We asked Anne Donovan, Tana Thomson, and Alishia Young what they predict to happen in HR during 2016:
1. Healthcare will continue to evolve.
Anne Donovan
The Affordable Care Act was passed five years ago has been gradually rolled out in the time since. The ACA’s impact on the employer’s approach to health insurance is continually being felt and evaluated. I believe we’re a long way off from seeing large companies not offer a health plan. Stipends are taxed, a health plan is pre-taxed to the employee and company. For companies with over 100 employees, there are so many ways to take advantage of a tax-free offering. Small employer companies will continue to buy what fits best for them—if they can’t afford a huge health plan, they will opt for a stipend.
I predict that we will see new methods emerge among employers. One example could be a mini-exchange. Essentially, employers would provide a flat sum of money to an employee and allow them to pick and choose the design of the plan from a selection.
2. Recruiting as marketing will continue to be a trend.
Tana Thomson
The war for talent will continue in 2016, especially for those high-skilled positions. Employers need to differentiate themselves by looking at their HR function as a marketing function to promote themselves as an employer of choice. To do this, employers will need to focus on building their employee brand, employee value proposition, and double-down on their outreach efforts to connect with their target audience.
Furthermore, development of, packaging of, leading with, hiring to, and managing around culture is equally as important as job-specific skills.
3. Heightened focus on investing in the future: technology and younger generations.
Alishia Young
There’s talk of softening in the economy in respect to certain industries. I believe we’re still moving in the same positive direction that we have been for the past few years, it’s just that business’ are really starting to think from a structure perspective and what do they need to keep the business’ moving forward. People are still hiring and making good business decisions to invest in technology and in the future in general. If businesses are growing and have more capital to reinvest, we need to ask ourselves how we are going to reinvest in our people processes and technology.
Additionally, the continued influx of millennials and younger generations coming into the workforce will also be key for HR moving into the future. We are seeing many different personalities and styles in the workforce due to the different generations working together. We will need to continue to ensure that our work environment promotes the inclusion of all generations over the next couple of years.