In the January/February issue of HR Magazine, Josh Bersin with Deloitte, makes nine predictions of “what’s in store for HR in 2015.” This is part eight of a series of nine articles looking at each of these predictions.

While HR is all about keeping up with laws that change every 15 minutes, according to Josh Bersin, that’s not the case with technology. Technology, too changes seemingly every 15 minutes, and systems that are five years old are antiquated. There is no Elizabethan Tragedy here, as according to the 2013-2014 HR Systems Survey by CedarCrestone, HR is increasing spending on its outmoded technology. In fact, the report states that companies of all sizes have joined the chorus

• 49% of companies with 10,000 or more employees
• 46% of companies with between 2,500 and 10,00 employees
• 41% of companies with between 200 and 2,500 employees

Spending the money is like a cantabile melody – easy and flowing, so that is not the issue. The real dilemma is where to spend the money and today’s choices are many. Technology has the power to solve problems or at least aid in many areas.

In the January/February issue of HR Magazine, Josh Bersin with Deloitte, makes nine predictions of “what’s in store for HR in 2015.”   This is part seven of a series of nine articles looking at each of these predictions.

A sign on Albert Einstein’s door read: “Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.” “Big data” is all the rage today, but does it really need to be all that big (think Neilson ratings) and is it really all that useful? Certainly data, statistics, and analytics are not new tunes that just hit the charts, particularly in the wonderful world of sports. Today we are using data, in both large and small businesses, to measure everything from behaviors such as a doctor’s bedside manner to data that could keep older drivers behind the wheel longer to data that reveals that employees who blog are happier Analytics involving more “clear cut” information such as economics, college admissions, and budgets will continue to prove useful. In addition, HR is now learning to use data for workforce planning. Moreover, data may help HR to obtain more of the business partner status it has been desiring for years.

It’s no secret that HR has not enjoyed a good reputation over the years and it has been waiting to be invited to “a seat at the table.” However, some wonder why HR has not “claimed” its seat at the table, by making itself more of a business partner. Unfortunately, many do not know where to begin to make such a transition happen. Analytics may be just the ticket. Let’s look at how analytics are changing the face of the workforce first.

In the January/February issue of HR Magazine, Josh Bersin with Deloitte, makes nine predictions of “what’s in store for HR in 2015.”   This is part six of a series of nine articles looking at each of these predictions.

While an old classic, this melody has a different tempo than in times past. Managing talent may have been a distant hum in the past as the workforce played a different theme. The theme used to be that workers got a job and stayed put until retirement. However, that theme is reaching a crescendo because the workforce is anything but stable today. The workforce today is much more mobile according to Bersin. We’ve all seen this to be true as both employee and company loyalties have become a requiem. In addition, the younger generation doesn’t seem to crave that gold watch.

On a different note, Bersin suggest that the reason talent management has become so important today is that “…it’s good business. High performing companies around the world have highly tenured people.” This means they have a lot of knowledge about the company, they are skilled, and they have built up productive relationships during their tenure. This is money in the bank. This is true for two reasons. Hiring new people is expensive and it may take years for them to reach the productivity level of a tenured employee. However, there is a word of caution due here.

In the January/February issue of HR Magazine, Josh Bersin with Deloitte, makes nine predictions of “what’s in store for HR in 2015.”   This is part five of a series of nine articles looking at each of these predictions.

Networking has a long history beginning around the industrial revolution. Before that, people lived in stable communities and interacted with the same people for most of their lives. They knew approximately 150 people. This number is known as Dunbar’s Number. Its definition is that 150 is “approximately the number of people we are programmed by evolution to know with some reasonably degree of familiarity.” This is according to ChangingMinds.com While networking via social media has not been around quite as long, networking to recruit is a classic tune and always stays at the top of the charts.

When working in human resources departments of hotels a number of years ago, we offered a monetary reward to those employees who brought in someone they knew to apply for a job. If hired, the individual had to stay at work for 90 days and then the incumbent received his or her reward. When going out and about, especially if we ate at a restaurant, we were given cards to give out to someone we thought would be a good addition to our team all the while, singing the praises of our hotel. One networking “tune”, the “old boy network” has probably been around since Adam discovered another male romping around on the planet. So recruiting via networking is certainly not new. The way we do it has a new melody.