At Future Talent Learning ’ s Future Talent conference , an expert panel of talent leaders joined AMS Founder and Chair Rosaleen Blair CBE to discuss the future of talent strategy and attraction .
Reimagining the HR function
How has the COVID-19 pandemic changed HR ? Hannah Reid , People Director for EMEIA at Apple , summarised the evolution of the talent function during the past 18 months as a move from surviving into embracing new opportunities .
From having to furlough colleagues – a term that would have been alien to HR people before 2020 – to retraining and upskilling large swathes of workforces , the new norm has ushered in a new era of strategy for people functions .
“ Every part of the employee life cycle , from onboarding to retention and development , needs reimagining as we move forward ,” says Reid .
Every part of the employee lifecycle , from onboarding to retention and development , needs reimagining
Build innovations around core principles
As we reimagine the utility of HR and attracting candidates in this new paradigm , the central goal of the function hasn ’ t changed .
Joe Falencki , Managing Director and Global Head of Talent Acquisition at Morgan Stanley uses the example of children ’ s birthday parties during the pandemic to bring this point to life . Zoom parties and drive-by present drops became innovative ways for parents to answer the central question , “ how do I make my child feel special on their birthday ?.”
Falencki believes that a business ’ s core principles and beliefs cannot be lost as they trial new innovations in managing their workforce .
“ What is the principle we ’ re driving towards ? We may experiment all around that for the next couple of years , and that ’ s where it will be exciting ,” says Falencki .
Communicating culture across the world
One of the key struggles for organisations since the onset of coronavirus in 2020 has been articulating company culture .
Revarture is the largest employer of entry-level technology professionals in the United States . Chief Revenue Officer Robert Gasser reported that the company has onboarded close to 2,000 new starters in the past 18 months , the vast majority of whom haven ’ t stepped foot in a central office .
Asked how the company has handled this challenge , Gasser admits that it ’ s been difficult . He believes that while it has been possible to onboard remotely , businesses will need to return to some form of hybrid working to make new starters assimilate the company ’ s true culture .
“ Until you walk in the door , go up the escalator to the trading floor , it ’ s very difficult to communicate that culture ,” says Gasser .
Reid believes that some organisations have already successfully implemented cultures across locations . She cites consultancies that work on client sites as an example .
Through initiatives such as central office days , employees have a responsibility to “ come back to the centre ” and celebrate behaviours that exhibit the business ’ s core culture wherever they ’ re currently located .
We are watching organisations change themselves around humanity and people
Achieving true workforce dexterity
Greater workforce dexterity will be needed to cope with the challenges of remote working and distributed teams . Louisa Moreton , Partner and Global Head of Transformation and Change at Finsbury Glover Hering , believes that this change will need to come from organisational strategy rather than individual workers .
She makes the point that employees have been adapting to workplaces for years , with the fundamental structure of the 9-5 in a central office the paradigm that has dominated work since the first Industrial Revolution .
“ I think the truth is we ’ ve all been dexterous for years , moulding ourselves to fit rigid , inflexible organisational structures . I think what ’ s happening now is organisational structures fitting around us . What we need is organisational dexterity ,” says Moreton .
“ We are watching organisations change themselves around humanity and people .”
Reskilling for the new normal
As well as technical skills , Moreton believes that HR will need to focus more attention on developing ‘ people ’ skills . She says empathetic leadership , transparency and humanity have previously not been trained sufficiently .
With more employees wanting a sense of purpose in their workplace , developing these traits can retain your most skilled employees , mitigating the danger they move on to competitors after receiving expensive training .
“ We ’ ve generally promoted people for excellence at skill , or excellence at delivery ,” says Moreton . “ What are the skills that are going to retain the skills in your business ?”