/ Page 2 - Articles by Brian Westfall
Brian Westfall is an associate principal analyst at Capterra, covering human resources, with a focus on recruiting, talent management, and employee engagement. Over the past decade, Brian’s research on the intersection of talent and technology has been featured in Bloomberg, Fortune, SHRM, TIME, and The Wall Street Journal. He also led a session - “Become Data-Driven Or Drown: Why Winners and Losers of The Next Recession Will Be Decided By Tech” - at the SHRM Talent Conference & Expo in 2023.
When he isn’t helping small and midsize businesses get the most out of their HR technology, Brian can be found playing with his two corgis or traveling the world.
Actually, 2023 Has Been A Great Year for DEI Programs
Published September 19, 2023
At the end of 2022, with a recession lurking around the corner and companies looking for areas to make deep spending cuts, corporate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs emerged as a top candidate for the chopping block. After years of growth, it seemed like DEI programs would begin their decline in 2023.
What (If Anything) Should Employers Do About Side Gigs?
Published August 21, 2023
Facing cost-of-living increases and higher prices on consumer goods, more people are having to work multiple jobs to make ends meet. For younger workers especially, "side gigs" have become commonplace: A study earlier this year found that 46% of Gen Zs and 36% of millennials have a full- or part-time job on top of their primary one—most often to make more money.
As Alternative Credentials Gain Value, Recruiters Say Validating Them Is a Challenge
Published July 20, 2023
With college degrees becoming more expensive, job seekers are increasingly turning to more affordable alternative credentials to grow and obtain proof of their knowledge instead. A 2021 study by SHRM found that nearly half of U.S. workers (45%) have some form of an alternative credential, and among those who don't, nearly half (49%) have considered earning one.
Are HR Chatbots Ready for the Spotlight? Users Aren't So Sure
Published June 13, 2023
This report is part two in a series on HR and chatbots. Check out part one, about how HR departments are using generative AI chatbots to create HR content, here.
HR Employees Say Half of Their Software Systems Perform Overlapping Functions
Published May 23, 2023
As small and midsize businesses (SMBs) seek to cut costs and improve efficiency heading into a likely recession, HR departments are taking a critical look at their current HR software stacks. And what they’re discovering leaves a lot of room for improvement.
HR's Obsession With ChatGPT Has One Major Red Flag
Published May 10, 2023
This report is part one in a series on HR and chatbots. Part two, about how chatbots are disrupting HR service delivery, can be found here. ChatGPT—the conversational chatbot from OpenAI that has generated a ton of buzz since its launch in late 2022—is already proving its worth in the world of HR. In our survey of 300 HR employees in the U.S.*, 73% say they’ve used ChatGPT or a similar chatbot for their job.
Employee Benefits Lack Choice. A New Trend Called “A La Carte” Benefits Can Help.
Published April 7, 2023
From tuition reimbursement to in vitro fertilization, the variety of benefits that employers can offer to workers has never been more vast. On paper, employees should have more choice regarding their benefits than ever.
Work Friction Is Causing Employees To Go Rogue—Here’s How HR Can Get Them Back in Line
Published March 27, 2023
As HR departments strive to cultivate a more agile and responsive workforce, a significant obstacle stands in their way: work friction. A symptom of misaligned work design and inefficient processes, Gartner found that employees who have to work around friction spend an average of 1.9 additional hours per day on routine tasks, which adds up to almost 70,000 wasted hours per year at a 100-person company.
An Offboarding Ordeal: HR Departments Say Departing Employees Consistently Ghost Exit Interviews, Steal Company Equipment
Published January 31, 2023
Employee offboarding—the process of transitioning an employee out of a company—doesn’t get a ton of attention in HR relative to other areas. For most employers, offboarding is an afterthought; more a compliance box to check than any kind of opportunity to add value to the organization.
Algorithms Will Make Critical Talent Decisions in the Next Recession—Here’s How To Ensure They’re the Right Ones
Published January 9, 2023
Entering 2023, the dreaded "R" word—recession—is top of mind for companies around the country. In a Capterra survey of 300 HR leaders in the U.S., 72% say their employer has already started preparing for a possible recession, while 24% plan to start preparing soon.*
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