So what does 2016 have in store for us?
R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Find Out What It Means to Employees
On the heels of Bright Horizons' Dream Company study showing that employees who feel supported give stellar performances, SHRM's 2015 Employee Job Satisfaction and Engagement report revealed that "respectful treatment of all employees at all levels" was rated as "very important" by 72 percent of employees in 2014, making it the top contributor to overall employee job satisfaction. What else?- Growing recruiting challenges will continue driving employers to get creative with benefits. That includes nontraditional, employee-driven workplace perks from corporate wellness challenges to continued experimentation with parental leave.
- With employers becoming more employee-centric, Jayson SABA of HCM says performance management will shift to performance development, teamwork and cross-generational collaboration will be key, and, "Companies will continue to look to vendors to help them do the right thing for their employee -- taking employee life demands into consideration and ensuring a process that works for both the employee and company."
- In our always-on world, Josh Bersin says employers will seek to "make work easier and more meaningful to people, to attract both the very ambitious people that want to really move up and drive change and run things, and the people who want to work hard but not ruin their lives."
- Healthcare, IT, and marketing positions may be among the ten toughest jobs to fill this year, but HR is poised to be pretty hot, too. On that note, as we move through 2016, look for automation, the rise of the analyst, and Millennials entering the field to have major influences over the evolution of HR.
Becoming the places where the talent goes -- and stays
How do you really support employees? Mentorship programs and support networks are among Accenture Managing Director May Knight's four key tips for employers, which also reminds us that work/life balance needs to "shed the cloak" of being a woman's issue. In other recruitment and retention news:- Fast track counsels us to spot burnout and take action! before it's too late (hint: it will require some self-reflection).
- Thinking about working parents? Don't forget about working dads who are not only stressed about maintaining work/life balance, they're also challenged to break out of their stereotypical gender roles.
- Want to know how Facebook engages Millennials? Or the secret to IDEO's employee engagement formula? Check HBR for scads of insights, including the intriguingly titled, "How to Be a Company Employees Love."
