As an HR professional you know where you've been, what you need to take care of, and what is causing you pain today. But what if you could stay ahead of next year's trends? Here we've condensed what HR thought leaders listed as the hottest HR trends you need to keep an eye out for in 2016.

HR is an Increasing Resource at the Executive Level 

That's right, HR is no longer buried in one of the office areas without windows. Executives are relying more than ever on the importance of HR and the benefit that a strong HR department brings a company. 

Leaders at companies with $50 million or more in revenue cited HR opinions carry greater weight with senior management and 73% highlight they have incorporated HR Manager input into their corporate strategy."

This according to an article from Entrepreneur magazine titled, 3 HR Trends That Are Becoming Best Practices. Some other interesting statistics from this article highlighted below indicate its time to raise the bar because, be ready HR Manager, you're going to be called into the board room this year! 

• CEOs at 90% of companies surveyed say it's important for HR leaders to be proficient in workplace analytics with 35% saying it's absolutely essential.
• CEOs of 53% in 1,000+ employee companies plan to invest in HR software this year.
• Leaders at 65% of $50 million plus sized companies agree HR opinions carry more weight than ever. 

One way to improve your HR game and prepare better for the board room is to focus on on spending less time on processes, automate them. Learn some insight in our practical guide to simplify HR delivery here. 

HR Manager: Be Ready for the Millennials

The beginning of the millenial generation is now 35, which means they've gained real life work experience, matured a little, and are ready to get serious about working. Those baby boomers that gave employers the luxury of picking and choosing employees is fading away. Boomers are an average age of 60 today which means at least 1/2 are looking toward retirement.

By 2020, Millennials Will Comprise Half the Global Workforce."   

-Catalyst.org

The challenge for gaining and keeping quality employees is becoming harder every year with the advent of the digital age which is all millenials know. HR has to be prepared to capture and keep these digital age employees.

•  Workplace Flexibility:  Working from anywhere is no longer a trend but a fact of life. 
•  Wearable Technology:  Its coming in a big way because insurance wants to know the health of employees and managers want 24/7 access to employees. More than just mobile apps items like the Fitbit will become standards.  
• Office Design: With a work anywhere mentality office spaces might be shrinking but they need to be more open and agile for the coming and going of various teams. 

Get more details in this article from Forbes, 10 Workplace Trends You'll See In 2016, and be sure to check out how to manage 'boomerang employees' because 78% of companies are now saying they're more open to hiring them back. This compared to just a few years ago where 48% of employers said they had a policy against hiring back boomerang employees. 

HR Technology for 2016

In this article from Bersin we review a few of the 10 disruptions expected to impact HR in the coming year.

• HRMS or Human Resource Management Systems are being upgraded and replaced at breakneck speed with over 1/2 planning to be upgraded or replaced in 2016.
• Mobile apps and social networking must be a part of planning for 2016.
• Responsiveness is key to HR Manager success. Measured and data analyzed is a requirement no longer reliant on miscellaneous employee feedback. HR will have to deliver a process to manage and measure successful employee support.

In conclusion, the scales have tipped and HR is no longer in the back part of the office. Successful HR practices are a requirement in the rapidly evolving business of people and the ROI they can bring to a business.