How HR Can Build the Organization of the Future

Written by Scaleocity

On October 4, 2021
Today’s organizations are faced with higher-pressured and faster-paced problems than most have ever encountered.

COVID: Organizations worldwide are making challenging decisions regarding their workforces every day: should it consider a vaccine mandate? Should it consider a mask mandate? Are its employees safer working from home? What regulations apply?
The Great Resignation: In healthcare and tech, employees are resigning at record-high rates. The increase in remote work modality is removing geographical boundaries from the talent pool, increasing competition, and making organizations across the world rethink their recruitment and retention strategy.
Supply Chain: In manufacturing, global supply chain issues are expected to continue through 2023, causing ripple effects throughout the global economy.
Technology Advancements: Across industries, technology advancements provide great opportunities but also create a need for advanced and complex training and a highly skilled workforce.

How do organizations remain competitive as the demands continue to grow? While every team has its role to play in helping the organization achieve success, executives should consider HR as the pillar for advancing their team through the challenges of today’s world and into the future.

The eight core HR functions that follow will provide examples of how HR can help your organization remain competitive in the marketplace of the future.

 

1. Purpose: Establish and radiate the organizational WHY

A company with strong organizational health will be more resilient in times of turbulence. Rely on your HR team to assess your organizational culture and health, and work with the team to build the connection to the organizational why. This sense of connection will keep them engaged and help the organization fare better through challenges.

2. Culture: Make culture a top down, bottom-up priority that is measured with data

Once your HR team has made strides in step 1, step 2 will naturally follow: a team of employees that is connected and aligned with the organization’s mission will seamlessly grow and enhance a strong culture.

Setting culture as a priority, and regularly checking in on it with data, will send the message to the team that they are just as important as any other business output, further connecting them to the organizational mission.

3. Value: Map talent to value

Ask HR to be your guardrail in talent and team planning – with a strategic focus. Be laser-focused on value. Assess every role in your organization: which roles truly create the most value?

With those roles in mind, where does your talent fall? Starting with the value-creating roles in mind first, rather than starting with people first, will ensure that you’re prioritizing your most critical roles with your best talent.

4. Decision Making: Drive speed in decision-making during crises

As an operational expert with background in each area of your organization, but no bias in any area, HR is a fantastic source for decision-making during a crisis. HR can help you to not only understand the thought process of each of your team members, but also the key factors to consider related to the potential outcomes.

5. Structure: Adapt to new organizational design to support hybrid and flex work environments

As previously noted, employees are resigning in high numbers for more flexible opportunities, and organizations that don’t provide comparable options will risk losing their best talent.

HR can not only assist in designing processes that make sense for your organization but will be the best gauge of what your team truly wants and needs. They understand what will drive retention for your best talent and can help implement the appropriate strategy.

6. Talent: Lead strategic workforce planning, improve retention, and drive performance enablement

On the same theme of driving retention, lean on HR to lead strategic workforce planning, ensuring your organization is prepared for the needs of the modern workplace. Your team should be set up in a manner that enables them to achieve the highest success possible.

7. Career Trajectory: Reskill and upskill talent; drive a continuous learning culture

With technology advancing at the rapid pace that it is today, leading a skilled workforce is not a nice to have but a need to have. Investing in microlearning opportunities that align with the needs of your team will not only support retention and engagement but will ensure your team is equipped to continue performing at a high level to achieve goals and meet outputs.

8. HR Technology: Adopt the right HR technology platform that works for employees and the employer alike

According to Gartner, by 2025, 60% of global midmarket and large enterprises will have invested in a cloud-deployed HCM suite for administrative HR and talent management. While options are abundant, it is critical to thoroughly explore the marketplace to find the right fit solution for your organization before investing in a system. The right choice will support your HR team, your administrative staff, and your employees’ self-service needs now and well into the future.

Empowering your HR team to be key strategists in the organization, leading the conversation around these key topics will not only support your team, but help to grow your organization, ensuring you are well-positioned to be resilient through whatever turbulence may lie ahead.

About the Newsletter

One actionable tip on hiring employee #1 and beyond, the steps to build your Proactive HR system, and how to develop a high-performing team to help successfully grow your business.


You May Also Like…

A Six-Step Interview Framework to Build Your Dream Team

To begin today’s newsletter, we’ll start with a reflection exercise: regardless of the number of years it has been, consider your last job application process. What was it like? How did the organization make you feel throughout the process? Were they responsive and...

Five Ways to Collect Honest Feedback from Employees

Five Ways to Collect Honest Feedback from Employees

Five Ways to Collect Honest Feedback from Employees Think back to the last time you had a boss, or an organization, that was not receptive to feedback. What signs were there that you were in this situation? Perhaps mistakes were treated as something that should be...

The Benefits of Automating Your Accruals

The Benefits of Automating Your Accruals

In the HR world, accruals refer to time off, sick leave and vacation time that ‘accrues’ as an employee works for the organization. For example, a company may offer four days of paid leave per quarter. When the employee has worked six months, they have accrued eight days of paid leave and continue to build up a bank of time.

0 Comments