Your human resources (HR) team is not immune to disruption born out of new technology. HR professionals also need to move quickly to adjust to the latest regulations. Heading into 2024, the adoption of the latest tech, an emphasis on privacy, and a focus on driving equity will all change the landscape of work.

This past year, companies were fast to adopt artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). They put heavy investment in these tools and systems. According to Forbes Advisor, 56% of business owners use AI for customer service purposes, while 51% use it for cybersecurity and fraud management. If use cases among consumers could provide an insight, the following are the most common ways people use AI:

  • Respond to friends, colleagues, etc. via text and email – 45%
  • Find answers to financial questions – 43%
  • Plan a travel itinerary – 38%
  • Compose an email – 31%
  • Prepare for a job interview – 30%
  • Write a social media post – 25%
  • Summarize complex or lengthy content – 19%

But with the latest AI tech becoming more ubiquitous, it’s no surprise then, that more workers are wary of their data being used without their consent. 

According to this year’s report by the World Economic Forum, 25% of jobs will be disrupted and negatively impacted until 2028. Workforce sentiments resonate this as reported in a 2023 survey by the American Psychology Association (APA), which showed that 4 in 10 U.S. workers were worried that AI might make their job obsolete. 

In order to secure jobs, matching work opportunities to talents without unnecessary prejudice is becoming a high priority not just for HR, but for the whole organization. Promoting overall diversity, equity, and inclusion at work should be part of business strategy. With this, employers are becoming more open in terms of letting their workers move laterally across departments. This creates a win-win scenario for the company, bridging any skills gap while reducing recruitment costs.

AI and the rapid advancements in technologies are driving new HR trends and practices. As Philippine businesses, we need our local perspective and adapt as it fits the company’s vision, values, and strategy. Here are five HR trends to look out for. 

5 HR Trends in the Philippines and How HR Leaders Can Adapt

Companies will craft more refined policies on the use of AI-enabled technologies

Going into next year, organizations will revisit their rules on the use of tech. They will fine-tune their acceptable use policies for them to catch up to the latest state of the AI arms race. Both Microsoft and Google, two of the largest enterprise suite providers, have integrated AI in their systems. Hence, it’s up to the companies using their systems to be proactive. Companies need to review, then likely rewrite their policies, to make sure they set adequate guidelines on AI use.

Salesforce, for example, announced that they are publishing their AI Acceptable Use Policy. They did so to align with industry standards and their partners, and to protect their customers. As Paula Goldman, Chief Ethical and Human Use Officer writes, “It’s not enough to deliver the technological capabilities of generative AI, we must prioritize responsible innovation to help guide how this transformative technology can and should be used.”

In the Philippines, where people are quick to jump on the latest social media trends, employers must get ahead. Organizations need to ensure they protect not only employee data, but also enterprise and customer data. It’s the latter that comes at a substantial cost, if compromised.

Employees will seek opportunities to work on side projects

In 2022, The Great Resignation was a period where turnover was at an all-time high. More than 50 million workers quit their job. This figure blew 2021’s attrition numbers out of the water. Learning the lessons of the two previous years, employers put more focus on employee retention in 2023.

To slow down attrition, HR shifted focus to employee personas and following their journey and doing cluster analysis on either bringing them back or keeping them.

In the workplace, projects requiring niche expertise pop up every now and then. If the company lacks the needed manpower to work those specific, one-time jobs, the knee-jerk reaction is to hire someone from the outside up until the project is finished. Companies that do this, however, are missing out on tapping their existing workforce. For every unfulfilled niche project are valuable skills that workers want to acquire. Heading into next year, to retain talent, key leaders in human resources are likely to encourage team members to take on side projects in the organization. These projects must also suit their interests, and be in line with expertise they wish to develop.

 

Employers will continue to focus on employee experience

Companies will continue to prioritize workplace satisfaction. While employers are tightening their yank on onsite work mandates, workers are still able to tug favorably in their direction. Despite 90% of companies saying they will return to office by the end of 2024, 68% of full-time workers support a hybrid work schedule. 

This preference by employees to work hybrid is buttressed by the availability of fully remote jobs. According to Forbes Advisor, 12.7% of full-time employees work from home, while 28.2% work a hybrid model. This prevalence of remote jobs in the labor market means that workers will always have some bargaining power when it comes to their desired workstyle.

This situation might be a little tricky in the Philippines, wherein some laws and regulations require certain companies to have their employees work onsite.  With that said, Filipinos also now have a broader choice of employers, true to the country’s growing gig economy, being able to work overseas clients from the comfort of their own home.  

Human resources will reshape workplace culture due to data privacy concerns

The security of personal information continues as a burning issue, as governments enacted more data privacy laws in 2023. In the United States, for example, five states are enforcing new GDPR-inspired laws with more states to follow.

These new statutes in the states of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, and Virginia reflect the global influence of GDPR, and there’s no question that the Philippines will move towards strengthening its own regulations. Companies will have to move fast in making sure they comply with new data privacy requirements. More often than not, workplace culture is affected, for better or for worse.

Leaders in human resources will need to think about their strategy for culture change. Once their company adopts new data privacy policies, there’s a short window for planning. Is your HR team preparing to reshape your environment into a culture of privacy? Are they crafting a playbook with answers to the most likely questions from employees? 

With new rules at work in play, workers need to feel they aren’t coerced into following them. Instead, they must come around to understanding why things are changing.

 

Human resources will be more strategic in adopting emerging technologies

To make sure that your company is adopting new technology in a way that still respects employee boundaries while not falling behind competition, bespoke solutions might be your best bet.

In the Philippines, a mix of foreign employers set up shop, and bring with them varying degrees of privacy cultures. Some Europe-based companies, for example, will tend to err on the side of caution and make sure employee data is protected.

Achieving compliance is a complex issue, especially with a workforce spread across different regions with varying labor laws and requirements. Nonetheless, establishing a success metrics, similar to Gartner’s 4 key criteria, is imperative in having a framework that ensures alignment of the company’s goals, workforce readiness, and resources.

Using Local HRMS to Keep Up with The Rapidly Changing Workplace

By adopting a local HRMS that is congruent to your company’s vision and goals, you can a reliable partner that will help you shift the focus – from tedious tasks to strategic work.

Headquartered in Cebu, Payruler is proudly Filipino-made for Filipino business. The HR, timekeeping, and payroll system is updated to the latest labor law updates and the Republic Act No. 10173, also known as the Data Privacy Act of 2012 (DPA). 

With a comprehensive understanding of the local business landscape and the capability to cater to unique business processes and timekeeping practices, companies across varying industries have found an efficient HR solution and partner in success with Payruler.

The workplace is heading for radical change in the coming year. Human resources will continue to play a pivotal role in this upheaval. To fall behind might not mean serious consequences at the outset, but it can mean losing out on profitable opportunities in the long term.  Book a demo and see how Payruler can work with your specific business goals and requirements.