At its recent annual board of advisors meeting, board members of The Workforce Institute™ at KronoIncorporated discussed their predictions about the top trends and issues that will impact the field of workforce management in 2013. Predictions were also captured on video and via a visual map.

Top Trends for 2013

1. Big Data & Analytics – Availability of an ever-increasing amount of data presents a challenge for organizations. How can they distinguish between what is interesting versus what is important? New technologies and services will help organizations find value in Big Data via function- and industry-specific analytics tools. Board members believe these tools will continue to gain attention throughout 2013 as more organizations adopt data-driven workforce management practices.
2. Mobile – Mobile technologies will continue to transform the way organizations operate and interact with their employees, customers, prospects, and the world at large. Tablet devices have taken mobile to a new level and board members predict that new technologies in this space – coupled with increased adoption – will continue to revolutionize the way organizations manage their workforces this year.
3. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) Compliance – More commonly referred to as “Obamacare”, PPACA compliance will be a major focus for many U.S. organizations in 2013. Leadership will need to determine what the Act means for their organization, understand associated costs, and make informed decisions about labor scheduling and utilization.
4. Managing an intergenerational workforce – A tight economy and changing notions about the concept of retirement mean that more workers over the age of 60 are remaining in the workforce for longer. The usual challenges of attracting and retaining the right workforce are exacerbated by the increasing age difference in the workforce.
5. Closing the skills gap – Unemployment is still relatively high, but many organizations are hiring. Depending on the business, the current applicant pool may not have the skills that employers seek. How can this problem best be addressed? Much attention will be paid to this issue this year with public/private partnerships emerging to help close the gap.
6. War for Talent – The Great Recession put the war for talent on ice, but board members think 2013 may be the year that it heats up again. As organizations pull out of the economic doldrums and begin to perform better, employees who have been sitting tight will start looking for new opportunities. As a result, organizations will need to be ready to fight for the best and brightest talent.

The Workforce Institute at Kronos Board Members

• Board Members of The Workforce Institute at Kronos are: David Almeda, chief people officer, Kronos Incorporated; Ruth Bramson, CEO, Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts; Andy Brantley, president and CEO of the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources; Bob Clements, senior principal, Axsium Group; David Creelman, CEO, Creelman Research; John Hollon; vice president for editorial, ERE Media; Sharlyn Lauby, The HR Bartender and president of ITM Group Inc.; Joyce Maroney, director of The Workforce Institute at Kronos; Susan Meisinger, SPHR, JD, columnist, speaker, consultant on executive management issues and former president and CEO of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM); John-Anthony Meza, vice president, Workforce Readiness, Corporate Voices for Working Families; Dr. Tim Porter-O’Grady, senior partner, Tim Porter O’Grady Associates, Inc.; and William Tincup, SPHR, CEO of HR consultancy Tincup & Co.

Supporting Resources

• Join us for a Tweet Chat about our 2013 predictions on 1/9/13 at 12pm EST Hashtag: #KronosChat
• Visual map
• Connect with Kronos via Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, andYouTube.
• Subscribe to our workforce management blogs.
• Take a look at the lighter side of workforce management in our Time Well Spent cartoons.

About The Workforce Institute

The Workforce Institute was founded by Kronos Incorporated in 2006 as a think tank to provide research and education on critical workplace issues facing organizations around the globe. By bringing together thought leaders, The Workforce Institute is uniquely positioned to empower organizations with the knowledge and information they need to manage their workforce effectively and provide a voice for employees on important workplace issues. A hallmark of The Workforce Institute’s research is balancing the needs and desires of diverse employee populations with the needs of organizations. For additional information, visit www.workforceinstitute.org.

About Kronos Incorporated

Kronos is the global leader in delivering workforce management solutions in the cloud. Tens of thousands of organizations in more than 100 countries — including more than half of the Fortune 1000® — use Kronos to control labor costs, minimize compliance risk, and improve workforce productivity. Learn more about Kronos industry-specific time and attendance, scheduling, absence management, HR and payroll, hiring, and labor analytics applications at www.kronos.com. Kronos: Workforce Innovation That Works™.

© 2013 Kronos Incorporated. All rights reserved. Kronos is a registered trademark and The Workforce Institute is a trademark of Kronos Incorporated or a related company. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.