Editor’s Note

From gig economy to automation, gender equality to #me too, data-driven HR to HR chatbots, gamification to diversification of the workforce, year 2019 saw a lot of changes, trends and challenges. Now that year 2020 is here, we are quite excited about what’s in store.

Will 2020 see a decrease in the gender pay gap? There are countless studies that show that at the rate we’re going, we still have a long way to go until it’s no longer a thing. However, thanks to advancements in HR technology, federal reporting mandates, and important advocacy efforts, the tides have slowly begun to turn towards a culture and system that recognizes women and their contributions as invaluable assets to the workforce. In 2020, this gender pay gap will close further, partly due to some factors. To know that and more, read Candace Nicolls’ article.

Toxic workplaces can be deadly. The Society for Human Resource Management recently found that nearly 1 in 5 American workers has left a job in the past 5 years due to bad company culture, resulting in an estimated $223 billion lost for companies over that time. In brief, toxic workplaces impact your bottom line. To gain greater insight into toxic workplaces, HR.com’s HR Research Institute partnered with EVERFI, a leader in digital education on critical workplace culture issues, to conduct a survey to examine toxicity in the workplace. To learn much more about the survey results and insights and for strategic takeaways, we invite you to read the report.

Although the economy is in much better shape than was several years ago, many Americans are still suffering from stress tied to their finances. Against this broader economic backdrop, some employers are providing programs and launching initiatives designed to help improve the financial wellness of employees. To learn more about these programs, HR.com’s HR Research Institute in partnership with Salary Finance, which partners with employers to offer financial wellness solutions, surveyed the HR community during the summer of 2019. Learn more about the survey and take home the valuable insights by reading the report in this issue.

Are you keeping an eye on the right indicators to understand the challenges your workforce is facing and taking action on these issues, before the “cow is out of the barn?” If you need a workforce health check up to make sure your company is not headed for rough waters, read Douglas Brown’s article, Are You Waiting For The Cow To Bolt?

Apart from these articles, we also have a bunch of other informative articles in the issue that focuses on various facets of talent management. We hope you enjoy reading the articles and send us your valuable comments and feedback.

Wishing you a happy and prosperous year ahead!