This year has pushed HR into uncharted people waters — from overnight digital transformation to pandemic prevention.
But this is only the start of the new possible COVID has carved out for Human Resources.
In this newsletter, we unpack a vision for how companies can succeed post-crisis and HR's role in making that vision a reality.
Post-Crisis Companies
How can organizations thrive after the pandemic? McKinsey recently shared their research-backed framework for post-crisis success.
Organizations will need to become more creative, adaptable, and anti-fragile as they navigate hybrid work, continual resource reallocation, and increasing digitization and automation.
Out with the old ways of management — a hierarchy that solves for uniformity, bureaucracy, and control — and in with a new system where:
"Corporate purpose fuels bold business moves. 'Labor' becomes 'talent.' Hierarchies become networks of teams. Competitors become ecosystem collaborators. And companies become more human: inspiring, collaborative, and bent on creating an employee experience that is meaningful and enjoyable."
Who better to make companies more human than Human Resources? But to achieve that goal will require a refocusing of priorities. Specifically, around:
Identity. Post-pandemic, organizations will need to reevaluate who they are. Not only can HR help guide that reflection, but they can also infuse that refreshed view into leadership development and the employee experience.
Agility. COVID demonstrated the value of being able to pivot quickly. To retain workforce fluidity, HR will need to focus on flattening the org chart and making cross-skilling, re-skilling, and up-skilling operational imperatives.
Scalability. As organizations grow, so will their skill gaps. To keep pace, HR will need to become flexible talent management experts. Knowing when and how to buy, build, borrow, or bot talent will be vital to post-crisis growth.
Bottom line: The pandemic has provided HR with an opportunity to help reshape companies into more purpose-driven, people-centric, future-proof organizations. But to do so will require HR to transform from a service function to a strategic one.
Workplace mentorship for women. We've discussed the workforce crisis facing mothers. How can companies help? Thoughtful mentorship programs can provide much-needed support for women transitioning back to the workplace. Read.
LinkedIn leans into solopreneurship with a slew of upcoming new features. They include service pages for freelancers, free training and education modules, and a new "Creator" mode to help any user become an influencer. Read.
Microsoft mesh. The future of work is now! Or at least it has a sign-up page. Microsoft recently unveiled hardware and software that mixes AR and VR to power virtual collaboration via fun phrases like "holoportation" and "altspaces." Explore.
Shutdown guilt. When you wrap up, do you shame yourself for how much you left undone? Know that you're not alone in chronically feeling you should do more. Break the guilt cycle with this daily ritual to feel OK with unchecked to-dos. Read.
Meeting math. Non-relevant information + groupthink + social loafing cause most meetings to waste more time than they save. One solution? Use that same time period to hold short, focused one-on-ones. The savings add up quickly. Read.
6 people x 60-min meeting = 360 mins
5 people x 12-min meetings + your 60 mins = 120 mins
360 mins - 120 mins = 4 hrs of saved staff time.
Collaborative Cafe: Post-Traumatic Growth
Tuesday, April 20, 3:30 – 5:00 pm. This month, Bob VandePol and Ron Scott from Pine Rest EAP will join us to discuss leveraging post-traumatic growth to build organizational resilience.
Part networking, part small-group discussion, part hackathon, our Collaborative Cafes are a chance to connect with a diverse group of thinkers to tackle real-world people problems.
Interested in building a more resilient workforce post-pandemic? RSVP today.
Additional Resources
Combating Anti-Asian racism. Looking for help addressing Anti-Asian racism in the workplace? This comprehensive resource list can help leaders educate others, take action, and more. Explore.
[eBook] Work Better Together While Officing Apart. Has your work culture taken a hit since going virtual? Check out this free eBook from Everything DiSC® for three simple steps you can take to reconnect your virtual workforce. Download.
Elevate your HR. Ready to go from transactional to transformational but not sure where to start? Find out where your people operations excel and receive a roadmap to improve the areas holding you back with an HR Discovery. Contact us.
Enjoyed this edition? The best compliment you can give is forwarding it to a peer.
Disclaimer: We're a team of HR experts. By no means are we legal experts. This newsletter isn't intended to contain legal advice. Please, consult your attorney for that.
HR Collaborative, 678 Front Ave NW, Ste 190, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49504, 616.965.7860