Time Keeps Moving On
As of this writing, the month is October, and the year is 2019. It has blazed like a fire—most years tend to do that, it seems. But there’s a growing sense that time doesn’t pass as slowly as it used to, and this perception isn’t the normal “aging” transition which has typically defined maturation.
Because technology doubles on itself at eighteen-month intervals in accordance with Moore’s Law, development surges forward at a pace whose momentum won’t stop until years after “the singularity”. Now the singularity is an idea that scientists bandy about which describes when computational ability will outpace human thinking capacity—when computers become “sentient”.
We get ever closer to this theoretical point, and it’s seen in the speed at which technology develops. Look at a smartphone now—a device which fits in your pocket and is more powerful than all of NASA in the sixties. You can carry your office in your pocket. You can do more, you can do it quicker, and you will. Accordingly, you’ll divide your time in digital pursuits, and days will seem to go quicker.
This technological time-crunching reality will strongly influence the workforce of tomorrow. Convenience will not only define the employee experience, it will define what consumers demand. It will define how competitors approach hiring and operational egress, and it’s something your HR department needs to keep in mind as this year ends, and 2020 begins. Accordingly, consider these trends for the coming year:
1. Decentralization Of Workforce
Cloud computing makes it possible for you to totally outsource your internal infrastructure. If you previously used servers to design software, you can now use varying cloud apps on a floated network to do the same. This allows employees and management to conduct work wherever they happen to have a valid internet connection and the right credentials.
Accordingly, it’s no longer necessary for your business to apportion the same amounts of workspace, or to even purchase equipment for personnel. BYOD, or Bring Your Own Device, can allow you to outsource equipment acquisition to employees—just be sure you track employees under such an operational paradigm.
As you hire in 2020, you’ll want to strongly consider defining certain positions through outsourced employees of a decentralized variety. You can hire more on a part-time basis, maximizing your resources without maximizing associated costs. Altogether, you’re looking at a cost-reducing agent that ultimately increases productivity, as BYOD is known to do.
2. The 2020 Election
It doesn’t matter which side of the divide you’re on, next year’s election is going to bring some level of change to the political environment. Politics have a huge impact on economy. The economic environment which develops after the election will determine the sort of hiring choices you make.
Since the outcome of the election isn’t set in stone, you’ll want to have HR hiring alternatives which follow an economic business plan for either scenario in that fourth quarter. You’ll want to have one alternative for the most likely candidate’s win so that you can competitively maximize hiring possibilities should this individual take the title. You’ll want a backup plan, too.
3. Economic Growth Factors
Economic growth factors which determine how you can hire will shift in 2020 one way or another. We’ve been seeing some expansive growth—3% and steady in terms of GDP expansion since 2017, as a matter of fact. Will this trend remain constant into 2020? Already it blasted past expectations in the first quarter of 2019.
It could go either way, just as the election can. However, there’s a high likelihood of increased economic growth owing to returning industry. In 2019, there are more job openings than there are available candidates.
Should this trend continue, the hiring pool will be increasingly determined by potential personnel. Accordingly, personalization in hiring technique may very well supersede standardization from the top-down in 2020.
4. Technological Idiosyncrasies
Decentralized computing is a considerable reality defining the future. Mobile technology is additionally changing things drastically. Between the two, you can broaden your potential hiring pool. Even if you’re not in a position to hire BYOD employees, using available online resources can help you reach more qualified potential personnel.
Sites like applicationtrackingsystems.net offer tracking solutions that can help you both: reach larger pools of qualified candidates, and manage those you’ve interfaced with more effectively. Such fine-tuning of the hiring process will grow by at least one level of magnitude between now and the end of 2020, according to Moore’s Law; so you want to stay on top of this.
Preparing For The Coming Year
Many things will change, many will stay the same. Keep on top of technological idiosyncrasies. Monitor economic growth factors. Don’t discount the election, regardless of which side you’re rooting for. Take into account decentralized hiring principles. These factors will likely influence HR practices in 2020, and planning in advance will help you keep pace with them.