HR ESSENTIALS: Trends to embrace in 2014

As 2013 draws to a close, HR professionals and business executives are thinking about what 2014 will have in store. Talent management technology leader, PageUp People, works closely with organisations to ensure they remain competitive by attracting and nurturing qualified talent. 

PageUp People’s global CEO, Karen Cariss, said, “As 2014 rapidly approaches, there are six key HR developments that will be crucial to growth and continued success. These trends need to be front-and-center on the global executive agenda when planning for next year, as well as the years ahead.” 

Talent intelligence

Through the use of analytics, organisations can quantify the impact of talent on business performance, forecast their short- and long-term workforce demands, identify critical skills gaps, explore “what if” scenarios and develop the people strategies that address today’s rapid pace of business. 

Involvement of the c-suite

While the workforce has always been important to the organization, the complexities and challenges created by the global economic landscape require leadership teams to continually re-evaluate their organisations’ strategies. Doing so enables organisations to determine how workforce assets can be fully leveraged. 

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How mobile has changed HR

Previously, HR and recruiting professionals interacted with candidates at their own pace via applicant tracking systems and job boards. Mobile applications have changed how recruiting takes place as well as how employment brands are promoted. Given the widening gap between skills availability and business requirements, companies leveraging mobile career sites and applications to source and hire are able to reduce time and cost-to-hire as well as reach new talent pools. 

Invest for success

As companies assess their technology investments, most are opting for deeper functionality delivered via a software-as-a-service (SaaS) model. Industry research has validated that 2014 will be the year in which new solutions are implemented, bringing new features – such as candidate relationship management and career pathing – into production. 

Borderless talent management

Gone are the days when companies restrict their businesses to a specific location. As business and workforces become borderless, it’s increasingly important to be able to manage globally yet execute locally. Having a talent management solution that supports compliance and enterprise visibility into the workforce, coupled with the ability to respect and reward cultural nuances and expectations, differentiates an employer as one of choice or one to avoid. 

Social is here to stay

When it comes to talent, some social channels are intuitive, e.g. the use of LinkedIn as a recruiting tool. In 2014, the use of social media tools will intensify as more companies seek to use them for collaboration, communications and productivity. Keeping the workforce – as well as related talent pools such as alumni – connected via special interest communities and Facebook groups can foster engagement and referrals. HR professionals should also investigate the use of social tools in training and development to support informal and formal learning. 

Cariss said, “Companies seeking to distinguish themselves as best places to work embrace innovation and process improvements. When we look back on 2014 to make our predictions for 2015, I’m confident that those organisations that follow these trends will be further ahead of their competition.” 

About PageUp People 

PageUp People helps multinational employers strategically align their talent resources to execute corporate strategy across borders, business units, cultures and languages — maximising employee value and business results. The PageUp People SaaS-delivered solution unifies Recruiting, Performance Management, Compensation, Training & Development, Career Planning, Succession Management and Advanced Workforce Analytics to help global employers overcome the talent management challenges that are inherent to operating across multiple geographies. 

PageUp People solutions support large multinational organizations, including several Global 500 employers and more than 90,000 HR practitioners operating across more than 180 countries from a broad range of industries, including financial services, retail, mining and refining, transportation and telecommunications. PageUp People is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia with additional office locations in Sydney, London, Shanghai and Atlanta. Learn more about how PageUp People can help transform your organization’s multinational HR initiatives by visiting www.pageuppeople.com.