HR Champion

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 When it comes to the business of people, change is a given. This means HR professionals are constantly dealing with a whirlwind of change—especially when it comes to trends. The top human resource trends for 2015 not only reflect an evolving workforce makeup, but also a growing skills gap, a lack of leadership, a focus on culture and employee engagement, and how technology is changing just about every aspect of the workplace. Here, we’ll look at the top five HR trends of 2015.


 <ol>
 <li>Leadership Development</li>
 Leadership development ranked among the top human resources trends this year. This is an ongoing trend, according to Deloitte’s <a href="http://dupress.com/periodical/trends/human-capital-trends-2015/?id=gx:2el:3dc:dup1179:eng:cons:hct15" target="_blank">Global Human Capital Trends 2015</a> report: it ranked as the top trend in 2014, and was in the top three in 2013 and 2012. 

 The report, which surveyed more than 3,300 organizations from 106 countries, found that 86% of respondents cited leadership as either “important” or “very important” when asked to identify the importance of the challenges facing them in the workplace. It also found that only 6% of people believe their leadership and leadership development programs are “very ready” to best serve their company.

 This capability gap is seen and felt on all levels of companies, but is especially prominent when it comes to a business’s ability to <a href="http://dupress.com/articles/developing-leaders-perennial-issue-human-capital-trends-2015/" target="_blank">develop Millennial leaders</a> (see Trend #4).

 The fix? Focusing on leadership at all levels and consistent year-over-year spending in leadership development. The need for good leaders isn’t going anywhere, and it’s an area that gets the unanimous nod from everyone asked if it needs improvement. 

 <li>Culture and Engagement</li>
 Culture and engagement displaced leadership as the <a href="http://dupress.com/articles/employee-engagement-culture-human-capital-trends-2015/" target="_blank">most important issue</a> in Deloitte’s report this year, with 87% of organizations citing culture and engagement as one of their top challenges, and 50% calling the problem “very important.” Two-thirds of HR respondents reported that they are updating their engagement and retention strategies. 

 With increased transparency courtesy of the Internet and social media, businesses are more exposed than ever before. An organization’s culture—loosely defined by the report as “how things are done”—can be either a competitive advantage or a stumbling block to recruiting and keeping good workers. To be an advantage, companies need to focus on creating a culture defined by meaningful work, employee engagement, and strong leadership, attributes that are more likely to retain employees, outperform peers, and attract top talent. And considering that <a href="http://fortune.com/2014/08/05/job-search-career-change/" target="_blank">86% of employees</a> are currently looking for work outside their current positions, those attributes are more important than ever to an organization’s success. 

 <li>The Widening Skills Gap</li>
 The June 2015 <a href="http://www.bls.gov/news.release/jolts.nr0.htm">Bureau of Labor Statistics</a> report shows that at the end of April 2015, there were 5.4 million job openings. Yet more than half of employers say that they can’t find <a href="http://careerbuildercommunications.com/skillsgapstudy2014/" target="_blank">qualified candidates</a>. This issue will progress until the college curriculum aligns with the current job marketplace, <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/danschawbel/2014/10/29/the-top-10-workplace-trends-for-2015/" target="_blank">says Schawbel</a>, noting that only 2% of companies are recruiting liberal arts majors in 2015, but schools still offer the degrees. “Companies need to start working with colleges so that students get the necessary skills to fill the gap,” he writes. 

 The Deloitte report concurs about this trend’s importance: 80% of respondents listed workforce capability as an important issue. This demand to close the skills gap will “drive a trend toward greater use of hourly, contingent, and contract workers.” This can be seen in the rise of freelancing, which, thanks to the Internet, is a more obtainable career path than in years past. A recent study shows that <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/04/idUSnMKWLH6WQa+1f6+MKW20140904" target="_blank">53 million Americans are now freelancers</a> (34% of the American workforce) and 69% of them say that technology is making it easier to find freelance work.

 This trend toward more temporary workers means HR managers need to be prepared with the right processes, policies, and tools in order to source, evaluate, and reward the influx of non-traditional talent within their organizations.


 <li>More Millennials</li>

 This is the year when Millennials—defined by <a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/millennial" target="_blank">Merriam-Webster</a> as “a person born in the 1980s or 1990s”—will displace Gen X employees to become the <a href="http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/05/11/millennials-surpass-gen-xers-as-the-largest-generation-in-u-s-labor-force/" target="_blank">largest percentage of the workforce for the first time</a>. More Millennials in the workplace means a different <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/patrick-thean/millennials-in-the-workfo_b_6994968.html" target="_blank">work culture</a> that better reflects their “norm”—increased social media presence and different communication methods. It also means more Millennials are taking over leadership positions: a study commissioned by Elance-oDesk and Millennial Branding found that <a href="http://www.elance-odesk.com/millennial-majority-workforce" target="_blank">27% of millennials are already in management positions</a>. 

 Having leaders in their 20s and 30s isn’t necessarily a bad thing. But according to a piece written by career and workplace expert <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/danschawbel/2014/10/29/the-top-10-workplace-trends-for-2015/" target="_blank">Dan Schawbel for Forbes.com</a>, the big problem facing young managers is that they are unprepared for the positions. “They were never trained on how to be good managers and are being pushed into these roles out of necessity,” Schawbel writes. “Companies are losing older workers and positions are opening up fast.” And that’s where the Millennials step in—ready or not.

 This trend aligns with the first one and emphasizes the importance of having a solid leadership development plan in place at every level. That way, if a younger employee finds himself or herself in a management position, they will have had the training necessary to lead and succeed. 


 <li>Technology</li>
 Technology—specifically smartphones and the Internet—is changing the way people look for jobs and evaluate potential opportunities, and how companies recruit potential employees and connect with customers. 

 Mobile recruiting is an area that should not—and cannot—be ignored, as <a href="http://americasmarkets.usatoday.com/2014/07/01/job-seekers-are-increasingly-turning-to-smartphones" target="_blank">83%</a> of job seekers currently use smartphones to search for job openings and <a href="http://talent.linkedin.com/blog/index.php/2013/11/how-to-kickstart-your-mobile-recruiting-program" target="_blank">45%</a> of active candidates have applied to a job on their mobile device. To stay competitive in this mobile-oriented market, companies need to optimize their websites for smartphone compatibility in order to appeal to this new class of job seeker.

 Another way to appeal to and attract talent is to use social media. This ties in with workplace culture and engagement, as tools like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram offer a behind-the-scenes look into life within a company. This is something more and more employees consider important in their decision-making process: 58% of people are more likely to want to work at a company if they are using <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/pulse/article/20140710161411-2293140-relationship-economics-how-social-is-transforming-the-world-of-work-infographic" target="_blank">social media</a>; over 20% are more likely to stay at their companies if they are using social media. 

 From leadership development to creating a successful social-media strategy, the HR trends of 2015 are wide-ranging and anything but simple fixes. However, they are also nothing new—and they are certainly able to be addressed with the right skills. 

 Resources to start with include this step-by-step outline for <a href="/resources/skill-development/how-to-create-a-personal-leadership-development-plan/">developing a personal leadership plan</a> and this list of <a href="/resources/HR-champion/hr-challenges-all-managers-know-too-well/">common challenges HR managers know all too well</a>—with tips for addressing each one included.
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HR Trends in 2015

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 Not all recruiting strategies are created equal. Traditional resume screening, interviews, and reference checking—all of which are time consuming and often fail to produce the right match—are fine, but they aren’t the best.

 As social networking and smartphones transform the work world, top recruiting strategies need to transform, too. The best recruiting strategies utilize a mixture of social, technical, creative, and marketing elements. Here, we explore the top five innovative recruiting strategies for 2015.


 <ol>
 <li>Making Your Competition Work for You</li>
 Researching information about your closest competition in order to steal their employees might feel odd, but it’s <a href="http://www.theoverturegroup.com/blog/4-recruiting-trends-in-2015-and-how-to-succeed/" target="_blank">one of the most effective recruiting techniques</a> and is becoming more and more <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Bigcommerce-tries-poaching-tech-workers-at-S-F-5378102.php" target="_blank">popular</a>. Landing top talent is difficult—<a href="https://business.linkedin.com/talent-solutions/resources/recruiting-tips/global-recruiting-trends" target="_blank">LinkedIn’s 2015 Global Recruiting Trends report</a> found that competition and compensation ranked as the biggest obstacles for 45% for recruiters—and knowing what your competition is up to can give you a leg up.

 While recruiters have always had access to basic information about competitors, more detailed data is available today thanks to the Internet. <a href="http://www.computerworld.com/category/salarysurvey2015" target="_blank">Salary surveys</a> and <a href="http://www.cio.com/article/2387201/careers-staffing/top-8-sites-for-researching-your-next-employer.html" target="_blank">employer-rating sites</a>, for example, show what job seekers consider when looking at jobs. By studying this data, recruiters can make sure their company’s benefits packages and salary offerings are comparable and attractive to potential talent. 

 Some companies go beyond just researching their competitions’ benefits packages: they actively recruit their employees. One such company is advertising agency <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/hiring-creativity-out-box-ritesh-chudasama" target="_blank">Gyro International</a>. In 2010, Gyro wanted to grow its creative department by 50%. To do so, they researched their closest competitors, found out where their employees went to lunch, and asked the owners of those restaurants to use sandwich bags with Gyro’s recruiting messages for one month. The bags had Gyro’s website on them and soon, competitors’ employees were applying to join the Gyro team. Within a few weeks, the company saw an increase in web traffic and hired three people, including a senior creative manager. 

 To effectively research your competition and make sure you’re staying on the cutting edge for recruiting efforts, consider using such resources as Google Alerts, LinkedIn, Glassdoor, Twitter, Indeed, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The more you know, the more you’ll be able to improve your recruiting techniques.



 <li>Getting Creative with Challenges and Games</li>
 Companies in need of candidates with specific, hard-to-find skills are finding their perfect fits not by scanning resumes but by creating games. Not just any games, of course, rather tests that identify people with the necessary set skills to thrive in certain positions.
 
 When <a href="http://fortune.com/2012/04/10/games-a-job-recruiters-new-best-friend/" target="_blank">Upstream Systems</a>, a mobile marketing firm, was looking for global marketing managers, they created the “Upstream Challenge”: seven timed exercises that measured a candidate’s analytical skills and marketing knowledge. Approximately 700 people completed the online test. Those who scored well were contacted and six people were hired. 

 In 2004, Google put <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=3916173" target="_blank">difficult math puzzles on billboards</a>. Anyone who solved the puzzle unlocked a URL with another puzzle. If solved, that person received an offer to apply to a job.

 <a href="http://observer.com/2011/09/seatgeek-hacks-the-hiring-process/" target="_blank">SeatGeek</a>, the largest online event ticket search engine, tells engineers to prove their skills by inviting them to hack into their website to submit their resume. 

 Using game mechanics is still an emerging technique and there’s much to be learned, but George Andes, author of The Rare Find: Spotting Exceptional Talent Before Everyone Else, told Fortune.com that <a href="http://fortune.com/2012/04/10/games-a-job-recruiters-new-best-friend/" target="_blank">it’s one way recruiters can widen their job searches</a> beyond paper credentials. It’s important to focus on candidates with “soft skills,” he said. Those skills include creativity, ingenuity, and resilience—hard to spot on a resume, perhaps, but things that come through in such nontraditional methods as games and challenges. 


 <li>Training Employees as Recruiters</li>
 
 <a href="http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/employee-referral-program.html" target="_blank">Employee referral programs</a> aren’t a new recruitment strategy, but they are an effective option for obtaining quality hires, <a href="http://www.theoverturegroup.com/blog/4-recruiting-trends-in-2015-and-how-to-succeed/" target="_blank">second only to social media</a> in effectiveness. Referral programs are recruitment methods in which current employees are encouraged and rewarded for bringing suitable job candidates to the hiring table. 

 A few reasons to consider using employee referral programs:
 <ul>
 <li>Higher employee retention: <a href="http://www.icims.com/hire-expectations-institute/for-employers/whitepaper-creating-a-successful-employee-referral-program" target="_blank">47% of referral hires</a> stay at the same job for more than three years</li>
 <li>Lower cost: 51% of employers said it was less expensive to recruit via referrals than traditional methods, according to the <a href="http://web.jobvite.com/rs/jobvite/images/Jobvite-SRP-2011.pdf" target="_blank">2011 Jobvite Social Recruiting Survey</a></li>
 <li>Shorter hiring process: Using employee referral programs can <a href="http://theundercoverrecruiter.com/infographic-employee-referrals-hire/" target="_blank">cut employee search times</a> from 39 days, using job boards, or 55 days, using career sites, to 29 days</li>
 <li>Better fit: 69.8% of employers say <a href="http://web.jobvite.com/rs/jobvite/images/Jobvite-SRP-2011.pdf" target="_blank">referrals fit with company culture</a> and values better</li>
 </ul>
 Effective employee referral programs incorporate <a href="http://www.recruitingdivision.com/expert-advice-for-an-effective-employee-referral-program/" target="_blank">strategic planning</a> to engage employees and get quality hires. Such planning includes targeting referral requests to employees most likely to interact with the types of candidates needed, asking employees who worked at competitors or other desirable firms for their insight, and conducting networking events to encourage employees to compare and brainstorm possible referral options. 

 In terms of employee motivation, it’s important to strike a balance between rewarding employees with recognition as well as financial incentives. A recent <a href="http://talent.linkedin.com/blog/index.php/2015/01/building-an-employee-referral-program-3-things-you-should-know" target="_blank">LinkedIn survey</a> revealed that only 40% of employees claimed to submit a referral because of a monetary reward while 68% of participants said they wanted to help their company. However, when asked what the most appropriate reward for a successful referral was, 96% said a cash bonus. 

 Making rewards the most important feature of a program isn’t a good move, as it emphasizes quantity over quality and can lead to a weak referral culture. Instead, a good way to create a culture of referrals is by building recognition into the process. Giving referrers a thank-you note from leadership, a call out in the company newsletter, or recognition during a meeting are easy and effective ways to communicate appreciation and demonstrate how much quality referrals are valued. 

 For the incentive options, consider the following rewards:
 <ul>
 <li>A charity donation option </li>
 <li>Non-cash awards such as a reserved parking spot, tickets to an event, etc.</li>
 <li>Different bonus amounts for each level of referring and results (i.e. $100 for name only, $200 for full referral with resume and formal introduction, $300 for hiring a referral)</li>
 <li>Paying the taxes on the bonus to give referrers a full payout on rewards</li>
 <li>Handwritten thank you notes from the hiring manager or other leadership</li>
 </ul>


 <li>Go Mobile</li>
 Having a mobile recruiting strategy is necessary nowadays. Nearly two-thirds of Americans (64%) own a smartphone, according to a <a href="http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/04/01/us-smartphone-use-in-2015/" target="_blank">2014 Pew Research Center American Trends Panel survey</a>. Of those, 43% use their smartphone to look up information about jobs. 

 To engage these potential candidates, <a href="http://www.jobvite.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Jobvite_SocialRecruiting_Survey2014.pdf" target="_blank">51% of recruiters</a> say they plan to invest more in mobile recruiting efforts in coming years. Mobile recruiting efforts still trail social recruiting—93% of recruiters use or plan to use social to support recruiting efforts—but it is an important step to get ahead of the trend and stay competitive.

 Nearly 70% of 1,855 recruiters surveyed in <a href="http://www.jobvite.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Jobvite_SocialRecruiting_Survey2014.pdf" target="_blank">Jobvite’s 2014 Social Recruiting Survey</a> said they expected hiring to get even more competitive over the next 12 months. To prepare for this increased challenge, 73% of the recruiters said they plan to invest more in mobile recruiting.

 To keep in step with this trend, consider doing the following:
 <ul>
 <li>Create a mobile career site that lets job seekers apply for jobs directly from a mobile device</li>
 <li>Train hiring managers on mobile recruitment techniques so they can post jobs on the go and create postings that can be easily shared on social media and readily responded to</li>
 <li><a href="http://peoplescapehr.com/recruiting_trends_2015/" target="_blank">Target social media job posts</a> for the employees you want; use Facebook for and LinkedIn for Generation Xers, Twitter and Instagram for Millennials</li>
 </ul>

 <li>Develop and Promote a Talent Brand</li>

 A company’s <a href="http://talent.linkedin.com/blog/index.php/2014/03/what-does-great-talent-brand-content-look-like" target="_blank">talent brand</a> is the things people think, say, and share about a company as a place to work. It’s a snapshot of how much a company values its employs, its corporate culture, the people who work there, and the typical employee experience.

 <a href="http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/240951" target="_blank">Developing a talent brand is considered a top priority by 56% of global leaders</a>, according to <a href="http://talent.linkedin.com/blog/index.php/2014/11/the-global-trends-that-will-shape-recruiting-in-2015" target="_blank">LinkedIn’s 2015 Global Recruiting Trends survey</a>. As competition for qualified employees grows, corporate culture is becoming increasingly important for recruiting. A solid talent brand can help make the difference between a good company and a great one in the eyes of a potential employee. 

 A talent brand should be an <a href="http://www.intervista-institute.com/talent-branding.php" target="_blank">authentic and clearly defined description of your company’s culture</a>, expectations, and values. A good example of a company that uses its talent brand to recruit top workers is Google. Google matches its internal workplace culture—in which employees are members of a self-contained, elite, 24/7 workplace community; have survived the rigorous screening process; and belong to a prestigious team—with its external brand. Both internally and externally, people know what Google is, what it expects of employees, and what it offers employees. This brand attracts the best of the best and keeps Google on track to continue developing these values as an employer. 

 Building a talent brand is about more than recruiting. It’s about defining your company’s values and personality. It’s about creating culturally authentic programs, aligning the workforce on corporate goals and strategy, and driving initiatives for inclusion, change management, and workforce planning. And, once in place, a talent brand should help build or reinforce organizational culture. 

 A solid talent brand <a href="http://www.m4ws.com/blogs/what_is_talent_branding.php" target="_blank">helps recruit top employees</a> by:
 <ul>
 <li>Targeting candidates through messages that define company culture</li>
 <li>Building a general awareness of your company</li>
 <li>Providing leverage to stay ahead of competition</li>
 <li>Putting employees, management, and job seekers on the same page in terms of what to expect from the company</li>
 </ul>

 In recruiting, like in most areas in life, communication is key. A clear, attractive brand shows talent what they can expect from your company and brings them to you instead of making you go to them. 

 When it comes to recruiting and hiring, there are dozens of things to consider. Utilizing these top five recruiting strategies will help you attract top talent and one-up competition. 


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2015’s Innovative Recruiting Strategies

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 Human resource managers are the office super heroes: Not only do they have the expertise of HR generalists, but their professional portfolios also include general business and management skills. They are the designated hitters and pinch runners of businesses, always ready to pitch in wherever and however possible. 

 Recruiting new employees, retaining current employees, keeping the peace: It all falls under the HR umbrella. We highlight the five most pressing HR problems below.


 <h4 class="h4__alt">The Top Five Biggest HR Challenges</h4>

 1. Getting people to stay
 More than half (59%) of HR managers said that retaining good employees will be the biggest human resource challenge over the next 10 years, according to a <a href="http://www.shrm.org/research/surveyfindings/articles/pages/challengesfacinghroverthenext10years.aspx" target="_blank">2012 poll</a> by the Society for Human Resource Management. People are restless. There’s a lot of <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/work-in-progress/2014/03/27/do-you-have-fomo-fear-of-missing-out/" target="_blank">fear of missing out</a> going on into today’s society — and that goes for career choices, too. 

 One in four employers is seen as ineffective in retaining high-potential workers, according to a <a href="http://www.amanet.org/news/6927.aspx" target="_blank">2011 study by AMA Enterprise</a>. And only a little more than half of respondents said they think their organizations are somewhat effective at retaining high-potential employees.

 Unfortunately, changeover <a href="http://www.iftdo.net/Articles/2006-maywfpmahrglobalchallenges%5B1%5D.pdf" target="_blank">isn’t typically covered</a> in HR professional training and development, so change management can be a tricky for managers. It’s also, according to the World Federation of People Management Associations, the reason why change management is <a href="http://www.wfpma.com/sites/wfpma.com/files/publications/wlv15n3_0.pdf" target="_blank">cited as the foremost issue in HR</a> management on a global scale.

 So, next time you’re feeling frustrated about trying to retain your best employees, just remember: HR managers as far away as Singapore are feeling the same pain.

 Helpful tips:
 There's no one solution to improving employee retention, but here are a few good places to start:
 <ul>
 <li>Outline clear growth paths: Employees will be more likely to stick with a company if they feel they have a clear future there. HR managers should work with employees and their supervisors to create a clear path for growth and promotions. Make sure employees know what goals they need to hit in order to be promoted or receive a raise. Also be sure to ask for employee feedback along the way—you want to make sure workers are excited about their future.</li>  
 <li>Provide competitive pay and benefits: With tools like <a href="http://www.glassdoor.com/index.htm" target="_blank">Glassdoor</a> and <a href="http://www.payscale.com/" target="_blank">PayScale</a>, employees can easily figure out what their peers at other companies are paid, and how much the market rate is for their job role. If employees know they can get better pay or benefits elsewhere, they'll be unlikely to stick with their current company. HR managers should make sure employees are paid competitively and benefits are comprehensive.  </li>
 <li>Ask for employee feedback: HR managers should check in with employees periodically to ensure they're happy and productive. Ask employees for feedback on what needs improvement at the company. This helps employees feel like their opinions are valued. It also helps HR managers address any concerns that might cause employees to leave the company before employees put in their two weeks notice.</li> 
 </ul>

 <h4 class="h4__alt">2. Building strong leaders </h4>
 In PricewaterhouseCoopers’ “Survey of Global HR Challenges,” 35% of HR managers said leadership development was the biggest challenge. Even worse: one reason <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/greg-savage/people-dont-leave-companies_b_4277535.html" target="_blank">many people give</a> for leaving a company is a lack of strong leaders. So that means problems number one and two in this list are intrinsically linked. But training costs money, and money doesn’t grow on trees — as HR managers know too well — which can make these problems seem like never-ending cycles of frustration. 

 Helpful tips:
 There are a few ways to start developing leadership skills that don't take a ton of time or cost a lot of money:

 <ul> 
 <li>Create a mentorship program: Matching less experienced employees with strong leaders in a mentor relationship can be an effective way to grow new leadership skills. Mentorship programs need to be well designed, with thought and consideration put into pairs, goals, and support. For more information on how to create a successful mentorship program, check out <a href="http://www.inc.com/guides/2010/04/start-mentoring-program.html" target="_blank">this resource</a>.</li>  
 <li>Encourage ownership: HR managers and supervisors should <a href="https://www.themuse.com/advice/3-ways-to-create-an-ownership-mentality-within-your-team" target="_blank">encourage employees to own certain projects</a> and processes from end-to-end. Not only does this let employees take on more responsibility, but it also allows them to grow their project management, time management, and problem solving skills—all things a good leader needs. Giving employees the choice of which projects/processes they would like to own, also allows them to choose projects they're most interested in and passionate about.</li> 
 </ul>

 <h4 class="h4__alt">3. Cultural challenges</h4>
 Perhaps not surprisingly, the issue of improving an organization’s overall culture contributes to the first two problems. It makes sense: if employees like the work environment, they will be happier and more likely to stay. The longer they stay, the more they’ll get to know the company, increasing the odds of them becoming a leader. 

 Not only does culture influence employee retention and leadership development, but it also impacts <a href="http://www.hraffiliates.com/biggest-challenges-facing-hr-departments/" target="_blank">organizational performance</a>. That can include customer satisfaction, attendance, safety, stock price, and productivity. But even though workplace culture is <a href="http://www.greatplacetowork.com/publications-and-events/blogs-and-news/2430-you-cant-legislate-a-smile" target="_blank">considered key</a> to a business’ success, it still gets shoved under the rug. And it falls to — you guessed it — the HR manager to find a way to build and maintain an attractive culture to fix problems one and two on this list.

 Helpful tips:
 Improving workplace culture is a long-term goal, but there are a couple of ways you can get started immediately:

 <ul>
 <li>Start rewarding employees: Everyone wants to be recognized for their hard work and successes. Rewarding employees is a great way to create a positive environment that acknowledges and validates outstanding effort. Rewards can be as simple as public praise: emailing the department or company and outlining the employee's successes for everyone. Or it can come in the form of other benefits: free team lunches if someone reaches a certain goal, raises, promotions, etc.</li>  
 <li>Spend time together: One of the best ways to improve culture is to spend time together connecting outside of work-related activities. Host a team picnic or bowling tournament on a Friday afternoon, or schedule a potluck and lunch together. Getting people away from their desks and encouraging them to talk to each other about things other than work will foster a more personal and friendly environment.</li>
 </ul>

 <h4 class="h4__alt">4. Finding time to do it all</h4>
  Big problem number four: Time management. HR personnel from some 200 companies in more than 35 countries were asked the following question: “Of the total hours worked by your HR Department, what percent of the total time would be allocated to each of these roles: Strategic business partner, employee champion, being a change agent, being a 'player,' and more traditional HR tasks?"

 Here are the results, which can also be found on page 10 of <a href="http://www.iftdo.net/Articles/2006-maywfpmahrglobalchallenges%5B1%5D.pdf" target="_blank">this study</a>

 <ul>
 <li>24% of total work hours were devoted to being a strategic business partner (<a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikaandersen/2011/03/21/whats-a-strategic-business-partner-and-can-i-be-one/" target="_blank">being in on conversations</a> about the future of the business, and having a real voice in those conversations)</li>
 
 <li>23% were spent in more traditional HR tasks (administrative tasks like the way work is organized and executed)</li>
 
 <li>16% were spent as an employee champion (vigorously representing employee concerns to senior management while simultaneously working to increase employees’ commitment to the organization and their ability to deliver results)</li>
 
 <li>19% were devoted to being a change agent (shaping the processes and culture that improve an organization’s capacity for change)</li>
 
 <li> 18% of hours were a “player” (doing things that make a difference by acting as a coach, architect, designer, facilitator, and leader)</li>
 </ul>

 So: Business partner, administrator, employee champion, process and culture shaper, coach, facilitator, leader, and conflict manager. Simple, right?

 Helpful tips:
 Managing all the different tasks HR managers are responsible for isn't simple. There are, however, a few ways to start managing the insanity:

 <ul>
 <li>Schedule time for non-urgent tasks: Answering email as soon as it lands in your inbox or checking Twitter every 15 minutes can seriously derail productivity. Each day, schedule time to attend to these non-urgent tasks so you can get work done in uninterrupted blocks.</li>
 <li>Do one thing from start to finish: Multitasking can often mean projects get done slower and less effectively. Schedule a time to complete a task from start to finish, and shut down all distractions while you're working on your task. This will allow you to accomplish one thing at a time, without interruptions.</li>
 </ul>

 <h4 class="h4__alt">5. Application overload</h4>
 Google gets two million applicants a year. Two million. Can you imagine what that would look like printed out and stacked up on your desk? Actually, don’t imagine it. It’s just too much. 

 More seriously, though, the number of applications that come in for some jobs can be overwhelming, so much so that some companies are <a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702303491304575188023801379324" target="_blank">hiring outside firms</a> to sort through résumés and then present only a dozen or so qualified candidates for consideration for interviews. 

 And once you select people for interviews, there’s no guarantee that they will be as qualified as their applications suggest. From arriving inappropriately dressed to being late to knowing nothing about the company, <a href="http://www.hr.com/SITEFORUM?&t=/Default/gateway&i=1116423256281&application=story&active=no&ParentID=1119278077613&StoryID=1119650993765&xref=https%3A//www.google.com/">some applicants waste time</a> rather than offer a hiring solution.

 Helpful tips:
 While you can't limit applications, you can make the hiring process more effective:

 <ul>
 <li>Test applicants: Asking applicants to complete a timed test relevant to the role is a great way to test for role-specific skills, as well as more general problem solving and time management skills. Ask applications to complete a writing sample on a particular subject or solve an accounting problem—whatever makes sense based on the role. The added bonus? This strategy can quickly weed out those who were dishonest on their applications.  </li>
 <li>Use software when necessary: Recruiting software, like <a href="http://www.greenhouse.io/" target="_blank">Greenhouse</a>, <a href="http://www.bamboohr.com/" target="_blank">BambooHR</a>, or <a href="http://www.icims.com/" target="_blank">iCIMS</a> can save a huge amount of time for HR managers. And don't worry, these platforms certainly don't replace HR managers, but they can save time when it comes to tracking applicant information, structuring interviews, and onboarding.</li>
 </ul> 

 Being an HR manager presents a unique set of challenges, to be sure. But we’re hoping that by offering some <a href="http://www.criminalwatchdog.com/resources/skill-development/time-management-strategies-for-hrs/" target="_blank">time management strategies</a>, you'll be able to embrace the challenges that make you a stronger professional at the end of the day. And hey, if that doesn't get you through the day, take comfort in knowing that fellow HR managers around the world are fighting the same battles and frustrations.

HR Trends in 2015

2015’s Innovative Recruiting Strategies

HR Challenges All Managers Know Too Well