There is no doubt 2016 saw some dynamic change to how work is done, and things are set to evolve even more in 2017. Remote workers, the gig economy, the Internet of Things – all these workforce trends and developments will be influencing how employees are recruited and managed this year.
Here are five of the top workforce trends for 2017:
1. Agility will be paramount
If 2016 was the year flexible working arrangements started to become normalized, 2017 is the year they’re really going to take off. The Workforce Institute at Kronos Incorporated named the need for agility as one of the top workplace trends of the new year. With political and economic upheavals happening around the world and labor laws going through transformation, organizations and their HR departments will have to be quick on their feet as well as flexible to accommodate these changes to prevent their bottom line taking a hit or their employee engagement and productivity suffering.
2. Data will lead to more informed management decisions
Advancements in big data and the Internet of Things mean that employers will have more information at their fingertips to make decisions in 2017 than ever before. These insights will be particularly helpful for managing a remote workforce with employees dotted around the globe, as IBM noted. The company gave the example of easily accessible, real-time traffic and weather data which can be used by organizations to better plan meetings and conferences and improve scheduling for a more productive mobile workforce.
3. Virtual reality will be used in recruitment
Virtual reality is already being used in video games – and it will also be used in recruitment and training. IDC estimated that worldwide revenues for the augmented reality and virtual reality market will increase from $5.2 billion in 2016 to upward of $162 billion in 2020, according to Dynasource. The technology can be used to not only develop a more exciting recruitment process, as companies like Deloitte and Google have done, but could also be used to build a stronger, more dynamic brand connection with job applicants and remote workers overseas.
4. Traditional benefits will make a comeback
Everyone’s heard of how Silicon Valley companies boast perks like free fruit, ping pong tables and nap stations. But experts are anticipating that 2017 will be the year traditional benefits make a comeback. Researchers at Glassdoor found that these trendy perks don’t increase employee satisfaction as much as traditional ones like health insurance, Fast Company reported.
5. Remote and flexible work becomes even more popular
Though nontraditional working arrangements received a lot of attention in 2016, remote working is only set to become even more prevalent. EnterpriseAppsTech estimates that there will be a record number of organizations permitting flexible work arrangements in 2017, accounting for more than 50 percent of companies. More than 70 percent of companies are anticipated to offer flexible working options in 2020. The site attributes a large part of this shift to an influx of mobile tech-savvy Generation Z millennials expected to join the workforce in the coming year.
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5 Top Workforce Trends for 2017
There is no doubt 2016 saw some dynamic change to how work is done, and things are set to evolve even more in 2017. Remote workers, the gig economy, the Internet of Things – all these workforce trends and developments will be influencing how employees are recruited and managed this year.
Here are five of the top workforce trends for 2017:
1. Agility will be paramount
If 2016 was the year flexible working arrangements started to become normalized, 2017 is the year they’re really going to take off. The Workforce Institute at Kronos Incorporated named the need for agility as one of the top workplace trends of the new year. With political and economic upheavals happening around the world and labor laws going through transformation, organizations and their HR departments will have to be quick on their feet as well as flexible to accommodate these changes to prevent their bottom line taking a hit or their employee engagement and productivity suffering.
2. Data will lead to more informed management decisions
Advancements in big data and the Internet of Things mean that employers will have more information at their fingertips to make decisions in 2017 than ever before. These insights will be particularly helpful for managing a remote workforce with employees dotted around the globe, as IBM noted. The company gave the example of easily accessible, real-time traffic and weather data which can be used by organizations to better plan meetings and conferences and improve scheduling for a more productive mobile workforce.
3. Virtual reality will be used in recruitment
Virtual reality is already being used in video games – and it will also be used in recruitment and training. IDC estimated that worldwide revenues for the augmented reality and virtual reality market will increase from $5.2 billion in 2016 to upward of $162 billion in 2020, according to Dynasource. The technology can be used to not only develop a more exciting recruitment process, as companies like Deloitte and Google have done, but could also be used to build a stronger, more dynamic brand connection with job applicants and remote workers overseas.
4. Traditional benefits will make a comeback
Everyone’s heard of how Silicon Valley companies boast perks like free fruit, ping pong tables and nap stations. But experts are anticipating that 2017 will be the year traditional benefits make a comeback. Researchers at Glassdoor found that these trendy perks don’t increase employee satisfaction as much as traditional ones like health insurance, Fast Company reported.
5. Remote and flexible work becomes even more popular
Though nontraditional working arrangements received a lot of attention in 2016, remote working is only set to become even more prevalent. EnterpriseAppsTech estimates that there will be a record number of organizations permitting flexible work arrangements in 2017, accounting for more than 50 percent of companies. More than 70 percent of companies are anticipated to offer flexible working options in 2020. The site attributes a large part of this shift to an influx of mobile tech-savvy Generation Z millennials expected to join the workforce in the coming year.
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About our team: Rene Stegmann, Director, MBA, MIM, GMS
Thesis on Hurdles and Costs Relating to Expats in Africa (2000); qualified as a Global Mobility Specialist (GMS).
Rene has been running Relocation Africa since and has delivered a diverse portfolio of programs and services regarding migration to the African continent. Relocation Africa’s services now include Research (surveys) and International Payroll/payment management services for African countries. Rene also provides HR consultation services to Corporates investing into Africa. As a SARA member, Rene contributes to the local remuneration industry as well as infusing the ERC with some African exposure. Relocation Africa is a proud member of TIRA and she was elected Vice President of the association (2016). Her company holds many prestigious awards and Rene was recognized for her valuable contribution to the MI Group’s Worldwide Partner Network International Advisory Council (2014/’15). Rene and her family live in Cape Town where she and her husband, Andrew, work together. Her undying love for what she does can be seen in every aspect of how Relocation Africa conducts business.
Emigrating to South Africa: the good, the bad & the bizarre!
To read more about emigrating to South Africa written by our very own director, Rene Stegmann, please click here
Getting a birth certificate for your child if you’re a foreigner in South Africa
Please note that Relocation Africa is not able to assist with facilitating the below, as it needs to be done by parents directly. This article is for information purposes only.
Many a foreign parent living legally in SA either do not know the procedure of getting a birth certificate for their child born here in SA or never bother to even try because going to Home Affairs offices intimidates them. What they usually resort to is paying someone in their country of birth a bribe to organize them a birth certificate. This is sad because getting a birth certificate when you have a permit or asylum seekers paper is not only relatively easy but is also free.
The first step is registering for at your local clinic as soon as you find out you’re pregnant. There you will be given a clinic card and also go for regular check ups that are provided free of charge. The next step is to choose your baby’s name before the child is born. Gone are the days where a child would stay for days without a name while parents decide. Nowadays clinic administration officials want to write the name on a clinic card as soon as the baby is born and expect you to come for a three day follow up visit to the clinic with that clinic card they would have given you.
The clinic administration officials also give you a birth record that’s on a Home Affairs letter head. Make sure the birth record is correctly and fully completed. I had to go back to the clinic for them to write the sex of my child as female since they had skipped that in the first place. That birth record is the one you take to your nearest Home Affairs office to get the birth certificate. Some big hospitals have Home Affairs offices within them, so you can get your child a birth certificate the same day that they’re born or the second day.
Getting the birth certificate itself is an easy process of completing a form that the Home Affairs official will give you. A copy of your passport together with a copy of your permit or asylum is attached to the birth record and the form you fill in. Both parents are needed to sign the form if the couple is married, if not married only the mother signs and the child is allowed to take the mother’s surname.
When the birth certificate is issued it is a hand written one that’s signed by a senior Home Affairs official on behalf of the director general of Home Affairs. That’s the birth certificate you take to your embassy to apply for your country’s birth certificate. The SA Home Affairs by the way notifies your country’s embassy of the birth of your child so by the time you get to your embassy they’re expecting you.
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