HR recruiting, retention and engagement processes have come a long way from posting “help wanted” ads in the local paper, sorting through stacks of resumes, filing away tabbed manilla folders for reviews and standard benefits, plus these processes are continually evolving. With today’s job market reflecting low unemployment and high demand for workers, HR has had to adapt processes to recruit candidates that are choosier with technology that’s become smarter. Here are some of the trends we’re watching out for in 2020.

1. AI Will Be Bigger Than Ever

The uses of AI, or artificial intelligence, are expected to increase greatly in 2020. This technology, which uses apps or chatbots, has already impacted HR with automated posting jobs, passive recruiting, screening and even scheduling phone interviews. Looking ahead, according to HRMorning, the uses of AI are supposed to spread from customer service to HR to management. Some uses could be in budgeting, scheduling and performance management with employees. One area where AI assistants excel is scheduling and sending reminders which helps keep the entire team on the same page.

2. Company Culture Will Be Paramount in Hiring

The days of an employee being loyal to a company for their entire career are over. Employees are no longer staying for a pension, they’re staying for the company culture. According to Glassdoor, 2020 will be a “culture-first decade.” Company culture will be the deciding factor for candidates. This includes motivating employees through perks and feedback, valuing their opinion, making recognition happen regularly, offering professional development and starting off with a good onboarding process.

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3. More Companies Will Be Investing in Diversity

In the wake of the #MeToo movement, companies are taking greater considerations with hiring and creating an inclusive working environment. A diverse workforce with many different voices encourages creativity and production. A good ATS allows recruiters to hire from a diverse pool of candidates, both local and nationwide, which helps bring in the best talent.

4. More Companies Offering Parental Leave

As the needs of your employees change, so will the benefits offered. More companies are offering parental leave instead of just maternity lave. In fact, the federal government recently got on board with this concept. In December 2019, a tentative agreement was reached to offer all federal employees 12 weeks of paid parental leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act. Obtaining feedback from employees can help narrow down what benefits are important to them when deciding which to implement in 2020.

5. HR Roles Will Be Expanding

As HR technology changes, so will the jobs. Not only do changing trends affect how you do your job, but also the job itself. According to SHRM, these positions will likely need to fill in 2020.

  • Employee experience specialist: With candidate experience taking center stage, this person will focus on relationship-building from onboarding and development to succession.
  • Head of talent-acquisition technology selection: This position will help research all of the new emerging technology used to find and hire candidates.
  • Head of candidate experience: This person will ensure candidates receive the best online experience.
  • Performance coach: This position focuses on maximizing the contributions of both manager and employee to performance
  • HR data scientist/chief technology officer: As data and analytics drive recruitment and retention, someone will need to oversee them

As HR needs change, you need a software solution that can adapt along with those changes. BirdDogHR offers a whole host of HR solutions like an ATS, an AI recruiting assistant, onboarding software and performance management software that simplifies all of your processes and easily integrate with each other.