Time for HR to shift gear

HR functions should become more proactive, now is the time to stand out....

As we start to see glimmers of hope and the working world returning to some shape of normality, post COVID, it is time for HR to shift gear and start thinking about the people agenda of the future.

The quicker HR functions move away from the operational management, we have all been through, it’s time to start developing the future talent agenda, the quicker business start implementing this the quicker they will see returns that impact the bottom line. There is lots of press at the moment around ‘The Great Resignation’ and if we are honest we can put this down to a number of reasons:

• Lack of engagement with employees over the last 18 months (in the virtual world)?
• The management of the process during the pandemic
• Big shifts in working practices with no training and support
• The strain on mental health and well being?
• Self discovery and shifts in personal values that no longer align with organisation

Looking at the recruitment market trends over the last few months there have been huge shifts in both the candidate market and the number of vacancies open. In all the years I’ve been in recruitment you tend to find one or the other but rarely both which is meaning people are leaving opportunities and backing themselves in finding another role quickly, often with a pay rise!

All of this links back to the need for HR to shift gears and look at a number of key strategies that will support business growth. In my mind there are 5 key areas that will support this:

Employee Engagement, have talked about this in the past but there is no better time to ‘Survey less… Talk more…’. Organisations often default to a survey to take a temperature check on the organisation, is this really necessary or can you see visible engagement? It is time?to flip engagement on its head and stop thinking organisational and start thinking individual, put the employee at the centre of engagement. Have regular conversations and make actions that are supportive, relevant and actually have an impact rather than ‘corporate action plans’, these often become meaningless after a few months and don’t have the impact required. Remember organisations can’t train engagement, it is owned by the individual and supported by the organisation, create an environment where we share this concept and use a model to explain engagement and support development (3 Ps of Engagement model will help to drive this through an organisation).

Mental Health & Wellbeing, the big topic that is often difficult to visibly see. Individuals have both visible and invisible sides, mental health issues are very often invisible and people find it difficult to share how they are feeling. As with many things, organisations need to think about how they create an environment of psychological safety so it is OK for employees to talk without fear of judgement. This is very difficult to achieve, but does link to a couple of points highlighted here (Employee Engagement and Culture & Values), these can support this topic through open discussion and making sure the business gives it the right level of attention.?

Talent Development, a big topic that could be discussed in great detail but there are a few key thoughts here.

1. How well do we know our employees and what they truly desire at work, do they have ‘invisible’ skills that could be utilised in the business to support growth (both individual and business growth)
2. Internal opportunities and how effectively are these proactively managed, shared and encouraged across the business. With a labour market shortage we should be looking at internal promotions and then backfilling further down in the organisation. This is also a great way to engage with talent of the future.
3. Succession plans are always a great topic of debate, should you or should you not share someone is part of a succession plan. We should share, give people something to work towards, look at skills gaps and support them in developing to reach their next career goal, a great engagement strategy too!

Organisational Culture & Values, with so much change in the world, over the last 18 months, this is a time to stop and reflect on organisational culture & values. There is no direct answer to this but with working practices changing what impact has this had on the organisational culture? A great way to engage with employees is to share thinking and impact on this topic and maybe look at changing / adapting to fit with the new organisational views and practices. Make them relevant and meaningful to your employees so they can easily see them in action rather than just words on a wall!

Working Environment, when you look at the detail sat behind ‘The Great Resignation’ this is often down to the decision making around working practices and the environments that organisations are creating in the new world. Important that any message is clear, concise and allows employees to know what is and isn’t acceptable. Not only is the organisational approach important but the individual also needs to be considered, what roles really need to be in the office 9 - 5 vs which roles can have greater flexibility? Create the environment that links to Culture & Values and drives highest level of engagement, time to truly understand your people.

With so much still going on in the news about the pandemic it doesn’t mean HR needs to sit back and wait for the next action call from the board, time to get noticed, create some actions and really accelerate the people agenda for your organisations and your own personal development.

Continue to challenge the norm, disrupt businesses and provoke leaders with HR strategies, this will support not only the growth of HR but also the growth of organisations.

“Engagement is driven by you, don’t wait to be engaged, create your own.”