Human Resources is all around us. It's more than just benefits and personnel issues too, and the field has earned a seat at the table in recent years. After all, once the recession hit, the world realized how important jobs really are to a functioning and thriving economy. As the HR function has grown, here are some new trends and thinking in the space.
1) Why It's A 'Glorious Time' To Be in HR from Forbes
"Last month employers in the U.S. added 288,000 jobs. It marked the best five month stretch of job creation since 2008 and the U.S. economy has now officially recovered from the job losses of the last great recession. Of course this is great news for everyone. But there’s one tech industry in particular that particularly benefits when more people are working. Those are the companies that make human resources (HR) software."
2) Suddenly, a new way to rethink Human Resources from IBM
"Branding is just as important today in attracting and retaining employees as it is for attracting and retaining customers. Yet employment branding strategies have not refined or applied consumer branding techniques for recruiting and retention purposes. In order for Human Resources (HR) practitioners to rethink and elevate the value of their departments, a strategic business case needs to link employment branding to the bottom line. However, are there mechanisms that can be applied from consumer branding to do this? Examining HR through the branding lens can provide the answer."
3) Reid Hoffman's The Alliance: A Manifesto for 21st Century Management from Forbes
"I probably read more than one hundred human resources, leadership, and business books a year (the Kindle is an amazing tool) and I rarely have time to review them. Most are great books in many ways. In this article, however, I’d like to discuss an important new book which is well worth a read: “The Alliance” by Reid Hoffman, Ben Casnocha, and Chris Yeh. While the book is not highly detailed and not really a “how to” manual, the notoriety of the author and the clarity of its concepts create a manifesto for management I think is badly needed. In brief, Reid’s team describes a new “employment contract” taking place – one where workers and employers work in a free agency-like alliance. Each party gives to the other, and as long as both are gaining value, the alliance works."
4) Recent trends in critical HR management practices from Deccan Herald
"Nobel Prize-winning economist Gary S. Becker, who coined the term 'human capital,' says that the basic resource in any company is the people. The most successful companies will be those that manage human capital in the most effective and efficient manner. The present day economy has been titled as 'Knowledge economy'. In such an economy, it is people who make all the difference. In political economy capital or market was important. Talent occupies centre stage in the Indian workplace. In view of this, managing and retaining manpower is becoming crucial to an organization’s success. To achieve this, companies across sectors are focusing on some of the more critical HR practices.
5) Stanton Chase Unveils New Focus on Human Resources Leadership from Stanton Chase
"Stanton Chase International announces the launch of a new global Human Resources Specialty Practice to provide retained executive search services for the most critical roles in C-level HR leadership, including experts in all strategic human resource disciplines. To lead the practice, Stanton Chase has named Daniel Casteel, Managing Director, Nashville, TN. Stanton Chase has built a global team of 39 consultants with almost 500 years of practical experience in human resources prior to entering the field of executive search. This has paid off in the fact that the team has collectively executed almost 800 successful searches. 'Our team has spent real time in the trenches,' Casteel says, 'both in global HR leadership and in the many human resource disciplines. No other firm offers this level of dedicated HR experience to help companies select the best talent to move business opportunities forward.'"
6) Be Aggressive about Passive Candidates from The Build Network
"Your employees are the lifeblood of your company, and while the current unemployment rate may make it seem to be a buyer’s market for talent, competition for the best job candidates is as fierce as ever. Therefore it’s important that companies of all sizes become more sophisticated in the ways they recruit potential hires. Companies can no longer simply post an opening and sift through the resulting pile of resumes. To win the war for talent, executives and hiring managers should work closely with human resources departments to take advantage of a number of innovative techniques for reaching and ultimately hiring the best people available."
7) Talent Activation Fast Facts – The MUSTS of Talent Management from HR.com
"Culture and engagement have never been more prevalent, as organizations are shifting from strictly seeking hard skills to placing soft skills, personality and character traits on equal ground. Coinciding with Cielo’s brand launch on May 12, 2014, and to demonstrate the importance of proactively supporting cultural diversity, work-life balance and employee engagement, we introduced the Cielo Talent Activation Index. This inaugural (and annual) study authenticates the idea that talent is rising in impact and importance unlike ever before. While recruiting the best talent is undeniably vital, excelling in this multi-generational, complex and uncertain environment also hinges on talent management. Specifically, 'aggressively managing, monitoring and continuously improving [your workforce].'"
Lexi Gordon is a Lead Consultant for exaqueo, a workforce consultancy that helps startups and high-growth companies build their cultures, employer brands and talent strategies. Contact exaqueo to learn more about how we can help you build a workforce that’s aligned with your company culture and develop an employer brand that will allow your business to scale the right way.