The workplace is undergoing massive changes. Company leaders and their forward-thinking HR teams are trying to adjust to things like employee expectations of consumer-grade experiences and the impact of AI and other technological innovations.
Leadership styles, team dynamics, communications processes and work environments all need to change if your organization wants to attract and retain star performers.
Here are four things the best HR teams know.
1. Tomorrow’s success depends of the strength of your succession planning today
We have already touched on the fact that leadership styles are changing. The things that define a good leader today are not necessarily true for tomorrow.
Smart HR leaders are already identifying the traits that their organization’s leaders will need in 5 to 10 years’ time.
For example, an organization might identify a set of key competencies that leaders at all levels should be able to demonstrate. Annual assessments enable the company to track the development of its leaders and identify the best leaders to succeed current c-level executives.
2. Your people should co-create your culture
Diane Gherson, SVP of Human Resources at IBM, explained in a recent interview with Forbes that the two-way nature of today’s HR tech means that employees can be empowered to help create the company culture they want. They are no longer simply consumers of HR initiatives and processes, they are valuable co-producers.
Bidirectional, real-time performance reviews give employees the chance to share their ideas and opinions on everything from management styles to offer décor.
3. Diversity affects revenue
We talk about the importance of diversity all the time, but it’s worth mentioning it again. Research shows that diverse teams perform better. If the people inside your business are reflective of the people outside it, they’ll be able to build, deliver, market and sell better products and solutions.
4. Continuous learning is critical
We all know that the era of AI and automation is upon us, and that these technologies will change the way we work. But we don’t always think about the fact that is that this won’t be one huge event that results in massive job losses. Instead, we’re seeing a series of shifts and implementations that require employees to develop a habit of continuous learning.
IBM is a leader in innovative technology, so they understand the importance of continuous learning better than most – and they have embraced eLearning to the point where they offer over 40,000 courses for professional development.
The future of your organization depends on the quality of your human resources
Diverse, involved, educated and empowered employees are what will determine whether your organization is still around in ten years’ time.