Unlocking HR’s Full Potential: A Prioritized Path to Success in Addressing Emerging Opportunities

“Human resources isn’t a thing we do. It’s the thing that runs our business.” – Steve Wynn

Times are changing, people are building their careers, and organizations want results. Under these unending and evolving demands, HR professionals face both unprecedented challenges and exciting new opportunities. While emerging trends like AI-driven talent management and hybrid work models demand attention, the path to true organizational success lies in how well we prioritize and address the most impactful opportunities.

Let’s dive deep into the emerging HR trends, greatest threats, and often-overlooked opportunities—and, most importantly, the strategic steps and sequencing necessary to lead successful change.

Step 1: Lay the Foundation with Data-Backed Decision Making

“The goal is to turn data into information, and information into insight.” – Carly Fiorina

• Why it’s critical: Data-backed decision-making (evidence-based management) is the linchpin of success in modern HR. Without clear insights into talent management, performance, and engagement, organizations will struggle to act effectively on any HR initiatives.
• Action Plan: Audit Your Data: Start with an assessment of current data collection practices. Are your systems integrated? Do you have the right metrics? Invest in HR Analytics Tools: Leverage AI and advanced analytics to track trends in employee engagement, productivity, and turnover. Train HR Teams on Data Literacy: Ensure your HR team is fluent in reading and interpreting data, turning insights into actionable strategies.

Timing: Immediate, as data and analytics will inform the success of subsequent efforts.

Step 2: Invest in Employee Experience Design

“Employee engagement is an investment we make for the privilege of staying in business.” – Ian Hutchinson

• Why it’s critical: An optimized employee experience drives engagement, productivity, and retention. In our current workplace environments where quiet quitting and disengagement are prevalent, HR must focus on creating a seamless, positive experience from onboarding to exit that covers the entire employee life cycle.
• Action Plan: Conduct an Employee Journey Mapping Workshop: Identify key touchpoints in the employee life cycle and areas that must improve as well as opportunities to create a competitive advantage through other adjustments to better serve your people. Use Data to Personalize the Experience: Leverage insights from Step 1 to customize development plans, career paths, and benefits based on worker needs and preferences, which will change over time. Foster a Positive Onboarding and Offboarding Process: Your first and last impression matter the most—ensure they reflect your organization’s commitment to employee well-being.

Timing: Immediate to short-term, focusing on critical areas like onboarding that have the highest impact on engagement and this step is dependent upon the work you’ve completed in Step 1.

Step 3: Close the Talent Gap with Upskilling and Reskilling

“An organization’s ability to learn, and translate that learning into action rapidly, is the ultimate competitive advantage.” – Jack Welch

• Why it’s critical: The talent shortage and skills gap are threatening organizational competitiveness across all industries. By proactively upskilling and reskilling workers, you ensure that talent meets tomorrow’s demands. You also are developing people who will value your investment in their careers and financial success.
• Action Plan: Implement Continuous Learning Programs: Use data to identify gaps in current skill sets and design targeted learning programs. Create Partnerships with Educational Institutions: Collaborate with universities, trade schools, and online platforms to co-develop curricula aligned with your industry’s needs. Incentivize Participation: Offer rewards or career advancement opportunities for workers who engage in learning and development. Always market your growth opportunities around building successful careers and promising futures for your people.

Timing: Short-term to mid-term, starting with high-priority skills that align with immediate business goals. You cannot begin here without already fully engaging in the previous two steps.

Step 4: Embed Agility into the Workforce

“Agility is the ability to adapt and respond to change… agile organizations view change as an opportunity, not a threat.” – Jim Highsmith

• Why it’s critical: In a fast-paced, unpredictable market, organizational agility is key. HR must be a champion of flexible work environments, cross-functional teams, and adaptive leadership to help organizations remain resilient. We must provide leaders the eyes that can see “what will be” even in people that they may not otherwise see the full potential in developing.
• Action Plan: Promote Agile Methodologies in HR Projects: Introduce iterative processes and quick decision-making cycles within HR initiatives to model agility. Put on your own mask, first. Cross-Train Workers: Offer opportunities for workers to move between teams and departments, ensuring adaptability and broader skills development. Placing an engineer in your accounting functions can greatly improve business transactional workflow just as placing an HR generalist in an engineering department will greatly improve the employee experience in that area. Redesign Job Roles for Flexibility: Implement hybrid models, and create more dynamic roles that allow workers to pivot as needed. Workers exposed to more diverse teams and experiences will be better suited to further upskilling and redeployment as the work changes in your organization.

Timing: Mid-term, after initial foundational work is done to support a flexible, adaptable workforce.

Step 5: Develop Leadership Pipelines

“Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.” – Warren Bennis

• Why it’s critical: Succession planning is a growing concern, particularly as organizations face an aging workforce and skills erosion. Developing a strong leadership pipeline ensures stability, continuity, and organizational growth. People will move on; we must be always prepared to ensure the continuity of the organization for the sake of all stakeholders.
• Action Plan: Identify High-Potential Talent Early: Use data (from step 1) to identify workers with leadership potential across all levels of the organization. Create Customized Leadership Development Programs: Tailor these programs to align with both organizational goals and the personal strengths of emerging leaders (integrating the work achieved in steps two through four). Introduce Leadership Rotations: Provide future leaders with cross-functional experiences to broaden their understanding and adaptability. Even short-term assignments with full authority and an expectation of change and improvement can reap significant rewards for the agile organization.

Timing: Mid-term, as building leadership requires an ongoing commitment but must follow after a solid foundation in employee engagement and agility.

Step 6: Strengthen Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Sustainability Efforts

“Sustainability is no longer about doing less harm. It’s about doing more good.” – Jochen Zeitz

• Why it’s critical: Workers today are increasingly interested in aligning their careers with organizations that prioritize sustainability and social impact. By aligning HR strategies with CSR, you build stronger connections with both your workers and customers.
• Action Plan: Align CSR Goals with HR Initiatives: For example, link sustainability goals with recruitment efforts or employee engagement programs to highlight your organizational values. Incorporate Sustainability into Learning & Development: Create programs that educate workers on sustainability practices relevant to your industry. Engage Workers in CSR Initiatives: Encourage participation in corporate social responsibility activities, further strengthening organizational culture.

Timing: Long-term, as sustainability goals require gradual integration but can enhance talent retention and brand loyalty in the long run. This frame of mind ensures that we value people, as a renewable resource that should also be preserved, maximized, improved, and highly valued.

Step 7: Prioritize Proactive DEI

“Belonging is the innate human desire to be part of something larger than us.” – Brené Brown

• Why it’s critical: Diversity, equity, and inclusion remain critical to organizational innovation and performance. Yet, many organizations continue to treat DEI as a box to be checked rather than a strategic priority. It is a fact that greater diversity improves creativity and problem solving. Those facts also extend to equity creating greater value and buy-in from workers as inclusion creates a far more engaged and persistent workforce.
• Action Plan: Audit Existing DEI Practices: Conduct a thorough review of current DEI initiatives to ensure they’re not only compliant but also forward-thinking and integral to your culture. Ensure that you are actively engaged in removing barriers and advocating for equity. Incorporate DEI in Leadership Development: Ensure future leaders are trained to foster an inclusive culture that celebrates diversity just as it celebrates all other forms of organizational success. Regularly Measure DEI Outcomes: Track the progress of your DEI initiatives and refine strategies based on data (back to using step 1 in practice).

Timing: Ongoing, as this is an opportunity that must be embedded at every stage and revisited frequently. So, I expect you are already doing a great deal in the space of DEI and I want to ensure that we get back to that priority as we engage the other six steps and not waiting until step 7 to engage this extremely important work.

Sequencing for Maximum Impact

Let me emphasize that order matters. I am proud when organizations want to do “all of it”, but let’s build upon a prescribed and proven sequencing of activity that also allows us to celebrate significant milestones and to manage change effectively. I observe the greatest opportunity and success through this order:

1. Data-Backed Decision Making (Immediate)
2. Employee Experience Design (Immediate to Short-term)
3. Upskilling & Reskilling (Short-term to Mid-term)
4. Workforce Agility (Mid-term)
5. Leadership Pipelines (Mid-term)
6. CSR & Sustainability (Long-term)
7. Proactive DEI (Ongoing)

What It All Means: Leading HR into the Future

By taking a prioritized, data-driven approach, HR professionals can navigate today’s challenges while seizing opportunities that shape a brighter future for both workers and organizations. The path to success is clear—invest in the right areas at the right time, and HR will not only manage change but drive it.