4 Trends to Watch for in HR Technology Post-COVID-19

Many organizations are now focused on creating a safe return-to-work environment several months after they suddenly vacated offices and transitioned to working remotely. Companies are also preparing for a new normal that may scarcely resemble the world as it was before the pandemic.

The future of work starts now because COVID-19 has accelerated four shocks that were already going to pass through today’s workplaces, affecting employees, leaders, and organizational mandates, Forrester Research says.

1. Systemic risk makes every company a globally exposed enterprise.
2. Robots and automation are in their infancy.
3. Employee data will overwhelm organizations with obligations and possibilities.
4. Employee power will redefine workforce strategy.

 “Engaged employees, supported by empathetic leaders, situated in an organizational environment that motivates the workforce to become customer-obsessed — all of it backed by the tools and technologies to manage that workforce strategically — will be a differentiating factor in determining not just which companies survive this current crisis but which ones go on to create the employee and customer experiences that make the future of everything else possible,” researchers wrote.

Watch for these four trends in HR technology post-COVID-19. 

1) Remote work will continue.

Forty percent of companies plan to accelerate digital and remote ways of working as they enhance processes that have been successful using new technologies, PwC says.

Six of 10 companies say that remote work has made them more productive, Raven Intel found in surveying 146 companies on how COVID-19 has impacted HR tech projects and investments. Only 11% said they will go back to the traditional work environment.

In identifying the HR technology trends that are defining 2020, SmartBrief reports that companies are supporting remote work through self-service employee experience portals. Also, video conferencing applications have become embedded in hiring, interviewing, recruiting, and onboarding processes as organizations have adapted to remote work. Companies have come to appreciate candidates that demonstrate proficiency in working remotely.

2) Online learning will be personalized.

SmartBrief also reported that employees spent 150% more time learning online in the March-to-May period than in the December-to-February period, according to LinkedIn. 

HR technology will become more customized and employee-focused. “To really enable learning in the flow of work, we need HR tech solutions that monitor and evaluate the work people are doing, and then offer personalized learning solutions, when required,”  Tom Haak, director of the Amsterdam-based HR Trend Institute, was quoted as saying in a Human Resource Executive (HRE) article on emerging trends in HR tech.

3) Communication will include new tools.

Among all of the imperatives organizations face in the COVID pandemic, communication is paramount, HR advisor Josh Bersin wrote in an HRE article on how communication is more important than ever. Communication must be fast, effective, and accurate because workers need information immediately. 

“The employee communications function is a mission-critical, CEO-connected effort,” Bersin wrote. Companies are increasingly using technology like employee experience platforms, end-to-end corporate HR portals, and integrated, end-to-end communications platforms.

4) Data will drive workforce management.

“Critical to workforce planning is leveraging people data — across compensation, talent, health, engagement and finance — to fully gauge workforce cost and business impact,” stated a SearchHRSoftware article on how HR technology, analytics may help companies through COVID-19. 

“The best technology tools provide HR leaders with the ability to map workforce requirements with projected revenue forecasts, and then model new “what if” scenarios relative to how the company can respond to external risks and broader economic factors, all while preserving a strong core business and operations.”

Though HR technology post-COVID-19 will differ in some ways from before the pandemic, organizations will still use it to run more effectively and efficiently.

HR technology improves the employee experience and increases efficiency when it is implemented correctly, configured properly, and supported fully. Prepare your organization for the new normal by getting ahead of emerging trends.