CHELMSFORD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--At a recent board of advisors meeting, members of The Workforce Institute at Kronos Incorporated discussed the top issues they believe will impact the world of workforce management in 2015. Individual board members also recorded personal predictions that will affect their respective industries. The Workforce Institute will host a Tweet Chat on Thursday, Jan. 22 from 12:00-1:00 p.m. ET to discuss 2015 workplace trends and predictions.
Top Workplace Trends for 2015
1. Regulations Shake up the Workplace: Minimum wage law changes and looming U.S. Affordable Care Act deadlines dominated 2014 headlines, but 2015 is when organizations will feel the impact of these and many other regulations. Additionally, with continued public discourse on non-exempt workers and topics surrounding a living wage, new legislation is expected to arise in this final term of the Obama Administration. With today’s regulations administered not only at the national and state levels but down to the city, municipal, and individualized union levels, new compliance requirements will shake up processes for organizations while adding another layer of complexity for national and multinational organizations.
2. Employees are an Asset: Despite increasing healthcare and labor costs expected through 2015 and beyond, profitable organizations have learned that excellent financial returns do not have to come at the expense of the employee. Research shows that employees – especially the front line, hourly workforce – should be seen as an asset, not a cost. As competition tightens, successful organizations will invest more in their workforces to increase employee engagement and create a virtuous cycle that leads to happy customers.
3. Seismic Shift in Generational Workforce Dynamics: Baby Boomers – the largest generation to ever hit the workforce – will begin retiring in droves as their children take on more workplace responsibility. As Baby Boomers exit the workplace, many Generation Xers could see increased opportunity, including long-awaited pay raises. Millennials will take on management positions for the first time. Talent retention and career development will be key in 2015 as organizations train new managers while working to simultaneously shrink the skills gap and hold onto the knowledge assets of a retiring workforce.
4. Analytics for Evidence-based Decision Making: Most organizations drowned in data in 2014, as few have unlocked the secret to analytical success. However, organizations that have lagged behind will take notice of winning big data best practices from previous years, while workforce management tools will deliver analytics for evidence-based decision making in 2015. Industry-specific solutions, visualization technology, and new applications from specialized consultation and services vendors will utilize existing workforce management data to create actionable insight.
5. Consumer Technology Infiltrates Workforce Management: Human resources, operations, and management professionals would be wise to keep an eye on news from the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show, as consumer technologies are poised to dramatically impact workforce management. Mobile devices and social media have transformed the way employees and employers communicate, while gamification and wearable technologies are expected to win in the workplace. Workforce management software suites and mobile platforms will continue to evolve with consumer software design concepts, including increased focus on the user experience (UX), responsive design, flat OS functionality, and drag-and-drop and touchscreen performance.
The Workforce Institute at Kronos Board Members
- The Workforce Institute’s board members are: David Almeda, chief people officer, Kronos Incorporated; Ruth Bramson, former CEO, Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts; Andy Brantley, president and CEO of the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources; Bob Clements, senior vice president, Axsium Group; David Creelman, CEO, Creelman Research; John Hollon, vice president for editorial, TLNT.com and ERE Media; Sharlyn Lauby, The HR Bartender and president of ITM Group, Inc.; Joyce Maroney, director of The Workforce Institute at Kronos; Susan Meisinger, SPHR, JD, columnist, speaker, consultant on executive management issues, and former president and CEO of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM); Jeanne C. Meister, partner, Future Workplace, and best-selling author; John-Anthony Meza, chief administrative officer, Community Health Accreditation Program (CHAP); Dan Schawbel, best-selling author and managing partner of Millennial Branding; William Tincup, SPHR, principal analyst, KeyInterval Research; and Mark Wales, vice president of workforce management, Ralph Lauren.
Supporting Resources
- Join a Tweet Chat about 2015 Workforce Institute predictions on Jan. 22 from 12:00-1:00 p.m. ET; hashtag #KronosChat.
- Visit the video playlist of individual Workforce Institute board member 2015 predictions.
- Read a blog post from Joyce Maroney, director of The Workforce Institute at Kronos, about 2015 workforce management predictions.
- Connect with The Workforce Institute at Kronos via Twitter.
- Connect with Kronos via Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
- Subscribe to our workforce management blogs.
- Take a look at the lighter side of workforce management in our Time Well Spent cartoons.
About The Workforce Institute at Kronos
The Workforce Institute provides research and education on critical workplace issues facing organizations around the globe. By bringing together thought leaders, The Workforce Institute is uniquely positioned to empower organizations with the knowledge and information they need to manage their workforce effectively and provide a voice for employees on important workplace issues. A hallmark of The Workforce Institute’s research is balancing the needs and desires of diverse employee populations with the needs of organizations. For additional information, visit www.workforceinstitute.org.
About Kronos Incorporated
Kronos is the global leader in delivering workforce management solutions in the cloud. Tens of thousands of organizations in more than 100 countries — including more than half of the Fortune 1000® — use Kronos to control labor costs, minimize compliance risk, and improve workforce productivity. Learn more about Kronos industry-specific time and attendance, scheduling, absence management, HR and payroll, hiring, and labor analytics applications at www.kronos.com. Kronos: Workforce Innovation That Works™.
© 2015 Kronos Incorporated. All rights reserved. Kronos and the Kronos logo are registered trademarks and Workforce Innovation That Works is a trademark of Kronos Incorporated or a related company. See a complete list of Kronos trademarks. All other trademarks, if any, are property of their respective owners.
