There will be a significant change in the existing trends next year. 2011 built a platform where the existing workforce scenario underwent major changes. People from different age groups and diverse backgrounds became a part of a single workforce. Generation & Diversity Focus will be a key trend in 2012. Organizations will have to devise and customize their HR strategies for diversity handling – age, gender, “Gen-Factor” being most critical. Talent management on the other hand, (whether acquisition, engaging, retaining development initiatives), will in turn shift their focus on generational differences and innovative ideas to handle this.

Along with the focus on gender and diversity, organizations are also realizing the importance and value of on-job trainings and personal one-to-one coaching. In 2012, this will be an extremely important differentiating tool for organizations that are genuinely focused on growing by tapping their human potential. As a result of this, the mentor-mentee concept will become highly relevant in the days to come.

But the biggest challenge for organizations in the next year would be to come out with blended initiatives in terms of content, mode (e-learning, interactive, one-to-one) and new concepts as aspirations for learning and fast growth are on a continuous high. Growth ladder in terms of vertical movement is becoming shorter and thus, efforts will be required in terms of providing more lateral movements and hence the trend will be effective job rotations at work place, which has to be a step higher than the traditional approach of similar job groups. But organizations need to involve more cross-functional movements in terms of business, operations or support services.