The WFC Group Blog

Let's be realistic. The path to happier, more productive employees is never as simple as connecting point A to point B. It's easy to get ensnared by the belief "engagement" is driven by employee perks, but building true engagement requires much more.

With all the talk about technology as a solution to workforce management (WFM) challenges, it's important to remember that people are the real driving force behind productivity.

In workforce management, one thing is certain — change happens all the time and fast! Staying on top of trends as they happen will be the deciding factor between those whose productivity can compete and those who fall behind.

We're not being dramatic when we say the pressure is on for businesses to act on artificial intelligence (AI). This perspective isn't just ours, as workforce consultants. It's rooted in what is already being expressed from within the companies we aim to help. Failure to address your employees' AI outlook could threaten your organization's ability to retain and attract top performing talent and to compete overall. Don't just take our word for it. Consider the following results from two important, new employee surveys, as covered by HRDive.com.

Data is power. With data, business leaders can make clear, confident decisions that drive organizational success. For many businesses, data can uncover opportunities for greater cost-saving efficiencies — and comprehensive workforce management systems like Kronos, collect tones of data and present workforce insights in understandable and in-depth snapshots. Using these insights to pinpoint ongoing unanticipated costs is a smart way to start, but where do you even begin to look?

It's always reassuring when a new study confirms what we already know and love about the Kronos solutions we service. As a trusted Kronos partner, it's no surprise to us when Kronos gets recognized as a workforce management market leader and innovator—and the recent 2018 Next Generation HCM Technology Report by IT and business service analysts at NelsonHall provides great context for why Kronos qualifies for those distinctions. Derived from a market wide comparison, results of NelsonHall’s Evaluation & Assessment Tool (NEAT) help leaders from businesses of all sizes vet technology vendors for the proven performance they need.

Some of the most important experiences in life take place outside of a profession and help shape one's worldview. One of our own experiences like this recently sprang back into focus through a surprising feature on Facebook's Returning the Favor TV show—a series that recognizes those who pay it forward and gives back to help keep their work going.

istock.com/Vasyl Dolmatov

New local and state laws about employee scheduling practices are making some industries like retail, hospitality and food service reexamine the flexible and on-call scheduling systems of old. Predictive scheduling, required in cities like San Francisco and now entire states like Oregon, means employers have to provide employees with an advance schedule with anticipatable shifts—or compensate more for last minute shift changes. While that puts a pinch on long-trusted practices and policies, today's workforce management systems like Kronos can help employers be predictive and smart at the same time.

istock.com/Michail_Petroc-96

For the many businesses that already trust and use Kronos Workforce Ready for their workforce management, this solution just got a valuable update. Kronos recently announced the launch of Kronos Workforce Ready People Analytics, a suite of tools to put clearer data and insights at employers fingertips.

istock.com/AJ_Watt

Several important undercurrents are changing the face of tomorrow's workforce today:

• The labor shortage is growing, meaning pressure is on for businesses to offer greater appeal through benefits and operational considerations (e.g., disability accommodations).
• Planned retirement age is rising for a few reasons—both out of necessity (retirement savings recovery after the great recession) and by choice (a cultural shift toward pursuing purpose in work that aligns with personal beliefs and values).