How can you include emerging HR trends in your strategic plan?

1 Identify the trends

The first step is to identify the key trends that are affecting or will affect your industry, market, and workforce. These could include technological innovations, demographic shifts, social movements, environmental issues, regulatory changes, and more. You can use various sources of information, such as industry reports, surveys, podcasts, blogs, webinars, and conferences, to stay updated and informed. You can also conduct internal and external scans, interviews, focus groups, and surveys to gather insights from your employees, customers, and partners.

2 Assess the impact

The next step is to assess the impact of the trends on your current and future HR practices, policies, and processes. You need to evaluate how the trends will influence your talent acquisition, retention, development, engagement, performance, compensation, benefits, culture, and diversity. You also need to consider the risks and opportunities that the trends will create for your organization, and how they will affect your competitive advantage, reputation, and sustainability. You can use tools such as SWOT analysis, gap analysis, scenario planning, and risk assessment to help you with this step.

3 Prioritize the actions

The third step is to prioritize the actions that you need to take to address the trends and their impact. You need to identify the most urgent and important issues that you need to solve or leverage, and the goals and outcomes that you want to achieve. You also need to determine the resources, timelines, responsibilities, and measures that you need to implement the actions. You can use tools such as SMART criteria, action plans, project management software, and scorecards to help you with this step.

4 Communicate the plan

The fourth step is to communicate the plan to your stakeholders, including your senior management, employees, customers, and partners. You need to explain the rationale, benefits, and expectations of the plan, and how it aligns with your organizational vision and values. You also need to solicit feedback, input, and support from your stakeholders, and address any concerns or questions that they may have. You can use tools such as newsletters, presentations, meetings, webinars, intranet, and social media to help you with this step.

5 Monitor and evaluate

The final step is to monitor and evaluate the progress and results of the plan, and make adjustments as needed. You need to track the indicators and metrics that you have established, and compare them with your baselines and targets. You also need to review the feedback and data that you have collected, and identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the plan. You can use tools such as dashboards, reports, surveys, audits, and reviews to help you with this step.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?