July 28, 2006 | Posted By Diane Pfadenhauer | print this article

SHRM's Top 10 Human Resources Trends and a Few of My Own

The Society of Human Resources Management recently issued its Workplace Forecast for 2006. The report is published every 2 years by the society and represents the results of a survey of human resources professionals on such issues as demographics, economics, employment, international affairs, politics, society and science and technology.  According to the survey, three major themes underlie the majority of the top trends:
  1. Rising health care costs
  2. Implication of increased global competitiveness
  3. Demographic changes (aging workforce and retirement of baby boom generation)
Overall, the top trends that they predict will have the greatest impact on the workplace were:
  1. Rising health care costs.
  2. Increased use of outsourcing (offshoring) of jobs to other countries.
  3. Threat of increased health care/medical costs on the economic competitiveness of the United States.
  4. Increased demand for work/life balance.
  5. Retirement of large numbers of baby boomers (those born between 1945 and 1964) around the same time.
  6. New attitudes toward aging and retirement as baby boomers reach retirement age.
  7. Rise in the number of individuals and families without health insurance.
  8. Increase in identity theft.
  9. Work intensification as employers try to increase productivity with fewer employees.
  10. Vulnerability of technology to attack or disaster.
If I could be so bold as to add my two cents here....  I think they've forgotten a few things.  My list would include:
  1. The economy here in the US.  Our national debt is the biggest it has ever been, our all-voluntary military is over-committed around the world, and interest rates and energy costs continue to rise.
  2. Global issues - although Hezbollah and Israel were not bombing each other when the survey was taken, I think that continuing global conflict will have a significant impact on the workplace.  The potential for terrorism to increase rather than decrease is real.  Every good HR professional knows that animosity among groups often spills into the workplace.  HR professionals will be confronted with the very real challenge of resolving these issues.  Regarding the vulnerability of technology to attack or disaster, I'd be worried about the people too!
  3. The cost of energy - Its effect on commuting, the willingness of employees to commute long distances, and the demand by employees for flexibility.  Skyrocketing energy costs have the potential to radically change the way we work and do business in this country.
  4. Last, but certainly not least - how will HR professional help their organizations remain competitive with these seismic transformations?
I am sure I can think of a few more, but I think that's enough for now.