Global business is going through turbulent times. The economic hangover of the COVID-19 pandemic, the effects of the war in Ukraine and pressures on global supply chains would be more than enough to deal with alone, yet these represent only the short-term challenges, with factors such as the drive to net zero and ongoing digitalization set to drive further disruption in the longer term.
For many businesses, human resources (HR) management came to the forefront during the turbulence of the pandemic, but even before that, HR was already facing seismic shifts in how people work, their expectations of the working world, and in how organizations manage their HR functions. Recent events have simply served to accentuate and accelerate the impact of these shifts.
Whatever HR management looks like now and in the future, we can be confident that that it will never be the same as it was pre-COVID.
This article considers the drivers for this change, how HR management can adapt to meet the challenges of the new normal, and how HR Strategies Consulting can help your organization along that journey.
Drivers for change in HR management
Ways of working and employee expectations are changing
The trend towards remote working began before this current healthcare crisis, but was accelerated by it. This shift is part of a wider breakdown of traditional demarcations between work time and leisure time, driven by the technological advances that enable people to work from anywhere.
The trend has implications for HR management that go well beyond simply establishing HR policies for home-working. From the concerns about worker overload which have prompted a growing number of countries to introduce Right to Disconnect legislation, to the potential of being able to offer highly flexible contracts, it opens up a wide range of opportunities, challenges and risks for HR management.
Talent is becoming harder to acquire and retain
There has been a seismic shift in the employment landscape over the last decade. An ageing population, geopolitical changes affecting the flow of workers between countries, and the skills demanded in a digital economy are some of the key drivers for a labor squeeze that is likely to last for some time. In addition, there is a growing mismatch between employer and employee expectations, meaning that HR departments have to work harder than ever to ensure that they are attracting and retaining top talent.
Today’s workforce expects management styles and company cultures that allow for greater autonomy, transparency and flexibility. The days of command-and-control management are long gone.
Meanwhile, employers face an increasingly diverse array of staffing models, from contingent workers who do not want to give up their independence to contract workers who form an integral part of the company’s workforce but are technically employed by a third party.
HR management needs to be geared up as never before to be able to attract and retain scarce talent, with the flexibility to adopt different sourcing models to meet the demands of a changing labor landscape.
The economic environment is volatile
The long-term economic effects of COVID-19, the response to the climate emergency and geopolitical upheavals such as the war in Ukraine are driving an unpredictable and turbulent economic environment which is unlikely to change in the foreseeable future.
Businesses will need to be lean and nimble to survive and thrive in this environment, and HR management must adapt to the demands this creates.
Technology continues to transform the business landscape
Identify or develop specific DEIB metrics you wish to measure and establish targets for these that can be tied to your organizational goals and objectives, policies and procedures.
The prediction that robots will eventually put all humans out of a job has been around for some time. While most expert analysts suggest this is an oversimplification at best, digitalization, automation, AI, machine learning and robotics are undeniably having a fundamental and growing impact on the world of work.
HR management has to keep pace with the evolving role of technology in shaping the world of work, both through strategies and policies that manage the increasing impact of technology on the workforce, and by adopting appropriate technology solutions to the HR function itself. Where once HR was viewed as a cost center where value was hard to prove, this rhetoric is changing as HR leaders adopt technologies that support their objectives.
Use of the right HR technology in today’s work landscape can improve processes such as recruitment and retention, and shape overall employee experience by providing insights into what’s working and what isn’t. You can use these insights to make data-driven decisions about your programs and practices, driving greater ROI.
Boosting productivity: Technology-driven processes are faster and more efficient than their previous manual counterparts. They also free up HR professionals’ time, allowing them to focus on strategic initiatives instead of day-to-day tasks like managing employees’ paperwork.
Improving employee engagement: Technology can enhance employee experiences by making it easier for them to access the tools and resources they need to be successful.
Providing a better candidate experience: Automated applicant tracking systems and chatbots can improve the candidate experience — which has a direct impact on recruiting success.
What does new age HR look like?
These drivers place unprecedented demands on having the right workforce and managing it proactively, strategically and flexibly in a rapidly evolving environment. Existing HR management models are no longer sufficient; a new model is called for.
In our eBook we explore in more detail the elements of a new model for HR management that addresses these drivers.
The key components for this model are:
- C-suite level HR management presence to ensure strategic focus and steering.
- Strong HR processes that optimize employee engagement through the whole HR lifecycle, from recruitment to retirement.
- Flexible and adaptive planning capabilities based on C-level sponsorship, strong processes and effective deployment of technology, to match the fluidity and complexity of the business environment.
- Capability to deploy technology effectively and rapidly to meet complex point HR requirements
How HR Strategies Consulting can help
HR Strategies Consulting uses the transformative power of technology to help our clients deliver the employee experience and HR journey they need.
Many business leaders know where they want to take their organization but have no idea how to get there. We can help you build short and long-term strategies with key success metrics and a detailed roadmap. We developed our unique “Re-imagine HR” approach to partner with business leaders to drive individual and organizational growth and become forward-thinking and future ready.
To find out more, download our eBook or visit us at https://hrsc.bsnio.com/
