According to the Society for Human Resource Management’s (SHRM’s) Special Expertise

Panels. These groups are made up of SHRM professional members charged with reporting
emerging trends in areas such as ethics, global practices, HR disciplines, labor relations and
technology. Throughout the past year, they have identified a wide range of challenges and
notable trends, including the following:

 Stepped-up competition for talent. As labor market conditions improve and the need
for skilled and educated workers rises around the world, organizations are finding it more
difficult to attract the best employees. This makes it increasingly necessary for HR to
help build a strong employer brand. Smart HR professionals are highlighting cultures that
incorporate the fundamentals of a great place to work, including corporate social
responsibility initiatives, strong worker safety and security measures, and an overarching
atmosphere of civility and respect in the workplace. The tight competition for talent is
also influencing compensation and benefits strategies, immigration policies, and global
relocations.

 New developments in technology. New tools, such as talent networks, crowdsourcing

and internal social networks, hold the promise of increased flexibility and productivity.
But their use in supporting a virtual workforce will continue to make employee
management and team building challenging.

 A rising sense of insecurity. With new technology, data security concerns arise for both
employer and employee. Companies face the threat of data breaches or risks to global
supply chains. At the same time, the fear that workers may find themselves in a
physically dangerous situation is also very real, as we see more incidents of workplace
violence and political or social instability in places where organizations do business and
have staff.

 The impact of the economy. While economic indicators have improved in countries
around the world, many organizations continue to feel a strain on their budgets. This will
influence hiring strategies and other HR decisions. In addition, increased globalization
and political unrest in some regions will continue to make economic uncertainty the “new
normal.”

 Demographic changes. Population changes will have a mounting impact on many

aspects of employment and HR practices. These changes include the aging workforce,
different generations working together, the nature of family and parental roles, and
increased cultural diversity.
  Data-driven HR practices. The growing importance of “big data” presents human
resource practitioners with an opportunity—and puts them under pressure. Business
leaders are increasingly demanding that HR professionals, like their colleagues in other
functional areas, use metrics and in-depth analysis to both make good decisions and
demonstrate the return on investment of key expenditures.

An ever-changing, complex environment can create the anxious feeling that you, as an HR
professional, need to be an expert in everything. This is clearly impossible. Still, these insights
from the experts help give us a broader sense of which trends are likely to have the biggest
impact on the profession—and leveraging them can help you design strategic responses that
make the most sense for your business.