Few things in life are certain, but several leaders at Randstad and other companies in the human resources services industry agree ongoing talent scarcity, differences in generational workforce preferences and technology-driven disruptions will continue to be major factors in the new year. Read on for eight trends likely to define the relationship between employees and employers in 2019 — and beyond.

1. eight work trends
to watch in 2019.

2. © Randstad North America, Inc. 2018 | 2|
randstad's predictions: trending topics in 2019.
digital
disruption
how, when, where and
why work gets done
on-demand
training
diversity and
inclusion (D&I)
artificial intelligence (AI) as
an employment category
hiring for
potential
impact of company culture
on quality candidates
evolution of employee
performance

3. © Randstad North America, Inc. 2018 | 3|
trend 1
constant digital disruption will become the norm.
“Corporate leaders and managers must prepare for
the influx of digital natives who are adept at
quickly finding information, rapidly completing
tasks and then moving on. The time is right for
employers to introduce programs to help lead
employees toward decompression.
Decompression is not the opposite of action. At its
best, it helps train employees to take a moment to
think and look at the big picture, instead of
immediately jumping into short-term actions.”
Jim Link, chief human resources officer,
Randstad North America
© Randstad North America, Inc. 2018 | 3
“Successful leaders today must continuously shift
how they think, how they do business and how
they perceive past successes. If you simply repeat
what made you successful in the past, you will
eventually stall and fail.”
Traci Fiatte, chief executive officer of professional
and commercial staffing, Randstad US

4. © Randstad North America, Inc. 2018 | 4|
trend 2
there will be a continued
shift in how, when, where
and why work gets done.
“The desire to have a meaningful work life
is not new. What is new is workers are
seeking opportunities that provide a sense
of purpose and give meaning to their lives.”
Dan Davenport,
president and general manager,
RiseSmart
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trend 3
training — anytime and
anywhere — will become an
expectation.
“Among employees, the consensus
is when companies don’t offer
meaningful opportunities for
learning and progression,
employees will take matters into
their own hands and move on.”
Jodi Chavez, group president,
Randstad Professionals,
Randstad Life Sciences and Tatum
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trend 4
diversity and inclusion (D&I) will take center stage.
“It’s imperative that everyone is in on the D&I
conversation; otherwise, your programs won’t succeed.
Just having the D&I or HR team check boxes on a form
never works. But when CEOs and other executive
leaders are held accountable on this topic, companies
excel at D&I.”
Audra Jenkins,
chief diversity and inclusion officer,
Randstad North America

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trend 5
artificial intelligence (AI) will become an
employment category.
“There has been so much anticipation about what AI
can do that expectations are often very different than
reality. While machines are well equipped to take over
repetitive tasks and activities that can be expressed in
a clear, rule-based format, there will always be a need
for people in the workplace, working alongside
technology. Humans are critical for activities requiring
creativity, emotion and judgment.”
Alan Stukalsky, chief digital officer,
Randstad North America
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trend 6
employers will need to hire for potential.
“Think differently about what makes
for a quality candidate, focusing
more on potential.”
Scott Gutz, chief executive officer,
Monster
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trend 7
company culture will influence
the quality of job applicants.
“It’s important to understand the strength of
your internal community influences how
outsiders perceive your company, and these
perceptions directly impact your future recruiting
efforts. Word-of-mouth recommendations and
online reviews by current and former employees
create immediate impressions — they can quickly
tilt a candidate’s perception of whether or not
they’d be welcome on your team.”
Moritz Kothe, chief executive officer,
kununu
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trend 8
employee performance measurements and
recognition will evolve.
“Social media also has the potential to expose every customer
interaction, and internal teams must understand that their
customer-facing activities define the company — today, as well as
in the future. Organizations that reward and promote based on
excellent customer satisfaction are also investing in employee
engagement and retention.”
Kristin Kelley, chief marketing officer,
Randstad North America
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what leaders can do?
Employers must take action today to
continue to stay ahead tomorrow.
Let’s get you set up for a successful 2019.
Download Randstad’s 8 work trends to
watch in 2019 whitepaper.