A company's most important asset is its people, and it's HR's job to take care of and manage that asset. As companies continue to battle over skilled workers and applicants, an HR department that loses its edge can lead to serious problems for the rest of the business.

Here are seven current HR trends that can help you attract and retain top talent.

 Strategic Approach

In order to compete for the best talent, companies now must look at their hiring decisions on a long-term, strategic level. HR departments need to be looking ahead to what their company's hiring needs will be down the line and have a strategy ready to meet those needs.

 Data-backed Decisions

Virtually every aspect of business is being refined and reimagined using data, and HR is no different. Smart companies use the wealth of recruitment data available to them to make better business decisions and improve efficiency. But be careful -- making decisions based on data without fully understanding what the data is saying or how to ask the right questions can lead to even more problems. Take some time to understand how recruitment data is gathered, what it means, and how to analyze it.