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Top HR Trends to Watch For in 2019

The tight job market that defined much of 2018 will be a common theme this year, but human resources should be ready to adapt to some evolving realities in 2019.

HR teams and recruiters hoping to win over talent need to understand that candidates with wide gaps between jobs aren't necessarily cause for concern, Korn Ferry notes in its Emerging Talent Trends For 2019 report (PDF).

"Recruiters are no longer looking at employment gaps with raised eyebrows as the stigma of taking time off between jobs to raise children, travel, or learn new skills wears off," the report notes.

Jeanne MacDonald, global co-operating executive and president of global talent solutions for Korn Ferry's RPO and professional search business, notes that the huge amount of data that is easily accessible also is impacting how HR does its job.

"The issues are becoming more and more complex, from the role that artificial intelligence and talent analytics plays, to the shift in how people are looking to get compensated, evaluated and rewarded," MacDonald says in a release. "To succeed in attracting, developing and retaining top talent as we head into another year, it's critical to be agile and forward thinking."

HR should be willing to tailor compensation plans that attract and keep individuals as they juggle employees spanning four generations. Continuous feedback, as opposed to once-a-year reviews, and doing a better job at measuring diversity and inclusion efforts to access a deeper talent pool also are essential.

Managers, as opposed to HR, should be entrusted to engage more frequently with their direct staff, Business News Daily reports.

"The manager's role of giving regular feedback continues to grow stronger as organizational change happens faster," says Rachel Ernst, vice president of employee success for Reflektive, a people-management platform. "Putting performance management in the hands of managers benefits employees much more quickly than having HR manage the workflows."

The frequent manager-employee feedback approach is especially welcomed by millennials, who are used to getting information quickly, says Amanda Augustine, career advice expert for TopResume.

"Millennials grew up using technologies such as Snapchat, Instant Messenger and texting, and are accustomed to receiving continuous feedback from their extensive social media networks on practically everything they do and say," she notes. "They expect nothing less than a similar cadence of communication in the workplace."

And while Millennials will outnumber their younger generational counterparts, Gen Z, in the workplace, the latter are expected to make up 36% of workers next year, CNBC reports. The oldest member of this group will be 23 and expect a digital-ready workplace to be the norm.

"The flipside of their technological competence will be a decrease in soft skills such as professional written communication and somewhat ironically, an emphasis or preference for in person meetings versus electronic," Debby Carreau, CEO of Inspired HR, writes for CNBC.

"As a teammate you can help their transition into the workforce by making sure that you listen to their ideas and being transparent with them from day one," Carreau adds.

Other trends that will play out in the year include more seniors delaying retirement and a desire to work for companies that embrace a social mission and make their employees feel valued.

"Amazon and Target launching livable wage initiatives setting minimum wage targets of $15/hour following public outcry is a perfect example," Carreau notes. "Employees' ethical concerns also have an increasing presence in strategy, an example being Google's recent scrapping of a Pentagon cloud computing proposal after employee outcry over the possible weaponization of AI."

Another workplace trend to look out for this year is more companies awarding non-parents family leave time, The Washington Post reports. This could include time off to care for an older parent, time to greave for a deceased relative or to help an ill spouse, says Carol Sladek, who heads up Aon Hewitt's work-life consulting program.

Employers may feel pressure to broaden their family leave policy for workers who increasingly note, "I sitting here trying to care for my 83-year-old father, and Jane, sitting next to me, gets 18 weeks of paid maternity leave," Sladek notes. "That doesn't feel right."

Companies can expect more of their workers to require that they step up efforts to protect their private information. Employers also will incorporate office phone booths as part of their workplace space, while email continues to give way to messaging.

"If you're working with less than 200 people at a time you really don't need email--it's a waste," says Josh Bersin, an industry analyst focused on workplace technology.

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