Time Data Systems – October 2021 Newsletter
The Future of Human Resources
In last month’s newsletter, we had an article about Modernizing HR with Newer, Smarter Technology, which was part 2 of our series on 2022 HR trends and predictions to prepare for now. This month, we continue to delve into the subject with more information focusing on the shift toward data-powered human resource departments. We also look at important changes to the functions of HR brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Time Data Systems has been in business for over three decades. As technology moves forward, having human capital management solutions that work with that technology will become increasingly important – We are on the cutting edge of these innovations. We are proud to provide HR departments in numerous industries with proprietary tools, software, and applications that make time and attendance tracking, payroll, recordkeeping, and more easy and streamlined for both you and your workforce.
The time to prepare for the future of human resources is now. In addition to reading part 2 in our 2022 trends and predictions series, you can review part 1, The Shift to a Younger Labor Force & Changes It Will Bring. Be sure to look for more installments in our upcoming newsletters.
Contact us today to learn how we can make your HR operation more efficient, increase your company’s bottom line, and address human capital management challenges you face on a daily basis. You’ve got questions. We’ve got answers.
Attendance on Demand Brief Demo
Data-Driven Human Resources
Shifting Toward Data-Powered HR
The HR department has long been considered a kingdom of soft skills, and this characterization remains true – a good HR specialist needs to have high empathy backed by flexibility and conversational skills. This approach is frequently reinforced by the hard work of data analysts and data scientists supporting Human Resources departments in their data mining and insight-harvesting skills.
The data-driven approach is highly beneficial for HR teams by delivering hard numbers to back their claims, be that the need for a higher budget, new positions, or training. Also, data gathering and applying KPIs are the first steps toward measuring and optimizing processes. When considering HR, it can be in the areas of:
- Productivity
- Employee churn
- The skill demand and supply in the company
- Time effectiveness
- Best performers
- Productivity leaks
The first and most important HR-related metric is work time. Encouraging employees to measure their working time is the principal way to improve overall company performance.
Increased Work Flexibility
The COVID-19 pandemic lockdown has been a harsh experience for the entire society. Transferring nearly all spheres of life into the digital space has not come without hassle. For instance, parents have been stuck in an uneasy position between helping their children with online schooling while still being in charge of and responsible for completing their work duties. Lockdown was necessary and mandated, so employers had no choice but to respect the new rules and reality, sometimes being stuck in an uneasy position themselves.
This situation made both entities more flexible – the employee had to manipulate his or her work time to deliver results without abandoning the family, while the employer had to accept some innovative concepts (like staff with children starting a workday after the day’s school lessons ended and delivering the results the next morning.
The proliferation of remote work has also added to the process, effectively blending private time with work time, and delivering something that would be called “more work-life balance” before the novel coronavirus pandemic. Now parents call it “madness”.
Lifelong Learning Forced by The Situation
Lifelong learning is all but new when it comes to modern HR trends and management. The recent rapid changes in the world, combined with even faster technological progress, make employees adapt to changes – or rather – force them to do so.
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted both the pros and cons of online learning for adults. For many learners, the time they gained by staying home instead of commuting was the time they always lacked to learn new things.
On the other hand, though, digital skills were a key factor when it came to online learning. Before COVID-19 hit, 23% of people highly proficient in technology participated in online courses, compared to 14% of those with lesser computer skills. With the forced digitalization induced by the lockdown, across the board, digital skills had to improve. Also, going online was the only way to learn, no matter the level of education previously completed.
Last but not least, the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic-induced crisis resulted in many individuals losing their jobs. For a large number of them, combining the forced isolation with unemployment was a time to change their career path, gain new skills, and try something new.
Summary
The human resources department is a silent force behind a company’s flexibility, productivity, and efficiency. These specialists manage the most vital source of the company’s competitive advantage – people. And this is why staying on the cutting edge is the only way not to fall back.
If you want to know more about trends in HR, or our clock in/out and leave management tool, contact us!
The Very First Resumé
In today’s world, emailing a resumé or posting it online – whether on a jobs website, LinkedIn or other professional networking site, or on a prospective employee’s own online presence – is the way it’s done. Not all that long ago, resumés were sent via snail mail, and to stand out, candidates would email them as well (after hunting online for the appropriate person’s name, title, and their email address).
Nowadays, it’s more of an anomaly to receive a printed resumé, so some job seekers send a printed copy only after going through the online application or CV submission process. But when and how did job history, relevant experience, education, and commendations start to be put into a document for the purpose of obtaining employment?
The term “resumé” comes from the French language, and means “summary”. In 1482, Leonardo de Vinci really wanted to work in Milan basically as an engineer, building sculptures, boats, and bridges. He figured the best way to let the Duke of the city, Ludovico Sforza, know he was the right man for the job was by penning a letter introducing himself and expressing his interest, as well as listing his skills, experience, and suitability for the engineering work. Just like is sometimes done today using resumé consultants, it is thought he may have hired someone else to actually write the correspondence for him, so it would look more professional. Unfortunately, Mr. Da Vinci did not get the job, but he went on to make a name for himself anyway with (among many other projects) 1503’s painting of Mona Lisa.
