OUR HANDPICKED, BEST OF THE BEST HR PREDICTIONS FOR 2016

2015 has ended and the entire HR landscape has shown a lot of resilience during this time of change. The biggest multinational companies made bold moves to improve the way they handle and manage talent. Likewise, the smaller players in the industry used their eye for innovation to introduce new ways of doing old things – their primary weapon as a small-fish-in-a-big-pond, game changer role. And although the changes have been overwhelming across the industry, 2016 promises more of the same – HR recruitment and technology will once again create bigger ripples as HR vendors try to differentiate themselves from the rest.

We have selected the biggest, best of the best predictions that will shake the world of HR and recruitment. Read on to get ahead of the curve!

1. The App Age. Move over, web browser based recruitment systems! 2016 is expected to be the year of the Mobile App. Yes, this change has been felt around the industry for two or three years now, but HR practitioners are anticipating 2016 to be the peak year of the shift from web browsers to mobile applications. Josh Bersin explains that “the appification has arrived.” Mobile apps are the future, and 2016 is the real start of this future. Almost the entire HR interface will soon be accessible with a swipe and pinch of people’s smart phones. 

2. Boomerang employees. Yes, HR practitioners now have a term for employees who leave a company, only to return later on in their careers. Of course, the reasons behind these people return can be as varied as the reasons they leave in the first place. Some soon discover that “the other man’s grass isn’t always greener.” Others may see proximity to their families, workplace familiarity, and overall company culture as the driving force behind their comeback. What’s most important here is that companies are now more than willing to take back these professionals. From 48% to 76%, the percentage of companies ready to accept returning professionals has significantly risen. Dan Schwabel explains more here: http://www.forbes.com/sites/danschawbel/2015/11/01/10-workplace-trends-for-2016/

3. Applicants treated nicer. We’ve all grown accustomed to seeing the recruitment market as a hiring company’s market – that is, it’s the hiring company that has more power, control and influence over the applicant. Well, times have changed, and the scale has been tipped. Websites such as Glassdoor now give applicants a chance to share their recruitment experiences – from the way they were interviewed, accepted, declined, etc. This totally changes things since now, companies will do their very best to avoid getting bad reviews, which discourage applicants from approaching them. Suddenly, it’s a fair game! Michelle Rafter has more: http://in.pcmag.com/zenefits/98376/feature/2016-hr-tech-forecast-data-analytics- wearables-and

4. LinkedIn will be challenged. LinkedIn, for the longest time, has always had a stranglehold on the professional networking space. Facebook is for social media, and LinkedIn is its professional counterpart. In 2016, the industry expects that LinkedIn will meet a formidable foe, and will give it a run for its money. David Green shares that competition always benefits the end users, as companies will do their best to provide cutting edge innovation that will improve the overall HR experience. LinkedIn is a near perfect website during this age of its domination; imagine what more it could become if it has a competitor or two right under its nose. Mr. Green tells us his views here: http://blog.hrtecheurope.com/10-predictions-for-hr-in-2016/

5. Less and less performance evaluation reviews. Performance evaluation reviews attempt to give the rewards to their deserving, rightful recipients. Thru set goals and standardized measures, companies get a better gauge as to which employee contributed more, and thus should be rewarded more. While it may be true that these reviews do serve their purpose, some HR practitioners claim that the death of these reviews is coming, and is inevitable. Feedback will have much more weight now, among other things. Thus, it’s not merely quantifiable factors. Quality comes into play even more 2016. Jerene Ang explains her views: http://www.humanresourcesonline.net/10- disruptive-hr-tech-trends-look-2016/

2016 will be a year of dramatic changes, as these bold predictions convey. Whether companies and applicants see this as a positive or negative thing depends entirely on their disposition. At the end of the day, change is good, perfection takes time, and innovation will benefit everyone involved. The HR industry definitely hopes that is the case for next year. Be prepared for an exciting ride!