International HR Day 2024: Shaping the Work We Want
Souphak Kienitz wanted to find a profession that allowed her the flexibility to earn an income while also developing her upcoming clothing brand. She found a work opportunity as a part-time, temporary front desk receptionist at the Minneapolis Foundation, an organisation that promotes civic engagement and community investments. Her hard work and dedication caught the eye of the foundation's leadership, and Kienitz was soon offered the opportunity to work full-time as a producer for the foundation's podcast. In parallel, she worked on her clothing brand, which is now ready to launch.
That success story would not have been possible without two key actors: a staffing company, where she was able to openly share her personal and career goals, including her need for flexibility, and a forward-looking HR manager, who was ready to see the skills and potential growth of a new recruit.
This #InternationalHRDay 2024 is about "Shaping the new future," and the story of Souphak illustrates perfectly how the future of work is one of strategic partnership between HR professionals and HR services experts. And it’s not just one anecdotal story. As we surveyed over 700 senior executives from all over the world for our project “The Work We Want”, the trend is clear:
The four sub-themes of International HR Day - Ethical use of technology and AI, Future workplaces, People leadership, and Continued innovation in skills and education – align with the trends that our survey identifies as the main challenges facing the world of work. Let’s see how HR professionals and HR services providers can work hand in hand to address them.
The Ethics of AI
There’s little doubt that AI’s potential impact on how we work is enormous. AI can complement the critical role HR departments and recruiters play in helping design workforce strategies. It’s also about talent: technology is redefining the skills workers need at every level and in every sector. According to our research, 81% of senior executives believe that AI and other tech disruptions will force organisations to radically rethink skills and resources across large areas of the workforce and 78% are concerned that their organisation can’t train employees fast enough to keep up with technology developments in the next three years.
Excitement about AI's potential benefits has been offset by concerns about how it will be used and the risks that it could replicate or worsen existing workplace biases. Within the HR services industry, we have developed a Code of Ethical Principles to set out how employers can adopt AI responsibly. At its heart is the need for human-centric design: AI systems used in recruitment and employment should benefit individuals and society.
Building Better Workplaces
Digitalisation has the potential to boost equality and inclusion. Embedding Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion requires building high-trust cultures. The core of sustaining high performance and productivity is giving employees a voice, offering flexible and hybrid work opportunities, addressing pay gaps, and promoting well-being and work-life balance.
This assessment by HR professionals aligns with the findings of our research. 82% of business leaders believe traditional approaches to talent management are no longer sufficient. To attract and retain a broader talent pool, employers must radically rethink workplace design, culture, and practices to accommodate the needs of a diverse and dynamic workforce. The global shift in workplace demographics – the growing share of younger workers – especially calls for a better understanding of employee expectations.
Excellent Leadership
Better workplaces won’t come without better leaders. Businesses also need to build more inclusive cultures that allow everyone to feel comfortable and thrive. Our research finds that most executives see their organisation as committed to inclusion. The vast majority are committed to challenging discrimination and have established clear processes for reporting problems.
Although there is further progress to be made. 6% disagree that their organisation is committed to challenging discrimination, and 5% disagree that it has a strategy that specifically supports diversity, equity and inclusion in its workforce. HR professionals have a key role to play in helping leaders develop empathy, authentic leadership and open communication. Only then will we achieve inclusive workplaces where everyone feels they can bring their authentic selves to work daily.
The Big Skills Rethink
In such a shifting world of work, agility becomes non-negotiable. Investing in upskilling employees and improving access to work and learning in the wider marketplace will be essential. Hiring of agency workers is one way to fill those skill gaps. 79% of senior executives surveyed in our research say employing agency workers with knowledge of a new technology is an effective way to spread understanding to permanent employees. Temporary workers can become learning vectors: their mobility helps spread knowledge and enhance capabilities across the organisation and the economy. Agile talent models will be crucial to organisational success when constant change is the norm.
Let’s Talk About Work
International HR Day 2024 is not just a celebration of HR professionals; it's a moment to acknowledge their vital role in shaping a future that works for everyone. By reflecting on the findings of our project "The Work We Want," HR experts can take charge of creating work environments that are ethical, agile, and future-proof.
Within the HR services industry, we’re convinced that work remains an essential part of people’s lives. In this era of enormous change, there is an opportunity—and an imperative—to redefine what that means. It’s time to create the work we want.
We invite HR professionals, policymakers, non-governmental organisations, and anyone who’s interested in sharing their views about how we should think about, organise, and regulate work to meet the realities of the 21st century to join the conversation. Happy International HR Day!