2016 was a tumultuous year – then don’t get too comfortable – look out!.. Changes are afoot – the workplace is a-changing!
Workplace flexibility, the rise of nationalism and the explosion of the gig economy are the biggest key trends emerging for 2017 – but there are others to be aware of, from both a HR perspective and personal perspective.
Here are the key emerging HR trends for 2017, as identified by HR magazine.
- “The retirement of baby boomers – According to Forbes more than 3.6 million baby boomers are set to leave the global marketplace, and more than 25% of the millennial workforce will step up to management. Not only does this mean generation X will become a predominant force in the management structure, but the millennial management style will work its way into leadership development and overall corporate management.
It’s been widely discussed that the millennial management style is transformative versus the baby boomers’ autocratic style. We must take their lead and look for ways to help our employees become the best they can be while making a greater social impact along with making money. - Generation Z enters the workforce – The children of generation X, born between 1994 and 2010, will be the graduating class entering the workforce this coming summer. They’re known to be even more loyal, entrepreneurial, realistic and flexible than the millennial generation, despite living through the recession and being saddled with extraordinary student loan debt. They need structure, mentors, and a supportive infrastructure to channel their ambition. We must be prepared to support them.
- Workplace flexibility – As millennials enter the workplace and more freelancers take over task-based positions to fill in workflow, we must focus on how our productivity transcends time zones, global expansion, virtual teams, and technological advances such as cloud-based file systems and mobile work and sales platforms. HR must get in front of these technological advances or we’ll be buried beneath them. The rise of wearable technology is set to continue, which means we’ll progress to even smaller screens and more expedient means of connecting.
- The rise of nationalism – The US presidential election, Brexit, the recent election in Italy. This brings with it the rise of racism and persecution based on religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, and a whole host of productivity-killing human rights violations.
- The war for talent vs modernisation – Two opposing forces will be quite prevalent over the next year. The first will be the continuing war for top talent. As technological advances and more sophisticated business platforms challenge a global workplace, competition for much-needed skillsets will be higher than ever. However, many organisations are modernising and mechanising many tasks previously held by human beings.
- The explosion of the sharing and gig economies – Many people are choosing to move to sharing economies and freelancing as opposed to full-time positions. As headcount shrinks but operational headcount increases, the need to impart and protect corporate culture with those who have no real skin in the game will become complex. We must be mindful and in front of this trend.
- The expansion of personal branding – Employees are working on expanding and nurturing their own personal brand, sometimes to the help or hindrance of their employer. How HR handles this explosion of personalities will be a top line item in 2017.
- Climate change – With the millennial generation leading the way with their focus on the environment, community and society impact businesses will have a strong opportunity for both customer and employee connection as well as ethical global leadership. ”
Looking at these trends together, it could paint quite an unsettling picture – many point to key changes in the nature of the workplace, and even the beginnings of an ‘industrial revolution’, according to Sarah Coles’ article on the gig economy.
The concept of working for an organisation looks set to change, how we operate and even think! Organisations need to address how to adapt to all of these changes over time: embracing huge structural and operational changes, the ‘Millennial’s transformative style, increased workplace flexibility for starters.
For the employee, it presents a potentially exciting working environment in the short term; one where we can take more control, have more flexibility and hopefully achieve that work-life balance we all strive for. As individuals let’s embrace the change, maximise the opportunity and it could be another strike on our ‘non-resolution’ list.
The long term predictions however, present an increasingly challenging future for the workplace. If we think an ‘industrial revolution’ does lie ahead and we’ll be employed based our ‘score ratings, to complete a range of tasks, rather than a traditional job role – then we need to brace ourselves and at the very least all start building our own personal brands and increasing our scores to maximise our chances!
View related HR & General Recruitment Articles from the Dovetail Blog, including:
How to dress in the workplace – back to basics
Fashion in the Workplace
Romance in the workplace – dead or alive?
Understanding the current employment news
Graduate vs Apprentice
10 ways to help your new starter settle in
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View our current HR & General Recruitment vacancies
Article References:
http://www.hrmagazine.co.uk/article-details/rita-trehan-eight-hr-trends-for-2017
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/dec/30/new-year-resolution-not-do-better-do-what-i-can
http://money.aol.co.uk/2017/02/18/the-gig-economy-will-kill-your-nice-secure-job/
