HR, technology & the future

9/14/13

This week in the SHRM communities most of the discussions have been focused on the use of social media at work. Everyone agrees that it is a very useful tool for connecting people to one another. Some of us face issues at work where the exchange of information between groups could be improved by a cloud based platform. It would help the employees step outside of their bubble, learn from each other, even gain insight on their respective roles, and find purpose and value in their work. It can contribute to an employee's signature experience. As companies try to consider the best approach to implementing social media in their work culture, the challenge is to define and adopt a version that would best fit into that culture.

One of my questions to the SHRM communities was how does an organization ensure that HR professionals receives the proper training or the necessary guidance on how to choose the best technology for their business?

Here are some thoughts on this question. As HR continues to establish itself as a strategic partner, its role will become more integrated into the business of its organization. It is, and will be called to manage a workforce that needs to develop new skills set constantly. They will be required to play more of a pro-active role 1) in recruiting, by using analytics to identify and attract the best talents, 2) in helping employees develop their career path by designing "incentives, market-based mechanisms and information sharing tools" (De Leon, LaVelle & Cantrell, 2013, p. 8). Based on such premises, successful organizations must treat HR professionals as part of that workforce that will be required to be continuous learners. They must ensure that HR is included in the just-in-time workforce capability; which is defined as a "fluid workforce that learns new skills as an embedded part of everyday work while sharing their skills transparently with others" (De Leon et al, 2013, p. 8).

De Leon et al, (2013) predict that skills will continue to be scarce in the turbulent business environment. HR organizations must be able to develop and source the skills "just in time," as needed


De Leon, D., Lavelle, K., Cantrell, S., (2013). Trends reshaping the future of HR: Tapping skills anywhere, anytime. Accenture. Retrieved from http://www.accenture.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/PDF/Accenture-Trends-Reshaping-Future-HR-Skills.pdf

HR and social networking

9/13/13

We've considered the various possible benefits of social media in the workplace. It facilitates the connection between people, as well as the exchange or sharing of information between groups. Companies use it as a tool to seek and acquire talents. Due to its nature, social media has become a channel of information. Some of the larger organizations have adopted their own versions of social media which allow people to interact with each other on a social and business level.

The challenge faced by management is how to monitor these exchanges and prevent them from turning into distraction. The goal of investing in technology and other employee tools is to empower the employees so they can be more productive. If it hampers productivity, the use of such technology and its application in particular business settings must be reevaluated. Custers (2012) says it best, "technology provides HR with incredible opportunities, but the challenge is to use them smartly, in a way that balances the interests of employers and employees".  This challenge explains, in part, companies' reluctance to adopt this technology as they must ensure that its implementation will improve the bottom line.

The lesson here is, in implementing social media as a recruiting tool, it is important for HR to be cautious. Failure to plan this implementation appropriately will lead to attracting a large pools of job seekers versus targeting the right number of qualified applicants, especially in today's high unemployment environment. To avoid this issue, HR must be clear about business strategies and develop the appropriate recruiting tactics, which includes identifying the right wireless, cloud-based, or mobile technology to help target and acquire the best talents.

Custers (2012) emphasizes the importance for HR to move with the times and get the most out of new HR technologies. However the effective use of innovative technologies requires that HR be trained on how to identify them and exploit them.

Rose (2012) identifies the 3 challenges facing HR in 2013 as, finding the right talent, creating opportunities (in the current post recession environment) and managing labor and benefit costs. The common objective in addressing these challenges is to identify strategies that attract, retain and encourage the most valuable staff members in order to satisfy the bottom line.

References:

Custers, M., (2012, December 20). The NGA trends for 2013. NGA. Retrieved from http://blog.northgatearinso.com/blog/nga-trends-2013?elq_mid=&elq_cid=201389
Rose, A., (2012). 3 challenges facing HR in 2013. Hcareers. Retrieved from http://www.hcareers.com/us/resourcecenter/tabid/306/articleid/1190/default.aspx

HR analytics and metrics

9/12/13


In the new global marketplace marked by constant change, organizations must develop effective human capital practices aimed at attracting and retaining the best talents to promote innovation. They rely on HR as a strategic business partner; one who understands the dynamics of business, who's knowledgeable about finance, sales, marketing, etc...; one who is able to express the value of HR practices such as talent retention actions, training activities, recruitment, etc... through effective measurements, facts and numbers, because, "without data, HR professionals cannot credibly participate in strategic discussions" (SHRM, 2002, p.12). As a business partner, HR should be able to use these metrics to demonstrate how HR strategies impact organizational performance metrics such as revenue growth, profit margin, customer loyalty, or the bottom line (SHRM, 2002, p.11).

The increased demand for reliable HR metrics in human capital planning and business planning leads to HR's having to rely on a wide range of  accepted analytic methods, where the economic condition of an organization would dictate which model to choose (SHRM, 2011, pp. 7-8). One of the challenges of using HR analytics is that HR professionals must have the global skills to make sure that the method used is relevant to the culture in which business is conducted as, "globalization is driving more impetus toward the use of metrics with greater cultural sensitivity" (SHRM, 2011, p.7). Another challenge is to ensure that the selected (analytic) method is aligned with current and planned business context.

For example, if I were assigned to hire new talents to support business expansion in Fund Accounting at my current employer, following are some of the questions I would need to clarify with leadership before investing in any recruiting activity. What is the size of the new business in comparison to existing business? What is the value of existing talents? What is the rate of client satisfaction with existing talents? What is the current culture in Fund Accounting? How dedicated are existing employees? How much resource is the division able to or willing to allocate to the training of the new hires? What is the acceptable learning curve for the new hires? Is there any other change activity happening in the division? If yes, how will the two events be integrated and how will the new hires fit in the integration?... Based on the answers to these and other relevant questions, I would search for the appropriate technology and develop the communication system to gather the necessary data and perform analyses. Then, I could develop the strategies to target the right talents for the division; the ones that would drive performance and improve the bottom line.

An SHRM article published in 2002 correctly identified talent management as the "primary workplace challenge in the next decade". To address the challenge, HR would be required to compete for talent by creating the best practices to attract, motivate and retain employees. It would also have to learn to manage diversity in the workplace.

In another SHRM article from 2011, HR is facing the talent management challenge; but in doing so, it faces the increased demand by organizations for such metrics as recruiting, training, retention, turnover... It is required to evaluate the impact of HR practices on the bottom line.


References:

SHRM, (2002, March 6). The future of the HR profession. Retrieved from 
http://www.shrm.org/about/pressroom/documents/future_of_hr.pdf
SHRM, (2011, June 22). The top trends for 2012 according to SHRM’s HR subject matter expert panels. Retrieved from
http://www.shrm.org/Research/FutureWorkplaceTrends/Documents/11-0622%20Workplace%20panel_trends_symp%20v4.pdf

HR & trends in technology

9/11/13

This week we are exploring the various ways HR can take advantage of wireless, cloud, mobile and GPS technologies to respond the complex human capital and productivity management challenges that it is facing and will continue to face. While HR continues to explore the use of social media, both internally and externally, through cloud based technology, it has the potential to transform a company's work culture and create the signature experience for the employees. Social media connects people to one another. It can facilitate the exchange of information between employees and allow them to learn from one another. This learning environment would support HR's effort to maintain an innovative culture.

There is a growing trend for the use of mobile apps in recruiting practices. Vendors are also creating apps that allow employees to use their smartphones to complete their work, to track payroll and attendance. Other vendors concentrate on developing cloud based systems that facilitate organizations' access to potential job candidates (Rafter, 2012). Many companies rely on talent search engines to compete for top talents by tracking candidates' use of social media and their online popularity (Meister, 2013).

Meister (2013) maintains that as companies continue to seek job applicants with higher Klout (online influence) than IQ, the pressure will be on all, including employers, workers and job applicants, to work on developing their personal brands. Through cloud based services, recruiters will find job applicants before they know they are looking for jobs.

In response to employees increased demands for a more integrated digital experience, Rafter (2012) gives an idea of some of the trends in applications that have been developed as well as the ones that are being created to provide access to payroll, attendance, time management, in addition to improvement made to recruiting apps.

Kutik (2011) shares some of the hottest trends in HR technology. One such trend is work management software which help employees manage their assignment and give leaders insight into the employees' work so they know when to intervene. This tool help provides for efficient management.

 

 

References:

Meister, J., (2013, January 3). 2013: the year of social HR. Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeannemeister/2013/01/03/2013-the-year-of-social-hr/

Rafter, M. (2012). Mobile HR apps picking up steam. Workforce. Retrieved from: 

http://www.workforce.com/articles/mobile-hr-apps-picking-up-steam

Kutic, B., (2011, September 16). The hottest trends in HR technology. HRE. Retrieved from http://www.hreonline.com/HRE/view/story.jhtml?id=533341158

 

 

Employee retention

9/08/13

As we continue to explore HR's roles as change champion and innovator and integrator, I am curious to find out more information on some of the best ideas for employee retention strategies from the SHRM communities. In the meantime, here are some useful ones I came upon in my research this week, besides the stay interview which I addressed in my previous blog.

1) Any comprehensive strategy should focus on, performance (employee needs to feel that her talent is linked to business performance), communication (if effective, provides insight on employee morale), loyalty (employee responds to trust , respect and appreciation), and competitive advantage (employee wants to work for a winner; be sure to share the uniqueness of your company with employee to create the signature experience) (Entrepreneur, n.d.).

2) Recruit the right people in the first place. That includes, ensure accurate match between role and candidate, shorten list of qualified applicants by using an automated skills-based system, secure top candidates quickly, coordinate all onboarding activity to ensure that new hires are productive ASAP, as the decision to stay with a company are usually made within the first 6 months (Oracle, 2012).

3) Invest in your line managers. It is estimated that 80% of turnover is a result of employee dissatisfaction with manager (Lagunas, 2012). This statement reminds me of one of my classmates' stories this week. She nearly transferred out of her current department due to her manager's inability to connect with the workers. The manager had the technical skills but lacked the ability to relate to people to get the work done. The environment was one of frustration. It is crucial that line managers be trained on how to empower employees to succeed. The company must ensure that they are able to deliver on established HR initiatives (Lagunas, 2012).


References:

Entrepreneur, (n.d.). How to create a winning employee retention strategy. Retrieved from http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/76456

Lagunas, K., (2012, July 17). 5 Employee retention strategies for a high performance environment. Talent Management. Retrieved from http://www.tlnt.com/2012/07/17/5-employee-retention-strategies-for-a-high-performance-environment/

Oracle, (2012, June). Talent retention: six technology-enabled best practices. Retrieved from http://www.oracle.com/us/media1/talent-retention-6-best-practices-1676595.pdf

HR as the change agent

9/07/13

As we continue to explore the topic of HR, the change agent, it is important to note that in some cases, change initiatives fail due to HR's failure to be the credible activist. The one who's called to implement and sustain change through reliable and consistent practices. In such cases, the change is treated as an event rather than the sustained pattern of events that would lead to a successful change process. The failure can also be due to a lack of accountability. To lead change effectively, leaders must hold themselves accountable as well as holding employees accountable. HR leaders must work with management to address training issues and develop the necessary tools to equip employees and leaders to support the change. HR must also be sure to develop communication practices that will facilitate the sharing of information between the various teams involved in the change process (Ulrich et al, 2012, ch. 6).

 At work, a few years ago the implementation of an automated system changed our team's function. In the initial phases of the implementation, HR was not too effective at addressing people's concerns and fears about the change. Although it was involved in monitoring the communication between the teams and stakeholders, perhaps due to a lack of understanding or knowledge of the context for the change, it did not do a good job at articulating the anticipating business changes that would result from the implementation. As a result, initially the change did not obtain the employee buy-in that would lead to a seamless process. As this began to affect daily business operations, eventually HR's role became that of the much needed credible activist and change champion. As it gained more knowledge on the business context it was able share details about the process with the employees and get the much needed buy-in. HR's roles included addressing training needs, keeping everyone informed of new initiatives and opportunities, including business expansion that would result from this change. HR continues to play a leading role in sustaining efforts for the system to this day.

Susan Heathfield (n.d.) suggests that executing successful change requires minimizing employee dissatisfaction and resistance to change. In today's business environment the HR professional is required to function as a change mentor.

Mind Tools (n.d.) provides some ideas on how to implement change powerfully and successfully. Based on Kotter's 8-step change model, change should be planned carefully, with the proper foundation and patience to improve the chances of success. Successfully implemented changes become part of an organization's culture.


References:

Heathfield, S., (n.d.). The new role s of the human resources professional. Retrieved from http://humanresources.about.com/od/hrbasicsfaq/a/hr_role.htm

Mind Tools, (n.d.). Kotter's 8-step change model: Implementing change powerfully and successfully. Retrieved fromhttp://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newPPM_82.htm

Ulrich, D., Younger, J., Brockbank, & Ulrich,M . (2012). HR from the outside in: six competencies for the future of human resources. SRHM. ISBN978-0071802666

     

 

HR innovator and integrator

9/06/13

In exploring this topic, we analyze HR's role by focusing on 5 factors as outlined in HR From The Outside In.
1) In optimizing human capital through workforce planning and analytics, HR is required to identify strengths and weaknesses in delivering business strategies and develop the necessary training to address skills deficiencies. 2) In developing talent, HR must assess the organization's level of capability through individual and collective talents in respect to future customer demands. Its role is to work with leaders to develop the roles that will best respond to these anticipated client expectations.  3)In shaping organization and communication practices, HR ensures that teams operate with clear goals and a sense of purpose. Conducting a communication audit can help HR evaluate the quality of the ongoing communication as a measure of organizational effectiveness. Having the right communication practices promote team success. 4) In driving performance, HR innovator and integrator, seeks to link the employees work with the customers' needs and expectations. It is important to set performance goals that are in line with business strategies. 5) in helping leaders build the leadership brand, HR should aim at building a set of leaders with the appropriate skills and attitudes; who are able to lead the organization now and into the future.

One innovative concept for talent retention that I enjoyed learning about was the "why do you stay interview" or, simply known as the stay interview.  In this talent retention approach, HR talks to top performing employees who choose to stay and work for the organization. The goals in conducting such interviews are, to obtain information from the employees about HR practices that work and those that can be improved, developed, in an effort to retain the best talents, and to address potential issues and prevent turnovers (Sullivan, 2012).

My employer would definitely benefit from conducting stay interviews. My role as an HR innovator and integrator in this case would be to set principles in place that would reassure the interviewed employee that information gathered from the interview would be used for research, talent development and retention purposes. The employee would need to be confident that information provided would not be used against her. She would also need to be confident in my ability to provide her with the best career guidance, training and other necessary support that would facilitate her ability to be productive and support business goals. As an HR manager, I would be sure to train the leaders to ask the right questions that would help understand the employee's feelings on company culture growth and recognition (Kalman, 2012). The effectiveness of the technique is not in the question asked but in the framing of the question.

It is important to obtain honest information from such interviews. Because HR and the organization could rely on it to develop effective strategies to build and sustain a workforce that supports the company's goals and objectives.  My employer, like other organizations, has lost talented employees due to failure by management to identify issues such as: lack of purpose and meaning in doing the work, lack of challenge, personal issues, conflicts with co-workers and leaders...

Internationally known HR thought-leader, Dr. John Sullivan (2012) provides some insights on stay interview in an article. In it he states that while an exit interview is useful to determine the reason employees leave, because it occurs after the fact, it does not give the employer an opportunity to prevent turnovers. The stay interview can help fix this problem.

Another article that can help understand the stay interview concept is by Frank Kalman of Talent Management. He cautions that as the concept continues to gain popularity, it is important that HR work with leaders to be trained on framing stay interview questions. after all, the goal is to retain the top performers, not to drive them away. 

Another article that is line with helping employees find meaning in their work in an effort to prevent turnovers, is from Talent Management, authored by Sue Marks (2013). She believes that in order to drive innovation, HR's challenge is to create an environment where employees are encouraged and feel comfortable taking small risks.


References:

Marks, S., (2013, January 18). Seven steps to drive innovation. Talent Management. Retrieved from http://talentmgt.com/articles/view/seven-steps-to-drive-innovation/1

Kalman, F., (2012, June 12). How to measure engagement with a stay interview. Talent Management. Retrieved from http://talentmgt.com/articles/view/how-to-measure-engagement-with-a-stay-interview

Sullivan, J., (2012, August 27). 13 more bold and outrageous HR practices that may indicate your approach is too conservative (part 2 of 2). ERE. Retrieved from http://www.ere.net/2012/08/27/bold-and-outrageous-hr-practices-that-may-indicate-your-approach-is-too-conservative-part-2-of-2/

Ulrich, D., Younger, J., Brockbank, & Ulrich,M . (2012). HR from the outside in: six competencies for the future of human resources. SRHM. ISBN978-0071802666

HR the change champion

9/5/13

This week in HRM501, one of the class discussion topics has been the role of HR as a change agent. As a strategic business partner, HR has the ability to initiate change as well as sustain it. Regardless of the nature of the change, HR's role is to bring discipline to the process. That includes ensuring that leaders are on board with the change. They understand and accept the need for the change. The world is constantly changing and the consumers' changing needs and demands are a reflection of world trends. Therefore, it is also important for HR to understand the business context, the reason for the change and how it will impact the organization's culture and structure. This background information will enable HR to develop the proper communication strategy to encourage employee buy-in, create engaging activities that promote employee motivation and provide the necessary support to leaders in order to ensure a seamless process (Communication at Work).

Communication at Work (n.d.) article provides some useful tips on how to get started on implementing change successfully. From understanding the business context for the change to ensuring a seamless process, leaders need to identify the best approach for their particular situation. Avoid the one size fits all approach.

Communication at Work, (n.d.). Change strategies that engage employees not simply inform. Retrieved from
http://www.communicationatwork.com/change-management-5-tips-for-implementing-change/