Where has SHRM’s #nextchat been all my life? It’s a moderated, weekly, live discussion for HR pros on Twitter. Get in on the action by hopping into the Twitterverse at the appointed time and using the hashtag #nextchat. On Wednesday, people weighed in on what’s in or out in HR this year, in 14 categories like motivation, workplace wellness, talent acquisition, branding, and more. Here’s a sample of the responses. Motivation. What’s Out: 48 apps to tell you that you’re awesome. What’s In: Real, human accountability. Employer Branding. What’s Out: What’s employer branding? What’s In: Placing employer branding firmly in your strategic plan. Read the full recap at SHRM to get a taste of this funny, thought-provoking HR discussion, and instructions on how to join in. Bravo to SHRM for creating it. SHRM
HR can be a thrill ride for industry pros, mainly because technology is changing the field faster than you can say: “But… I got into HR because I’m a people person!” According to the Forbes Human Resources Council, here’s how HR is going to leverage new technology this year: People analytics, with better insights to guide succession planning, career mobility, retention strategies, and talent acquisition. Recruiting and hiring, with new abilities to cross-reference candidate data with employee data, giving a better prediction on job success. AI-powered training. Strategic planning aligning HR with company goals. Mobile apps for benefits management, HR tasks, and increasing employee touchpoints. Forbes
We’re always amused to read the annual list of words that should be banished from the Queen’s English for being overused, misused, or just plain useless. It’s been released every January for 44 years by Lake Superior State University, which gets thousands of submissions for words and phrases that make people crazy. Making the list this year were several terms used (and overused) in HR: optics (a trendy way to say “appearance”), thought leader (thoughts aren’t ranked or scored), and ghosting (Someone doesn’t want to talk to you. Get over it. No need to bring the paranormal into the equation). This is a fun reminder of the importance of clear communication — something all workplaces need. CNN
By next year, Gen Z will make up 20 percent of our workforce. These kids are tech-savvy digital natives who want to shake things up in the workplace, but aren’t so sure about their soft skills, according to a new survey by Dell. HR can help by making new Gen Z employees tech mentors for older workers, while giving them soft skills confidence through internships, job rotations, and other programs. A surprising finding of the survey: A large majority of Gen Z (75 percent) said that they want and expect to learn on the job from peers instead of online. And just like that, the heads of every online learning guru in HR exploded. Dell Technologies
Canada has an interesting tactic for hiring the best and the brightest. It is seeking to attract international students and immigrants. The country took in 425,000 people last year, the fastest pace of any industrialized nation. Many are going north because of our administration’s anti-immigration rhetoric and Canada’s law that says students can stay for three years after graduation. Also, people don’t need a job offer to apply for a work permit. The chief economist at the National Bank of Canada says that his country targets highly-skilled people, including those from countries our administration has banned. (“We are the biggest talent poachers in the OECD.”) It gives Canadian companies a massive advantage when dealing with globalization and technological change. Bloomberg Businessweek
How does a former introvert who was afraid to speak during her most formative years, become an award-winning leader, and sought-after speaker at the top of her field? By learning how to love herself. From there, Joanne (‘Jo’) Rencher became better equipped to conquer her fears, self-doubt, and chase her dreams. Through healthy doses of ambition, grit and passion for her work – Jo found her voice in the world, and in the workplace. Now she wants to help other women across the globe to do the same. Joannerencher.com
