Feeling Overwhelmed by New HR Trends? Help Me Craft a 2021 Presentation!

Hi, I am Jyoti working in the financial industry as a Senior Executive in HR. The management wants me to make changes in the HR department. They are looking for new HR policies and trends in 2021. As of now, the company has followed the standard HR policies fully, and they want me to implement something new. So, can you please guide me with:

1. What are the latest HR policies I should implement?

2. What are the other general and innovative things I should do in the HR department?

Please help me out so that I can make a 30-minute presentation on current trends and policies in HRM. What all can be included in the presentation because it's really vast and I'm getting confused.

Dear Jyoti,

It's good to note that your management wishes to modernize the HR department. Nevertheless, modernization does not just involve implementing new policies. The facelift of the HR Department should benefit all the employees.

The Role of Software in HR Modernization

Lately, most of the work is software-assisted. Apps are now an integral part of our lives. Therefore, employees prefer to access information through the app. You need to have a modern HRIS or HRMS that seamlessly interfaces with the app.

You have not specified the type of HRMS you currently use and your current position. However, let me offer a few suggestions. Employees should be able to access notices, their employment history, performance records, achievements, and more through the app.

Enhancing HR Productivity

Moving forward, the use of software should enhance the productivity of the HR Department. Therefore, identify the activities where the HR department spends its time and assess opportunities to reduce time spent.

Empowering HR Professionals

Beyond technological interventions, empowering HR professionals is crucial. Often, HR professionals are undervalued. It is equally important to ensure their standing within the organization. Many HR professionals lack knowledge about how the company operates, which creates a disconnect. While technological upgrades may enhance HR operations, adding value to the profession is paramount.

Thanks,

Dinesh Divekar

Dear Madam, I am afraid you seem to be interested in making cosmetic interventions by simply trying to get the latest trends in HR policies without giving good thought to why you need it. Without knowing what the inadequacies are in the existing policies and what your needs are, it may turn out to be an unfruitful exercise. You may like to give thought to this before jumping on the bandwagon of HR trends.

Regards, Vinayak Nagarkar HR and Employee Relations Consultant

In the present changing scenario, HR also needs changes for obvious reasons. For example, a very nominal change is with the attendance system—replacing thumb impressions with a face recognition system to avoid surface touch by skin. With the onset of Work from Home, almost all parameters of HR must be changed:

Attendance system

a) Attendance system - must be online with a dynamic login/logout system; online application for leave, On duty (in case one needs to travel), etc.

Performance management system

b) Performance management system - set criteria for weekly/monthly measurement of performance through KRA/KPI, uploading the same in HR portal, system of rating/scoring per month.

Learning & Development system

c) Learning & Development system - encourage employees to participate in webinars or any other online courses. Evaluation of learning and setting a reward for best learning.

Organisational intervention

d) Organisational intervention - regular online meetings with various teams and respective heads of the departments, celebrating birthdays and other events; a total dynamic approach.

Employee separation

e) Employee separation - online process.

All the above needs first and foremost a very dynamic, stable HR Portal serving all purposes as above. Hope my suggestion will help you.

Yes, I agree with the above concerns. We need to change the policy and possibly amend and prepare some new policies and procedures to better align with organizational needs.

Policies to Review

Some of the policies that should be reviewed include:

1. Attendance Management System (Inside office premises, Outside office premises, and work from home)
2. Leave Management System (Casual, Sick, Annual Leave, and Special Leave for Covid)
3. Loan/Advance Management System
4. Employee hiring and orientation
5. Late Arrival and Early Departure
6. Digital Grievance System
7. Performance Appraisal (mid-year review and annual appraisal)
8. Promotion Policy
9. Final Settlement Guidelines

It's a great opportunity to learn more about HR here. As a learner, I am in need of an HR manual for my Garment/Textile apparel industry. I would be very grateful for your support.

My email address is [Email Removed For Privacy Reasons].

Regards,
Syed Wajahat Ali
HR Professional