Whenever a conflict arises in the workplace, the human resources department is there to solve it. Simply put, human resources practitioners are professionals that connect employees and management by coordinating events, implementing new guidelines and protocols, managing benefits, handling staffing concerns, recruiting new talent, and strategizing with executives. As a whole, human resources management is responsible for creating and enabling a workplace culture that is productive, welcoming, and appealing to current and potential employees.
According to The Burning Glass Institute, a website that provides data and research outlining trends and statistics in the workforce, careers in human resources management are expected to grow by 9%, with over 161,000 job postings in the last year. Not only is the field growing in terms of job availability, but the profession itself is changing as well. Recently, the field of human resources has shifted its focus on current trends, such as the adoption of technology, the addition of remote work, and increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workforce.
At SDSU Global Campus, you can complete your Professional Certificate in Human Resource Management program in just one year and master your understanding of upcoming trends and principles. Just like classes that are held on campus, the classes for this program will also be taught by SDSU faculty and other experienced professionals. To accommodate the needs of working professionals, this certificate is offered online. You will have the opportunity to take courses regarding management practices, talent acquisition, workplace ethics, DEI, and more.
Current Trends
- Increased emphasis on employee wellbeing: With the COVID-19 pandemic bringing employee health and safety to the forefront, companies will likely continue to prioritize the well-being of their employees through benefits such as mental health support, flexible work arrangements, and wellness programs. For example, according to Forbes, Delta Airlines recently created a new position titled Chief Health and Wellness Officer, to show their dedication to their employees’ mental health and wellbeing. As a result, employees for Delta Airlines are now offered 12 free counseling sessions, healthier meal options in break rooms, and financial education programs that help with budgeting and credit management.
- Adoption of technology: The use of HR technology, such as automated recruitment tools, chatbots for employee engagement, and artificial intelligence for employee data analysis, may continue to grow in 2023. According to Forbes, digital automated assistance technologies, also known as bots, are being utilized more frequently as a way for companies to recruit new talent and for employees to seek out answers in a self-sufficient manner.
- Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI): Companies may continue to focus on creating diverse and inclusive work environments, with initiatives such as unconscious bias training, employee resource groups, and targeted recruiting efforts. Furthermore, companies can assemble diverse hiring teams and utilize a blind hiring process to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion among their employees. According to Indeed, an online platform dedicated to outlining job openings and career trends, diverse hiring teams are beneficial because they are more likely to consider a diverse group of candidates. Additionally, using a blind hiring process allows recruiters to focus on the candidate’s qualifications, rather than their identity, which in turn limits unconscious bias.
- Remote work: Based on a survey conducted by ZipRecruiter in January, the average job seeker is willing to take up to a 14% salary decrease to have a hybrid work schedule. Therefore, many companies will likely continue implementing remote and hybrid work in 2023. Tiffiney Fort, the Chief Orchestration Officer of Hybrid Strategies and Team Solutions for Cisco, believes that creating a hybrid work schedule may look different for each employee. Simply put, it’s important to discuss well-being, engagement, and productivity with each employee before creating a hybrid schedule that suits them.
- Skills-based hiring: According to Remote, a blog dedicated to spreading information regarding payroll, tax, and other human resources management topics, skill-based hiring has increased by 63% in the past year. As a result, companies may begin to prioritize skills and experience when hiring, with an emphasis on upskilling and reskilling employees. Furthermore, the Burning Glass Institute analyzed millions of online job listings and found that the number of jobs requiring a college degree dropped from 51% in 2017 to 44% in 2021. This means that companies will likely continue to not require candidates to have a bachelor’s degree, especially in skill-based industries like computer science and software engineering.
- Agile HR: Companies may adopt agile HR practices, which prioritize flexibility and adaptability in response to changing business needs. In addition to implementing flexible, hybrid work schedules, companies are also taking part in job crafting, the process in which employees create their own job titles based on their skills and satisfaction. Overall, it’s critical for companies to practice organizational agility, as it is the most efficient way to adapt to new consumer practices and business needs.
- Data analytics: HR departments may continue to rely on data analytics to inform decisions and track key metrics such as employee engagement, retention rates, and performance. According to Forbes, companies can use talent analytics tools to measure how long an employee has been in their role, where they stand in terms of their pay band, changes in engagement scores, increases in time off, and more. Knowing this data helps human resources practitioners identify at-risk employees and develop a plan to reduce potential turnovers.
- Employee experience: Companies may prioritize the employee experience, focusing on factors such as onboarding, training and development, and career growth opportunities to create a positive and engaging workplace culture. Furthermore, people in management and executive positions need to have meaningful, intentional conversations with employees, as research conducted by Gallup, an analytics and advisory company, has shown that it increases employee engagement.
The field of human resources management is changing and evolving rapidly. Staying on top of current and emerging trends is the best way to excel as a human resources professional and ensure that your employees are engaged, productive, and treated fairly.
