June 2014 News Roundup

Here are the HR news pieces we didn’t want you to miss from June 2014!

We welcome submissions for future HR news roundup articles in the comments section.

1. Employment: The Evolving Role of Human Resources 

The workplace is quickly and continually being revolutionized through economic, demographic, technological, and social forces. As the world of work evolves, companies must rely on their Human Resource professionals in order to adapt. This article explains why the workplace is evolving and the Human Resources profession can do to adapt to this change. The writer, Felix Kugel, suggests that in order to accommodate the flexibility and agility of this new work environment, HR professionals must take on three new roles: supply and demand experts, marketers, and designers.

As supply and demand experts, HR professionals must ensure that their organizations have the right balance of skilled talent to meet changing needs and achieve business goals. As marketers, they need to consider how organizational branding, messaging and image can help win in-demand skills. As designers, they need to think differently about how to structure work to access, mobilize, optimize and unleash the potential of current and prospective employees.

2. Big Data Is Changing the Game for Recruiters 

Big data, as defined in this article, is a powerful analytical approach that is simultaneously changing the way recruitment happens and re-emphasizing that it is the recruiter, not the talent, who is at the core of the process. Applying big data analytics technologies to the human resources market is attracting major financing and new talent.

Human Resource experts are cautiously excited about the benefits this approach could have on the recruiting process in the near future. But should the recruitment process be boiled down to analytics and quantifiable results? What about the human factor? This article examines how data-based recruiting actually works and explores the potential pros and cons.

3. Tech Insights: The Trick in Making Easy-to-Use User Interfaces

Human Resource tools have a particularly below par user experience. Compared to other applications, HR apps have developed a reputation for difficult interfaces. According to this article, the explanation for this is threefold. One, it takes a lot of work to build the engine of an HR application. Two, simple and intuitive user interfaces are evolving rapidly. Three, it is hard to retrofit old software, even with the right skills and a desire.

However, despite problems in the past, it’s going to get better in the world of HR tech. New software is being designed off fresh code stacks with a “modern user interface top of mind”. So, it may take a little time, but hang in there Human Resource professionals. It will only go up from here.

4. Getting Beyond the Echo Chamber: Selling the Value of HR Outside of HR 

In the HR profession, as in almost every profession, people have the tendency to restrict conversations to others in the same profession. The author, Ron Thomas, recognizes this issue especially amongst HR leaders and bloggers. The results of staying inside this “echo chamber” are counterproductive. The same messages are being bounced back and forth between an audience that is already well versed in their discipline, about its consequences, and, about its virtues.

Instead, Thomas encourages HR professionals to join him and step out of their comfort zone in order to spread messages to the outer audiences. Others cannot become interested or involved if they have not been educated on the concept. HR leaders and influencers should shift their primary focus to those outside of the echo chamber. Conversations are powerful. This article shows HR professionals a new approach that can bring value to every conversation.

5. Leading Change: If It Doesn’t Bring Value, We Shouldn’t be Doing It 

The constant development of new ideas, technologies, and approaches can make it difficult for HR professionals to determine which ones will actually work. Many HR processes were created in a different era making them outdated compared to the current work climate. So, although remodeling is a painstaking process, it is something that should be taken into consideration.

It’s a whole new world and that means the old processes of corporate culture need to be examined, restructured or abandoned. In this article, the author contributes this transformation to the developing economy and gives advice on how to begin the process.