Accelerate February 2015 | Page 13

Trending Technology - With the increasing influence of technology in HR, expect management information to be more widely used by HR teams in future, but don’t expect the HR director to be the one analysing the data. Rather, the growing demand for HR reporting will be accompanied by a growing demand for the hiring of HR analysts to keep up with the mandate for actionable HR information. Flexible working - HR professionals also anticipate growing demand for flexible working in the year ahead. A third (33 percent) predict they will respond to employee requests for flexible working in the year ahead (up 7 percent from last year), while 28 percent of HR professionals expect employers to initiate the demand for flexible working (up 2 percent). The majority of respondents (53 percent) only have flexible working options for up to 10 percent of staff. What were the three most interesting findings? 1. Diversity & Inclusion - HR professionals are less satisfied today with the progress being made by formal diversity initiatives compared to a year ago. While over half (52 percent) said they were happy with the diversity progress being made in their organisation, this is down from 59 percent last year, a significant drop of 7 percent. Which leads to an important question for all HR professionals: Has diversity progress stalled? 2. HR Career - There appears to be disquiet among HR professionals, with falling levels of job satisfaction. The proportion of HR professionals who claimed to be ‘very satisfied’ in their role has dropped from 37 percent last year to less than a third (32 percent) today. On top of this, the past year has witnessed a 7 percent drop in respondents’ belief that HR has an important role to play in the organisation. This can infuriate HR professionals who believe the role of HR is central to the success of the business and a vital department to ensure business success. HR professionals are less satisfied today with the progress being made by formal diversity initiatives compared to a year ago. 3. Talent Management - Work environment and management style are more important than monetary rewards when it comes to retaining talent. Most HR professionals (90 percent) believe creating a positive work environment is the most effective way to retain employees, while a similar proportion (86 percent) recognise the importance of developing a successful management style. Less than half (47 percent) believe Compensation Systems are important to employee retention. Any further comments? The issue of employee wellness is becoming increasingly important, particularly to multinationals in Asia. With the rise in technology, the need to be connected 24/7 is adding an even greater strain to today’s overloaded employees. Companies are increasingly focusing on the health and wellness of their teams to enhance productivity and promote work/life balance. February 2015 13