Part of the benefit of starting and growing a business in the information age is the ability to pinpoint relevant data and obtain that data with relative ease. But, as the HR landscape continues to rapidly evolve, many companies are still trying to find their footing and understand the nuances of a changing workforce and accompanying technological improvements.
Companies can give themselves a fighting chance by working together, constantly adapting their strategies and embracing relevant technology. At least, that’s what many are hoping.
Google Opens Up Its HR Playbook
Google is going to share its tactics as it works toward improving its HR practices. Already one of the most imitated technology companies, Google is launching a “curated platform” on the Web to share its ideas about management, according to a recent article from the Washington Post.
“Called re:Work, the new site will feature research-backed examples of how Google approaches things like hiring and anti-bias training, providing free public tools such as slide decks and checklists that the company uses internally,” the story reads. The site will not merely focus on Google’s internal policies, but will also be a forum to discuss other companies HR approach.
In a blog post on re:Work, Google wrote, “'we don’t want to just talk about Google, because we know we don’t have all the answers and have gotten a lot of stuff wrong along the way.'"
Other companies are also using a collaborative approach. Facebook shared unconscious bias training and Disney, Zappos and Ritz-Carlton have started businesses to train others in cultural approach and customer service. Sharing the information will have a broad impact and seeks to create a win-win for the company and other businesses and consumers, according to Google and other experts.
Trending Toward Tech
A newfound focus on collaboration isn’t the only hot development in HR, though. Human Resources managers are taking on larger roles in the overall direction of many companies, are increasingly using big data, and are more readily investing in HR software, according to an article from Entrepreneur.
A CareerBuilder Survey cited in the piece shows that 65% of the 88 business leaders at companies with revenue of more than $50 million questioned believe HR opinions now carry greater weight with top management. A whopping 90% of CEOs said it’s important HR leaders are proficient in workforce analytics, with 35% calling it “absolutely essential.”
Automation is pivotal as well. “The automation of everyday processes has made headache-inducing tasks much less painful," the story reads. "Where HR is concerned, automation has literally put the human back in human resources by freeing up more time to spend strategizing with the company’s leadership, finding and securing top talent and working with employees."
Changing Practices Call for New Vision
Much energy goes into making employees more engaged, more productive, and happier at work. Companies are constantly competing to attract the best and brightest employees and the younger millennial cohort has unique wants and needs. “Companies are making strong investments in the employee experience—the physical, digital, and cultural environments,” according to a post from the Pacific-Standard.
Cisco, for one, is moving toward “smart offices” that adapt to the user. Whatever space one inhabits, their personal preferences for lighting and temperature are adapted and their contacts are downloaded. Whirlpool, as another example, is using business applications modeled after recognizable and user-friendly consumer ones.
In an attempt to encourage leadership they have moved to a flatter title structure, now using; “leading self, leading others, leading function, and leading enterprise,” the story reads. Overall: “We can expect far more changes; indeed, we are in the middle of a fascinating evolution that will re-define what it means to be an employee and a manager, and what it means to work,” according to the Pacific Standard.