Have you heard the phrase, “Every company is a technology company”? It refers to the fact that, no matter what an organization does these days, it uses technology to do it better, faster and more efficiently than the competition. As HR practitioners, we’re working in organizations that are undergoing massive digital transformations. We need to develop HR skills to lead the charge, how to manage the change, how to cultivate the right culture, and how to attract, motivate and develop the employees who know how to take our organizations into the future.
We need to understand the impact of technology and all that it brings – including instant gratification, real-time communication, personalization, and transparency – and we need to know how to use that technology to develop, automate, and report on all aspects of human resources.
Here are some of the HR skills we believe all businesses should cultivate:
1. The ability to develop talent management plans that match business strategy
It’s difficult to translate a business strategy into an effective plan. It takes a talented HR team to help managers develop the right top-down goals, and to ensure that job descriptions, performance reviews, training programs, etc are all tightly aligned to the organization’s goals.
When the HR department has a clear vision of the ‘big picture’ and understands exactly where the leadership team is steering to, they’ll be much better able to inspire, motivate and develop everyone to ensure that the entire organization is going in the direction.
2. The foresight to develop and deliver effective future-proof training
Technology seems to be evolving at the speed of light, and along with it, innovation, competition, and complexity.
If your organization is to keep up, it needs to take learning seriously. Technical skills, critical and creative thinking, and people skills are all vital to the health of your organization.
When HR departments understand the value of continuous learning, they’re able to offer various channels for growth, which results in greater capabilities, happier clients, loyal employees and an important competitive advantage.
3. The ability to personalize the employee experience
One of the best things about technology is how it enables organizations to create personalized customer experiences. From tailored marketing communications to personalized products and services, it really has transformed the customer experience.
And now technology is doing the same thing for the employee experience. It’s giving employees access to tailored onboarding and integration programs, enabling them to map their own career plans, and request the real-time feedback many of them crave.
When HR teams understand the value of a personalized experience, they’ll help employees feel valued.
4. The ability to measure and report
It’s safe to say that every department has had to learn how to measure and report. We need to prove that we’re meeting our goals efficiently. For HR, this means that we need to be able to report on initiatives like diversity and inclusion, retention, and performance.
The ability to manage this type of data is a vital skill for any HR department. It allows you to identify potential issues early, retain high performers, encourage diversity and inclusion, and prove your worth to the business.
Conclusion
HR teams – like all departments these days – need to evolve. We need to develop the HR skills that will take our organizations into the future.
Technology is a key enabler of these changes.