Jarred Consulting

HR should be prepared for a ‘huge tsunami of change’ over the next decade according to the former French labour minister. Speaking at Unleash HR in Paris last month Muriel Pénicaud commented that HR will need to undergo a radical rethink in order to attract and keep talent in a competitive environment. We’ve been saying the same thing for some time now and so here is our take on three of the major challenges ahead:

AI

This will involve not just HR function and interface automation – but also HR’s interaction with other departments also using AI. Integration is going to take vision and a focus on purpose. If some of the everyday tasks and organisation can be left to machines, what would happen if we were to use the human latency to motivate and nurture people? What benefits would that bring? A matter of long-term over short-term view, AI needs to be less of a penny-pinching exercise and more of an asking what people need exercise. After all, many cite that the need to bring people back into the office was as much about connectivity and community as anything else. So what’s the value in these human connections and what do we want to preserve?

Quiet hiring

One of the HBR’s top workplace trend predictions for 2023 and something we’ve been talking about all year, the practice of bringing on talent from within the company to meet skill demand continues to flourish. Muriel Pénicaud commented that there will be a shift from ‘talent searching’ to ‘talent building’ as talent gaps in some sectors continue to grow. The advantages? The kind of loyalty and familiarity with your business that come from a shared history can’t be delivered at a training session. Not to mention the investment in the individual, which you’ll keep in house.

The demands of workers are changing

For example, our workforce is ageing. The number of people over 50 in the workplace has risen in the past 20 years and now over 30% are in this demographic. What implications does this have for talent pipeline expectations? DEI also continues to change the face of the workplace. We know that diversity, inclusion and equality make for better decision-making and

Three HR upskills you should already have in hand

1. Elevate your HR department to a true partner. Help managers and leadership to develop incentives and rewards that go beyond salary - particularly relevant in tough times.
2. Transform lip-service DEI concerns into real outcomes. Explore your blindspots because you may unwittingly be placing barriers in front of the very people you need to succeed in a competitive market.
3. Promotion to the driving seat. As coordinators and facilitators, your HR dept will be key in imagining, implementing and managing systems and technology to support things like flexible working, recognition and career development. But it goes beyond this. They have to be dynamic, starting the conversation and steering it towards a vision.

As Muriel Pénicaud says, ‘If we are prepared [the tsunami of change] is nothing we should be afraid of’. We believe that culture, community, purpose and being curious about what our workers want makes good human sense but it clearly makes good business sense too. By keeping up and finding innovative ways to meet changing demands, we ensure we have the best people to move forward with.