Preserving the Humanity in Human Resources

The growing presence of AI in our day to day working lives may be creating an increased range of opportunities for the world of work, but is also triggering a number of shifts in how we think and act. In 2023 there was a lot of consternation over the potential impact of ‘Recruiterless Recruiting’ and how it might change the way we attract and hire the talent we need. For Human Resources I think it’s less a case of ‘Humanless’ Human Resources and more about increased humanity within ‘Human Resources’, acknowledging and supporting personal choices, preferences and goals.

Looking at the emerging HR trends currently shaping the employee lifecycle in 2024 I see a number of areas where a compassionate, supportive approach to the employer/worker relationship is evolving. The debate around remote, flexible, hybrid and asynchronous working which has overwhelmed us for a couple of years now, will continue to play out – although as far back as 2017 I was involved in a research study that found these flexible approaches to working was what our people wanted, and would inform their decisions over which organisations to join.

We live increasingly busy lives in which the digital, commercial and personal elements need to be juggled and prioritised. Personalisation – a trend myself and co-author Matt Alder have been writing and talking about for a couple of years now – is key to how our people manage to juggle and prioritise, at work as well as in their leisure time.

Managers are feeling the strain. Research from Gartner last year found 77% of employees placing increased importance on manager support, with 51% of the managers themselves saying they now have more responsibilities than they can manage.

For me, there are 5 key areas for organisations – particularly their HR and Talent Acquisition teams, and leaders and managers – to focus on in 2024 and beyond as we move towards adopting a more human, compassionate and supportive approach to work that should be very much on the corporate agenda.

From Management and Direction to Support and Enablement

Our historic approach to our workforce has been what I often refer to as management and direction. We manage processes, people, their careers, their performance and day to day involvement. We direct people. In fact, we have ‘directors’ for most parts of their career lifecycle. It’s all a bit autocratic. Yet our digital talent are keen to learn and figure things out for themselves. A phrase I often use is ‘Digital talent has intellectual curiosity’.

They know their roles are evolving and changing and want the opportunity to discover and explore the opportunities. They don’t want training courses, but access to self-directed learning. Our role is to support them, to create an environment where our people feel empowered to perform, learn, develop and achieve their best results.

Multifaceted Nature of Engagement

Engagement is a much used term for a myriad of things. Engagement isn’t something we can create. It isn’t a management directive. It’s the outcome of treating people well and with respect, recognising them, giving them opportunities to learn, grow and reach their full potential. Helping to create positive work experiences.

Key to this is recognising the importance of our workforce’s wellbeing. All of it. Mental, physical, intellectual, emotional, physical, digital and, particularly in 2024, financial. Is ours a culture where people can ask for help? Without being judged? Do we have managers and leaders trained to help and understand when they might be needed? Can people raise a concern in private and know that it will remain private?

Flexibility and Recognition

Our people want agency in how, when and where they work. As I mentioned earlier, this isn’t really new – but it’s something that is now top of mind. For many, whose job is location specific or are part of our frontline workforce, this will manifest itself in flexibility of hours and communication, balancing personal needs and career priorities. These workers can often feel left out of engagement initiatives.

For others, it will centre on the flexible, remote, hybrid and asynchronous working debate. Flexibility itself is a crucial aspect of supporting employees in the modern workplace.

Managers need to perfect a number of different approaches that can give their people access to what they need, and input to the way they work. Not least when it comes to support and recognition – the latter playing a key role in creating a positive, diverse, engaged, happy and productive workforce. Personalised recognition, at an individual level, fosters a positive work environment for everyone.

Evolution of the Employee Lifecycle

I write and talk about the evolving nature of the employee lifecycle, which is now accelerated by technological advancement. Anyone familiar with my co-authored books – Digital Talent and Exceptional Talent – will know I believe in the growing concept of a seamless talent journey. This journey emphasises the need for positive experiences all the way through the key touchpoints – from recruitment, through onboarding, development and right throughout the employee journey. The emergence of career experience managers and talent experience managers within organisations highlights a growing focus on overseeing the holistic career experience for all employees.

Delivering a Personalised Candidate Experience

Central to a successful attraction and recruitment strategy is delivering a personalised candidate experience that resonates with individuals on a personal level. This relies on consistency in interactions and information flow throughout the recruitment journey. By understanding candidates’ preferences and needs, organisations can create engaging experiences that leave a lasting impression.

Social media continues to a powerful tool for employer branding and candidate engagement. By using this to share authentic stories from existing (and former) employees, and also showcasing positive experiences that illustrate culture, organisations can attract top talent more effectively.

A common challenge in attraction and hiring is being able to align the efforts of talent acquisition and recruitment teams with the experience candidates get from hiring managers. This can be addressed by educating hiring managers about market trends, best practices and candidate expectations to ensure a seamless recruitment process. By fostering collaboration and communication between recruitment and hiring teams, organisations can enhance the overall candidate experience and drive successful hires.

As all HR and Talent professionals embrace these opportunities in 2024 and beyond, I hope these insights can provide a compass for navigating the evolving landscape. I believe that by prioritising a human-centric approach, embracing technological advancements, and ensuring continuous support and enablement throughout the employee lifecycle, we can foster a thriving, profitable workplace for years to come.

(You can hear me talk more about these ideas on podcast interviews with Adam Weber – Keeping the Humanity in a Humanless HR World – and Bill Banham – The Impact of AI on HR – and I try to explore them on my own HR Means Business podcast too)

HR’s Role in Embracing the Future of Work

How is work evolving? What roles will Generative AI, taskification, the skills agenda and job disruption play in reshaping the future talent market? How can we create high value work? And what might future workforce dynamics look like?

Last year I was involved in a simulation run by business consultancy Wikistrat for Upwork in which I joined with a number of analysts, practitioners and consultants to map out a number of potential scenarios for the future of work – taking into account what we know about emerging technology, evolving trends and the preferences and priorities of the current and future workforce.

We came up with a number of potential outcomes using different frameworks and in a recent podcast chat I had with Kelly Monahan, Ph.D. Managing Director of Upwork‘s Research Institute, we talked about the the various trends and HR’s potential role in guiding the reinvention of work.

Accelerated Pace of Business and the Impact of Gen Z

It’s hard to look at how the future of work may develop without acknowledging the current exponential acceleration of all business operations fuelled by evolving tech. This pace of change needs real-time data insights to help inform decision-making, particularly within the HR team. The entry of Gen Z into the workplace will lead to further change – with Kelly Monahan anticipating that they will challenge traditional business norms and practices, and question the purpose of work, which could lead to fundamental shifts in organisational values.

Generative AI and Job Disruption

The advent of generative AI has been transformative but has capabilities taking us way beyond automation. Kelly emphasised how AI really acts as a catalyst, accelerating the development of allied technologies like IoT and 5G, which will require a re-evaluation of job roles, skills and work processes.

Taskification has emerged, and organisations need to start deconstructing their job roles into specific tasks and skills, potentially promoting more fluid work arrangements. Addressing the exponential growth in the number of tasks and skills needs to be high on HR’s learn ing and development agenda.

Up-skilling and Multiplexing Workforces

Responding to these evolving job landscapes will require continuous up-skilling to help effectively navigate any disruption bought about by technology or social change. This will lead to more ‘multiplexing’ – enabling workers to apply diverse skills across departments and tasks, that can boost organisational agility and resilience.

Community Formation and Digital Identities

As organisations evolve in this way, workers are likely to find identity and belonging through digital communities rather than traditional organisational structures. This could have a big impact on engagement, retention and experience as these communities, or digital hubs, are likely to provide cross-functional collaborative opportunities that transcend company, geographical and industry boundaries.

AI’s Impact on High-Value Work

One consequence of Generative AI is the elevation of the complexity and value of work. Kelly Monahan, Ph.D. talked about an increase in high-value projects, for which skilled workers will look for rewards and wage premiums. However, this shift also emphasises the need for continuous skill development if organisations are to remain competitive, which requires support for learning and development as well as recognition and financial rewards.

Grey Rhino vs. Black Swan: Proactive Adaptation

We talked about whether AI was ’a ’Black Swan’ or a ’Grey Rhino’ event. Ultimately it is a Grey Rhino – having a gradual impact that needs proactive adaptation rather than reactive responses. The emphasis is on organisations – particularly HR leaders – to prioritise understanding the evolving challenges their businesses face and navigate future workforce challenges effectively by restructuring work processes, and facilitating upskilling.

In essence, it’s essential for organisations to embrace agility and up-skilling, and transform job structures, in a landscape of ever evolving technology. This can then give HR leaders the platform to help ensure their businesses remain competitive and successful in navigating the future of work, whilst negating the potential for insecurity and instability in future talent markets.

You can listen to my full conversation on this episode of the HR Means Business podcast:

Enhancing Employee Experience in 2024

If there’s one key HR trend that seems to dominate most conversations around the world of work in 2024 it’s employee experience – and by association that includes employee engagement, recognition and retention. I’ve been involved in conference and podcast discussions around retention being the new recruitment, 2024 being the year of trust, and how we can best combat burnout and put the meaning back into our work.

It shouldn’t be hard to get right. So much of the time in our businesses will be spent looking at how we engage with potential customers or prospects, and how we then make sure that they are loyal to our brand and we can continue in engaging with them and building partnerships, that trying to apply that to our people should be straightforward. Yet it often isn’t.

In a recent podcast conversation I spoke with ⭕️ Nicky Hoyland CEO and co-founder of employee experience platform Huler, about how we can better understand employee experience and help create more of the ‘moments that matter’ for our people. These moments, when combined with strategic use of technology, should help to create an environment that engages our people and helps support them in achieving their personal and professional goals.

Nicky identified 6 key trends for enhancing employee experience in 2024:

1. Understanding the Link Between Experience and Engagement

Employee experience isn’t just a buzzword; it is something that directly impacts engagement within the business at all levels. A lot of time, effort and investment goes into creating customer experiences that will help build and maintain the relationships that lead to positive commercial outcomes and HR professionals need to focus on similarly creating engaging touchpoints throughout the employee lifecycle.

2. Technology is an Enabler, Not a Solution

While technology is essential in helping create great experiences and moments that matter, it can’t be a standalone solution. There should be a focus on intentionally designed experiences, creating personalised interactions, recognition and finding a way to use technology to reduce cognitive load.

3. Mapping Key Moments in the Employee Journey

Do we really understand the moments that matter to our people? We need to identify the critical touchpoints – from application, recruitment, interviewing to onboarding, managing daily workflows and beyond – that have a significant influence on employee satisfaction and engagement. Personalising these moments can help create a lasting positive impression and helps foster positive engagement and retention.

4. Consider Generational Shifts in Tech Expectations

We need to recognise that there are varying expectations of workplace technology across generations. Younger employees in particular expect user-friendly, personalised technology experiences in the workplace, driving the need for consumer-grade tech solutions. As Brian Kropp once famously said when he was VP at Gartner “Employees want their 9-5 to look like their 5-9. And employees’ 5-9 lives are full of seamless, effortless experiences, largely enabled by digital technologies”

5. Embrace Hyper-Personalisation with AI

Whilst expectations may vary, one expectation that is consistent is the that of personalised, seamless experiences based on individual preferences. Tailoring interactions to meet these expectations of personalisation will enhance engagement, and also reduce any potential cognitive overload, so boosting productivity, providing AI driven solutions are deployed and integrated ethically.

6. Taking Action: Quick Wins and Collaboration

A great way to get buy-in from the start is by addressing any ‘low-hanging fruit’ discrepancies in the employee journey that have been identified through employee feedback. Implementing quick wins – particularly something like simplifying processes around leave booking – and also consolidating technology solutions to ensure a seamless experience will help to drive adoption and boost employee experience.

Enhancing employee experience in 2024 requires HR professionals to blend human-centred design with strategic technology adoption, focusing on AI-driven personalised interactions – particularly for critical touchpoints and employee interactions – to create engaging workplaces that foster retention, productivity, and employee satisfaction.

You can catch my full chat with ⭕️ Nicky Hoyland in this episode of the HR Means Business podcast.