Emerging gig workforce, changing demographics, rapid globalization and tech advancement, created news demands for business and work. The year 2019 has been quite overwhelming for the world of work. On one side we talked about the possibilities of technology enabling the workforce, on the other, a lack of consumer demand and many other socio-economic and political factors impacted the businesses to cut costs and hence jobs. 

Amid such rapid state of disruption, HR leaders turned to stories that equipped them with the latest trends in HR and HR technology. 

If some of you missed reading them, this list might come in handy and for others, you might enjoy reading it another time with a new perspective. 

Here are 10 trending stories in 2019:

In the digital age, a company’s most important source of competitive advantage is its people: Accenture's CHRO

Ellyn Shook, the Chief Leadership and Human Resources Officer of Accenture said, “In these times of unprecedented disruption and high-velocity change, the path forward is through continuous learning – having the intellectual curiosity to remain highly relevant. Gone are the days when you learned a profession and practiced it throughout your entire career. The new life script is ‘learn, work, repeat’.” Learn more about her thoughts and perspectives on digital age and its impact on people and work. Also, read as she takes us through her journey of 30 years in the HR domain while sharing insights on how Accenture transformed its business and culture – and in turn, elevated its people.

Workers without borders: What makes gig workers tick?

Freelancers, as the name suggests, are not committed to a long-term engagement with any organization. They are skill-traders who are looking for opportunities that make the best use of their skills and the most suitable compensation. for the same As a result, it often becomes difficult for enterprises to retain a freelancer that they like for a prolonged period of time. So, the question arises, what are professionals in the gig economy looking for in the organization of their choice? While gig workers may not have access to certain benefits reserved for full-time employees, they still expect to be recognized and rewarded. This article delves into the motives and aspirations of gig workers and discussing how to best manage them.

Leverage tech to stay strong during disruption: HR Director of Blue Bird Group

Indrijati Rahayoe, HR Director of Blue Bird Group, specializes in collaborating with business leaders in order to leverage the expertise of a diverse talent pool. As a certified assessor for talent and organization assessment from BAIN & Co., Rahayoe has conducted skillful assessments of talent readiness, organizational capability, and culture of long-term and short-term growth in a company. Apart from Indonesia, she has amassed an experience of more than 15 years in the HR landscape. In this interview, discusses her career journey from the FMCG industry to pharmaceuticals to a conglomerate such as the Blue Bird Group which has several other lines of business apart from the most popular taxi-hailing service.

How to spot the Avengers in your workplace?

Every superhero started out as a human. A resource of power. Today’s superheroes have human sensitivities and real-world parallels. Some movies even aim for the Oscars. So of course, it comes as no surprise that the biggest superhero franchise is full of real-life parallels to everyday superheroes we work with. This article provided a helpful list of characteristics to help you identify them should you run into them at any point in your daily office life.

Dave Ulrich on the 'new normal' for HR

In this rapid-fire interview, Dave Ulrich, the co-founder of The RBL Group, throws light on the future of work, digital disruption, and the 'new normal' for HR. He answered how HR can bring new value to the business in times of disruption. Learn how he envisages the future of HR and talent. Speaking on the impact of automation on work, he said, “Any activity based on information can be advanced through technology. Technology provides insights about personal choices, guides organizations to both broaden and tailor their services, and enables rapid societal change.”

How is hiring across APAC markets set to evolve?

The changing market forces have reshaped much of what remains of traditional business practices. When it comes to how companies within APAC are looking at hiring talent in the coming years, the effects of such impacts can be clearly noticed today. From high attrition rates to large skills gaps across new emerging business areas are predominant, implying that talent acquisition models have to respond and adapt to find the right hires. This article takes a look at some trends that are dominating the TA landscape across APAC. 

Non-HR skills every HR professional must have

HR’s value has been questioned time and again. With recent disruptions in the business ecosystem, their value and their capabilities to navigate through this complexity is in question once again. HR can be a leader in the development of organizational strategy, not merely subservient to it, however, the perceptions of HR over the years have not moved much. This article lists the five non-HR skills that HR professionals need in order to succeed now and for the foreseeable future. 

Identifying skill gaps in your organization: A guide

To make sure your workforce stay relevant and ready for the upcoming disruption by Future of Work, conducting a skills gap analysis is essential. It helps you identify the skills you need to meet your business goals. It can also inform your employee development and hiring programs. This article shows how to conduct a skills gap analysis in seven simple steps. 

HR Technology 4.0 – Emerging trends and new opportunities

Over the last decade, conversations around HR technology was focused on ‘digitizing’ HR – which referred to moving from ‘paper’ based processes to ‘digital’ tools. As we step into a new era of technologies that are going to radically transform technology systems including AI, ML, IoT, Robotics and Blockchain with tangible business goals like productivity, collaboration and innovation, the emerging trends are going to have a lasting effect on the new world of work. In this article, we take a look at insights from three reports (Josh Bersin’s annual trends, Sierra Cedar and ISG) on the direction that HR technologies are taking in the upcoming future.

Rapid Fire with Unilever's CHRO, Leena Nair

In this rapid fire, Chief HR Officer and member of the Unilever Leadership Executive, Leena Nair gets candid with People Matters and reveals some personal and professional secrets. She is the first female, first Asian, youngest ever Chief Human Resource Officer of Unilever. Leena Nair, recognized as the LinkedIn Top Voice 2018, is an inspiration for many aspiring HR professionals out there. From Kohlapur, Maharashtra to London, from an engineer to an HR professional it has been quite a journey for Leena. As the first female CHRO at Unilever, Leena’s personal goal is to build an inclusive environment where all members of our diverse society can contribute and succeed in equal measure. Leena says, “My purpose is to ignite the human spark to build a better business and a better world.”