What next for Human Resource Professionals?

Introduction: In today’s context of extreme competition, role of HR in today’s businesses is changing. It is becoming tough for most of the HR professionals to keep abreast of latest developments. Human Resource professionals have to quickly adapt and invest in learning.

As we are aware, Human resources management has been ever evolving, read my blog on “The ever changing role of HR" http://sureshamara.blogspot.in/2013/09/the-ever-changing-role-of-hr.html . While HR professionals are playing an active role in today’s work place, read my blog on “Role of HR in today’s work place” http://sureshamara.blogspot.in/2013/09/role-of-hr-in-todays-work-place.html by fulfilling organizational goals, read my blog on “How does HR fulfill organizational goals” http://sureshamara.blogspot.in/2013/09/how-does-hr-fulfill-organizational-goals.html, HR professionals still need to acquire few more competencies to cater in this competitive market.

Here are few trends and competencies that will shape HR in the future:

Business Acumen: Business acumen is keenness and quickness in understanding and dealing with a business situation in a manner that is likely to lead to a good outcome. HR needs to develop their knowledge and understanding of the financial, accounting, marketing and operational functions of an organization.

Organization Design: Organization design will be a focus with the current pace of change happening.  Organization design is the deliberate process of configuring structures, processes, reward systems, and people practices to create an effective organization capable of achieving the business strategy.

Change Management: With an increase in competition, organizations frequently adopt changes in the organizations. Knowing how to link change to the strategic needs of the organization will minimize employee dissatisfaction and resistance to change. HR professionals have to enhance their knowledge on change practices and strategies.

Employer Branding: Employer branding is communicating and shaping an organization’s reputation as an “employer of choice” or “best place to work”. Employer branding is nothing but differentiating the organization from its competitors. HR is already active on it. HR professionals need to develop their skills and become a champion of employer branding.  HR professionals need to develop the skill of anchoring the branding activities at various places – both internal and external.

Technology & Networking: HR professionals have to be hands-on and abreast of the latest technology, especially the social media networking sites. Networking plays an important role. There is an increase trend of usage of social media networking sites for recruitment. It is not just social media for recruitment. HR professionals need to improve their network with academic colleges and various institutions providing certifications courses. This would help them to reach the talent easily and reduce the recruitment costs.

Cost reduction: With the increase in competition and available of similar products in the market, organizations are facing lots of challenges for to sell the products and services. Organizations are already in search of ways to reduce cost at various stages and phases of organization. HR professionals will play a key role and have to reduce the costs by advising management on recruitment, retention, employee engagement.  

Retention Management: Retention management is becoming an upcoming trend rather than talking about attrition management. Retention is all about retaining talent by creating a work place as best place to work - communication, procedures, benefits, compensation, skill development and etc.

Better employee engagement: Engaging an employee is becoming more an importance tool to retain the best talent. HR focus would be on

• Enabling employees with the right set of tools, resources and support;
• Creating work place that is energizing to work for better productivity.

Capability building programs: Gone are the days for providing a training programme for improving employee technical or soft skills. HR focus should be on the overall development of the individual employee which leads to individual capability building resulting to organization capability.

Corporate social responsibility: Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is the responsiveness of businesses to stakeholders’ legal, ethical, social and environmental expectations. HR has to be proactive and take appropriate initiatives.

Analytics: Data plays a key role in any organization. HR has to create lot more analytics like cost per hire, cost per employee, mean time to close an open position, diversity, cost of various benefits and many more.