HR As A Talent Role Model

The “war for talent” is an often-heard mantra of today’s CEO’s. This rallying cry first emerged in 1997 when McKinsey conducted War for Talent research. Their conclusion was that there would be an “imminent shortage of executives.” Often, this is where the conversation stopped. The proverbial baton being passed to HR with the expectation that they would pick it up and win the war for talent.
During the last 20 years, the war has not abated. We’re still in the thick of this battle for qualified team members, and will continue to be for years to come. What has changed is the battlefield and the nature of the war for talent; digital transformation, globalization and changing demographics have had a huge impact and where and how talent is found. The modern talent pools can be found across the globe, virtual team members and often not where you need them!
As a result, the expectations of HR are changing. Companies need HR professionals who are broad HR leaders—who can focus on the talent and cultural aspects of an organization, not just the tactical aspects of employee relations, compensation, benefits, and HRIS.
Are you ready for the future where 45% of new hires will be millennials?
Statistically, Millennials will likely stay with your company for three years before moving on. In this fast-paced talent environment, a hiring mistake costs money, precious time, and a lost competitive advantage. Hence an understanding of your talent portfolio is critical.
According to the research by Kotter and Heskett, companies that an effective talent management strategy have stronger profitability. Traditional talent management focused on succession plans (which are still important), career moves, and pipelines. Usually, the conversation was about the top 20% completely overlooking the other 80% of the workforce. Where are your HR leaders focusing their time? In the weeds of administration, or in the future?
The 20th Century HR conversations were missing these important elements:
HR needs to be the role model for the 21st Century workplace. To future-proof a company, HR professionals must know their talent portfolio in depth, know where the company is going, and be able to build strategies to attract, develop, and retain talent.
Today’s organizations need more from their Human Resource partners. Organizations expect HR and business leaders to apply as much rigour to the “people portfolio” as they do the rest of the other levers that drive organisational performance.
20th Century HR was largely reactive. But 21st Century HR must become more intentional, scientific, and proactive.
HR professionals need to be the catalysts for change that ensure that talent is aligned with the business strategy. Additionally, they need to be experts in how to create and maintain a culture that supports top performance. The HR role expands to become a true business partner. Talent and culture metrics need to become part of business metrics. Measures need to be in place, going beyond attrition, headcount, performance measures, compensation alignment, and diversity. One must understand the total cost of the workforce and how those costs impact revenue and gross margin.
In essence, every HR leader needs to be a Chief People Officer.
The 21st Century HR strategic conversations must include the following:
No matter the size of your workforce, you can apply these same 21st-Century shifts to future-proof your company and compete in the battle for talent.
Morag Barrett helps leaders achieve outstanding results through the power of their professional relationships. She is an in-demand keynote speaker, executive coach, leadership expert, and bestselling author of three books: Cultivate: The Power of Winning Relationships, The Future-Proof Workplace, and You, Me, We: Why we all need a friend at work (and how to show up as one!).
Morag excels at helping leaders and organizations see the gaps in their development and discover new ways to move past them. A pragmatic ideator, she finds unique solutions to problems (usually through the power of connection). Her greatest joy lies in giving leaders the tools, encouragement, and resources they need to become the best authentic versions of themselves they can be.
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