Thought Leadership
We're here to transform how you approach HR solutions, ensuring your organisation is always future-fit and ready to tackle whatever challenges come your way.
Our few days in the Hunter Valley last week at the HR Symposium, surrounded by like-minded, forward-looking HR professionals, proved an excellent opportunity to do what we do best – create connections. We met people at different stages of their HR journey, allowing us to connect clients facing similar challenges and provide fresh perspectives.
In this article, we take a look at some of the Macro trends we noticed during the HR Symposium and offer our suggestions for critical actions to help you prepare your organisation and yourself for the future at work.
Macro Trend ONE | HOW DO ORGANISATIONS DIGEST EVERYTHING COMING AT THEM?
It's not just AI - we're facing an intersection of technologies, including robotics, AR/VR, and more. The challenge lies in how organisations can responsibly integrate these technologies into their business and leverage them to get that competitive edge.
The key here is to create an environment that embraces newness, encourages experimentation, and provides safety to fail. It's about fostering a growth mindset and being ready to adapt to any technological change that comes our way.
KEY CPO ACTION – Synthesise and Sense-make for Your CEOs and Wider Organisation
Take a good look at your organisation. Is it ready to digest all the changes coming its way? Are your leaders aware of these shifts? As an HR professional, you will add more value if you synthesise and present this information in a meaningful way.
We're past the stage of listing trends like "five generations in the workforce, labour shortages, hybrid working, agile practices and skill gaps.
It's time to ask, "So what?" What do these trends mean for our organisations, our people, and the future at work? As a CPO, you’ve got an important (and exciting!) role in moving beyond talk and into action, especially in building skills-based organisations where we see incredible, future-proof solutions, but implementation can lag.
We keep finding new solutions in the market, at the Symposium we met an OD Tech partner doing great things in our space. It's time to stop talking about trends and start implementing solutions!
Macro Trend TWO | THE RISING EXPECTATIONS OF EMPLOYEES
With new compliance requirements around positive duty, the right to disconnect, and organisational responsibility for burnout, we're seeing a significant shift in power toward employees. They have more choices than ever, and organisations must step up to meet these rising expectations.
KEY CPO ACTION – Elevate the conversation
Start by role-modelling well-being at the executive level and engage and empower your leaders and teams. Reflect on your practices and be ready to refresh them.
If you do not engage your employees in these conversations, it will result in teams that don't think for themselves. Your people are your business, so it’s important that you develop principles that guide consistent decision-making across your organisation so you can treat them well.
In today's market, no one wants to work for an organisation with a bad reputation. Create safe environments and organisational structures that foster motivation performance and alleviate unnecessary pressures.
MACRO Trend THREE | THE REALITY OF PERFORMANCE
Achieving high performance within organisations today requires a holistic approach that considers technology, employee health, and the ability to adapt to rapid, breakneck change. Much of this responsibility falls on HR and we know that it can be exhausting and daunting.
KEY CPO ACTION – Establish Your POV on Sustainable Performance
Instead of focusing solely on concepts like the right to disconnect, frame the conversation around sustainable performance.
Consider how to upskill everyone on compliance issues to mitigate risks. Rather than discussing the right to disconnect in isolation, talk about sustainable performance as a bigger conversation that includes leadership, the right to disconnect, and preventing psychological harm.
Our Parting Advice
Transformation is now ‘the’ job! Build an operating model that can digest all these current and future changes. The pace of change isn't slowing down, so create an operating model and mindset that supports your employees in embracing and participating in this change. Traditional structures aren't set up for agility – it's time to empower your people to make choices and decisions.
Be open to thinking bigger and getting comfortable with action. Experiment with rethinking and acting on your operating model to make it truly adaptive. Start small if needed - you can begin with a non-performing team or with your own people and culture team to model new ways of working.
We’ve noticed, that many organisations are still stuck in old ways, not moving at pace. It's time to move beyond talking about trends and start being bold to deliver real, impactful changes that will prepare your organisation for the future at work.
We know the statistics for successful change is dire, but we are seeing successful transformation happening. So, look at your insights, determine your priorities based on your strategy, and focus on what will make the biggest impact now. Your organisation needs to evolve constantly to absorb these changes effectively.
Let’s shape the Future at Work together!