Tackling The HR Challenges In The New Decade

One of the biggest HR challenges in the year 2020 would be to find skilled and qualified candidates in a timely manner. With the advent of new technology and skills becoming redundant at a faster pace, organizations are competing for the best talent like never before. The dynamic market and increased competition have made it difficult for recruiters to get the right candidate with the right skill sets and values that are or can be aligned with the organizational culture. Due to the fast evolution of technology, skills are also becoming redundant faster, making it more difficult to find talent that is adaptable and open to learning at a fast pace.

In the last decade, there has been a major shift of power in the hiring process from the employer to the candidate. The candidates have become more open to experimentation and aligning their career choices with their passion and not necessarily with substantial pay packages. Millennials, who are gradually becoming the biggest part of the workforce in India, prefer organizations that offer growth and learning opportunities and are more aligned with their interests. The HR teams will have to be prepared for these HR challenges in India and come up with effective strategies to deal with them. Some of the ways to tackle these emerging challenges of HRM are:

1. Choose candidates on the basis of potential: Previous experiences should not be the only criteria to choose or reject a candidate. The recruiters must look at other critical skills and qualities like communication, team working skills, willingness to learn, motivation levels etc. to assess the candidature better. It can be done with the help of tests and tools that can go a long way in helping the organization recruit the right candidates for the right roles. One of the major, recent HR challenges involve faster redundancy of skills. While some jobs are highly specialized and demand particular expertise, in 2020 more and more recruiters must look at candidates with varied skill sets to cater to the changing landscape of the job market. They must look for greater adaptability and potential to move from one task to another seamlessly and with minimum effort.
2. Better Candidate Experience: Often hiring processes can be time consuming and cumbersome. Organizations that value candidates’ time, make them feel valued and attract better employees. Candidate experience can be enhanced from the  beginning with the help of user-friendly, mobile optimized career sites and application pages. Timely feedback can also have a huge impact on candidate experience and can prevent them from falling out of the loop.
3. Flexibility and Remote Working Options: While traditionally Indian managers are not comfortable with managing employees who work remotely, this is growing to be one of the biggest demands of the workforce. Candidates now look for greater flexibility and remote working options to ensure better work-life balance and managing stress levels better. Organizations that offer these, go on to show that the employees are trusted and cared for. Such employee friendly policies not only help the organization attract quality talent, but also retain them in the long run, addressing one of the biggest challenges of HRM.
4. Employer branding: Marketing is increasingly becoming a part of HR operations as candidates become more aware of their choices. Candidates look for organizations that support growth, learning and upskilling opportunities. Like an employer looking for a cultural fit, candidates too, look for employers who resonate with their values, perceptions and ethics. The employer brand must have a strong brand proposition and transparent communication across all the touch points through which candidates can know about the organization. It can include platforms like careers page of the website, social media handles, Glassdoor reviews, media endorsements etc. While these platforms have facilitated recruitment, it has also created a new set of HR challenges and issues. Negative reviews from a former employee can go a long way in maligning the reputation of the organization. Creating a positive work environment and having a zero-tolerance policy for workplace harassment and discrimination is a must to protect the employer brand.
5. Diversity and Inclusion: One of the biggest HR challenges in India is to support diversity and inclusion which goes beyond race, sex and religion and is accepting of different work experiences, sexual orientation, marital status, socio- economic status, educational status and overall background. The HR professionals need to make an effort to incorporate diversity in the workplace and create an inclusive and tolerant work environment. It not only gives them access to a wider pool of talent, but also enhances the brand image of the organization as an inclusive employer.
6. Use of Appropriate Technology: A recruiter must be aware of the latest technological developments in the field of recruitment and be aware of how they can leverage it for better results. Artificial intelligence powered solutions reduce the time taken for recruitment by eliminating the need for managers to browse hundreds of applications manually. It helps the hiring team to utilize their time better in high value tasks like improving engagement with candidates and get involved in quality recruitment marketing. In 2020, AI integration must be used across different employee- facing applications and software to increase productivity and engagement within the organization. It can also improve the process of automating repetitive tasks, thus, addressing one of the biggest HR challenges in the beginning of the new decade.
7. Better Use of Data Analytics: In 2020, HR professionals must use data analytics in a more focused way to facilitate the creation of more employee centric environments and create more data driven strategies. Data from key metrics can help them improve candidate experience, hiring process and even reduce attrition. Effective use of data analytics can also guide HR departments on how to overcome problems in human resource planning by predicting manpower shortages in the near future.

You might also be interested to read: Walking The Tight-rope Of The Nine-box Grid To Achieve Success In Promoting The Right Candidate

The competition and the struggle to find the right talent will be one of the biggest HR challenges in 2020. It is extremely important for organizations to plan how to overcome HR challenges relating to talent acquisition by re-looking at their strategy. With the combination of right technology, effective marketing and right attitude towards the available talent, HR professionals can tackle the HR challenges 2020, more effectively.

Meta description:With the advent of new technology and skills becoming redundant at a faster pace, organizations are competing for the best talent like never before. One of the biggest HR challenges in the year 2020 would be to find skilled and qualified candidates, in a timely manner.

References:

• 7 Ways to Tackle HR Challenges in 2020- Yogita Tulsiani, 28 November, 2019
• These Will be The Top HR Challenges in 2020- Tom Starner, 20 December, 2019
• 9 Hiring Trends for 2020, the age of Artificial Intelligence- Shibani Patel, 18 November, 2019
• The Top 5 Trends in India’s HR Industry in 2020- Nishtha Yadav, 06 January, 2020