10 HR Tech Trends for 2020 Every Talent Leader Must Consider

As organizations gear up to welcome 2020, talent leaders are faced with a number of challenges. From an acute talent shortage to the battle for top talent, human resources professionals need to stay on top of their game to be able to provide insightful business decisions. We spoke to 12 HR experts who weigh in on the top HR tech trends for 2020.

AI will be an impactful technology and a common thread that will run through enhancing the employee experienceOpens a new window and candidate experience. Apart from AI, human resources will be on the lookout for online platforms to manage their remote workforce, champion more diversity-led hiring policies and build agile teams in 2020.

Here are our top 10 trends for 2020 that HR leaders will embrace to shape the future of work:

1. AI Will Impact Employee Experience and Candidate Experience in 2020

Mike FenlonOpens a new window , Chief People Officer, PwCOpens a new window

“The simplification of work, increased productivity, taking the “friction” out of processes and work activities, and enabling people to do less repetitive, manual work. This gives time back for more insight-oriented, higher-impact tasks. How? Easier access to curated data, visualization, along with bots and AI.”

David JohnsonOpens a new window , Principal Analyst, ForresterOpens a new window

“As we prepare to enter 2020, we find more companies trying to differentiate themselves as employers and increase business performance, by improving their employee experience. Some of the changes they make will be superficial, such as having a day on which they celebrate remote employees, but the best companies will take a science-first approach, focusing on improving employees’ daily working lives in substantial ways, and increasing psychological safety, the foundation of sustained employee engagement.”

Ken LazarusOpens a new window , CEO, Scout ExchangeOpens a new window

“In 2020, we will finally see AI having a significant impact on Human Resources. This is being driven by an increase in the use of cloud-based computing power and tools as well as increasingly sophisticated algorithms and HR-focused applications. 

AI is being used to narrow potential candidates through technologies such as chatbots and candidate scoring.  Here at Scout our AI-driven recruitment marketplace connects employers with thousands of top-performing specialty recruiters to fill positions faster with great talent.”

2. Online On-Demand Platforms Will Increase With a Remote Workforce

Tom GriffithsOpens a new window , CEO, and Co-founder, HoneOpens a new window

“As more and more companies adopt remote work options and increased flexibility for employees, HR technology must adapt to the changing workforce by becoming more accessible and convenient for these dispersed teams. On-demand, online platforms will become increasingly relevant and legacy software must adapt to these new use cases.”

Learn More: How Does Kraft Heinz Recruit and Retain Top Talent? Q&A With Lisa Alteri, Chief People OfficerOpens a new window

3. Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Will Be Baked Into the Hiring Process

Ana RecioOpens a new window , Executive Vice President, Global Recruiting, SalesforceOpens a new window

“You can expect to see fewer diversity recruiters as companies realize that equality is a business imperative. It will no longer be the job of dedicated recruiters to hire diverse talent – it’ll be built into the hiring processes.”

4. Millennials and Gen Z Will Demand Omnichannel Communication at the Workplace

Anil DharniOpens a new window , CEO and Co-Founder, SenseOpens a new window

“The biggest driving force behind the future of HR technology will be the influx of Millennials and Gen-Z into the workforce. Unlike generations before them, these demographics expect immediate, mobile, and ongoing omnichannel communication. They value experiences over salary, making intangible benefits like culture a priority for employers. In order to keep up with the increasing need for high-touch, human experiences, HR departments and staffing agencies will need to invest more in digital transformations.”

Learn More: How Skill Development Can Meet the Demands of Automation: Q&A With JFF’s Maria FlynnOpens a new window

5. Technology Will Enhance Transparency in Performance Management

Diane K. AdamsOpens a new window , Chief Culture and Talent Officer, SprinklrOpens a new window

“Technology will significantly accelerate the need for transparency in manager/employee relationships. Leaders will leverage technology to facilitate the right conversations, provide focused, honest feedback between managers and employees, and have stronger two-way accountability for actions. Performance management will be real-time, simple, and based on self-reflection.“

6. Unified Engagement Platform (UEP) Will Be on the Rise

John BrownridgeOpens a new window , Principal, Deloitte Consulting LLPOpens a new window

“The market has been crying out for a one stop shop platform for employees, managers and executives to do all their digital work (not just HR tasks) for some time now and of late we are seeing leading vendors strive to deliver on the promises it brings.

The UEP promises to eradicate the choppy, highly variable and often frustrating experience of using individual system interfaces, replacing it with a unified digital experience where the user will have no idea which (now backend) system they are actually in.” 

7. Companies Will Embrace On-Demand Talent Models

Michael P. MorrisOpens a new window , CEO, TopcoderOpens a new window

“In 2020, one of the biggest trends in HR will be the increasing move by employers to embrace new, open workforce models and on-demand talent networks to further their talent acquisition strategies. Given the flexibility offered by a gig economy lifestyle, more and more people are joining it. A study by Intuit predicted that by 2020, 40 percent of American workers would be independent contractors. For Gen Z, the gig economy is already commonplace; a study by Upwork found that in 2018, 46% of Gen Z workers were already freelancers. To find in-demand skills, HR must be innovative in their recruiting and retention efforts, as traditional ways to find talent don’t work for this new age of employee – a mobile, multitasking, gig economy workforce.”

8. Company Culture Will Become More Meaningful to Attract Talent

Jon StrossOpens a new window , President, and Co-Founder, GreenhouseOpens a new window

“In a competitive hiring market, strong company culture is a key factor for drawing top talent. And today’s candidates no longer care about free beer or ‘nap rooms’ in the office, they want to know that a company’s culture puts them first. That means increased transparency from senior leadership, better career advancement opportunities and more meaningful benefits (parental leave options, etc.) are now table stakes for candidates. 2020 will see organizations increase their focus on company culture initiatives to offer more significant perks that put the employee first.”

Rhiannon StaplesOpens a new window , Chief Marketing Officer, HibobOpens a new window

“Building and maintaining a strong culture, especially in the face of turnover, will be a key focus for companies over the next five years, and they must find and leverage technologies that help employees adapt to change and find their place within a company. For example, through Hibob’s platform bob, employees can join groups based on shared interests in order to build relationships with employees they may not interact with otherwise. Using technology to encourage friendships among employees is one way leaders can make sure their workers are happy at the office and retain them for the long-term.”

Learn More: Can Great Workplace Culture Accelerate Productivity? Q&A With Acceleration Partners’ Robert GlazerOpens a new window

9. The Evolving Labor Market Will Demand Bold Moves and Agile Teams

Jason TyszkoOpens a new window , Vice President, Center for Education and Workforce, The U.S. Chamber of Commerce FoundationOpens a new window

“The labor market is becoming more dynamic over time. That means jobs will change faster than ever before requiring a constant reorganization of staffing models and the workers within it. Employers will need the right set of tools to communicate when these changes occur to ensure supply can align with constantly changing demand, but it will also require processes and systems in place that allow employers to reskill their existing workers so that they are able to be as agile in their careers and have the right tools and support in place to change with the times and not be displaced by them.”

10. HR Technology Will Be Targeted Toward High-Growth Companies

Rhiannon StaplesOpens a new window , Chief Marketing Officer, HibobOpens a new window

“There will be an increase in HR technology targeted towards high-growth companies. As high-growth firms experience higher rates of turnover and role switching than other organizations, HR technology will be leveraged to help fill the gaps and act as a buffer in supporting onboarding for new hires – both for administration and cultural purposes.”

Learn more: Why Every Talent Leader Needs a Digital Transformation Opens a new window RoadmapOpens a new window : Q&A With PwC’sOpens a new window Sarah McEneaneOpens a new window yOpens a new window

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