2017 Predictions

The detox plans have started, gym memberships renewed and with Christmas all but a distant memory, it seemed fitting to start this year's blogging with our 2017 predictions.

We believe companies will continue to look at the best ways to engage throughout the whole lifecycle, be it attracting, assessing, onboarding or internally communicating. We'll see more emphasis on creating meaning and purpose in all activities to win the hearts and minds of people at each stage. Culture and consistent Employer Branding will again be critical to deliver this.

1.      True employer brands will still be few and far between. For most companies, an employer brand is a slick looking attraction campaign, but those that embed their Employer Value Proposition and brand across the entire employee lifecycle (and use it to guide decisions made about everything from assessment to onboarding, training to reward) will gain an advantage over their competitors, improve engagement and ultimately profit. 

2.      Start-ups will re-invent HR tech. We've never met a client that doesn't have at least one issue with their ATS or HRM. Most hate them. Start-ups are shaking up the HR Tech Industry, creating products that deliver big on promises and low on cost. Businesses that embrace the tech and push through the red tape, will see huge improvements in candidate/employee experience, efficiency and engagement. And we should know - that's why we developed Eli onboarding.

3.      Diversity will continue to be a big topic. Forward-thinking organisations will focus on trying to get their people to become content brand ambassadors, pushing out messages that appeal to diverse audiences. The makeup of who organisations recruit will continue to evolve as the trend for people working for themselves as part of the 'gig economy' continues to increase.

4.      Leaders are going to have to be active and have more ongoing involvement in promoting the culture and employer brand.

5.      More focus will be placed on creating an engaging experience and building communities and networks before new starters join. Allowing new starters to feel part of a team before they start with their new employer.

6.      Millennials and Gen Z are still rising in the workforce. And with that also rises the need for a strong company purpose. Having a purpose, as opposed to getting results (or profit), is not about achieving the end goal, but rather is about giving a reason to achieve the end goal. Companies that leverage that will gain a real advantage.

7.      Internal comms will evolve into 'Employee Experience'.  The days of 'jobs' and 'careers' are over with more & more people looking at a set of experience. Once they believe they have completed their 'experience', or fancy a new one, they move on to the next opportunity, which may be outside their current employer. To meet this challenge, the internal communications function will need to move away from a channel based approach into an employee experience role. Our IC Partner, Dillan, posted about this & it certainly got people talking.

8.      Video will become the main comms channel in IC.  We believe video will continue its meteoric rise & become the go-to channel for IC professionals. Technology is allowing IC teams to create and edit their own videos, and many video hosting platforms will now integrate with existing systems.

9.      Gamification is here to stay.  Whether you play Candy Crush or WordBrain, games are now part of everyone's life. Many organisations have noticed this and have experimented with the ethos of how 'play' can help provide better user experience, increase engagement, or simply educate a workforce in a fun and engaging way. The challenge has always been cost, but technology is helping reduce both the cost & complexity of creating such games. It may be time for you to think about how you use gamification.