HR Trends In 2019

A New Year approaches us and we present once again what we feel are HR practices that will be trending in 2019. Some of the projections for 2018 such as personalized employee engagement, more intense use of AI, etc., will continue to gain momentum next year, but some new trends are likely to take center stage because of defining events that took place in the past year.

Recognize and reduce Unconscious Bias

As the call for equal opportunity and equal pay for equal work done gains steam, Indian companies and MNCs alike are trying to put in place policies that are more inclusive. Diversity and inclusion is no longer a catchphrase but very much an important agenda for the Indian corporate world. This includes using technology for blind hiring, sensitizing all employees, more inclusive onboarding processes, etc. Much more effort will be directed toward improving diversity in the workplace, maybe even setting diversity goals as part of their Talent Acquisition process. 

Employee Wellness made more comprehensive

Corporates have begun to realize how much employee wellness contributes towards the bottom line. When employees are stress-free and happy they are much more productive. Companies will need to put in place creative strategies to ensure that the wellbeing of their workforce is holistic. The definition of wellness needs to expand to include not just physical well-being, but also mental, financial and spiritual wellness. Tracking wellness on phones, wearable devices, customizing wellness experiences, introducing stress regulation training, mindfulness and meditation, offering programs that help employees with investments to reduce debt or maintain a certain lifestyle post-retirement will become some of the focus areas of employee wellness.

A relook at implementing PoSH in the workplace

In the light of the #Metoo movement companies will want to sensitize and train employees to be fully compliant with the requirements of the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (PoSH) Act of 2013. Organizations will want to have their PoSH policy in place – from creating awareness about the meaning of sexual harassment to forming the internal complaints committee and promoting a safe working environment.

Greater emphasis on Employee Development

As India continues to be among the fastest growing economies in the world, attracting and retaining talent will become crucial. Indian companies recognize that and are putting more and more emphasis on upskilling and developing their employees. They are using unique approaches to arrive at this goal – providing portals that enable self-learning and development, including development in their performance management systems, partnering with well known academic institutions to build skills and develop leaders, etc.

Homegrown HR Solutions Providers

There’s been a spike in companies that provide locally developed HR solutions specific for the Indian economy. So while SAP and Oracle have a significant presence, smaller vendors with indigenously developed software are finding their place in the burgeoning HR technology market. And if the data protection legislation comes into force in India, it will only fuel this growth further.

The field of HR Management is experiencing a wave of innovations which will transform the way we practice it in the coming year.