TOP PRIORITIES FOR HR LEADERS FOR THE FUTURE OF WORK
HR Leaders, get prepared, the future of work is already here. The future of work is here, right now. Notice the changes in the business environment, the things that were stated to happen in the future of work are happening now, such as fully utilized remote and flexible work system, continual business change, i.e. reset, reorganize reinvent, virtual communication and collaboration, increase in the use of technology in businesses.
With the future of work already here, HR Leaders need to know and understand their top priorities for the future of work and start working on them now. Like they say the sooner the better. The top 3 priorities to focus on are
- Optimize the Use of Artificial intelligence
You can’t talk about the future of work without talking about technology, particularly artificial intelligence. AI is useful in preparing HR leaders for the future of work. It is one of the top priorities because:
- It is used for analytics, decision making, and problem-solving tactics. With these tasks done by AI, the efficiency of Human resources (HR) leaders will increase.
- People that have visual, physical, and intellectual disabilities have a better chance of getting jobs and it creates a diverse workspace with no discrimination.
2. Business innovation through digital transformation
In 2020, business digitalization has taken over and with the current COVID-19 situation, more businesses have adopted digitalization. Digitalization has become a current and future trend.
To drive effective digital transformation, HR leaders should do the following:
- Have or employ the expertise required for digitalization of business.
- Improve the skills of employees.
- Refine the digital plans and develop strategies for this transformation.
- Analyze the effect and implications of the change for the business before making changes.
- HR leaders have to be more agile and flexible to change.
- Deliver adequate functional support.
3. Develop skills and gain experience
With the various transformations and upgrades that have happened in the future of work, it has been accepted that the future of work depends on the “survival of the fittest”.
So, for HR leaders to survive in the future of work, one of their top priorities should be the development of additional valuable skills in employees such as data analysis, AI, analytical skills, and so on.
The future of work will depend on skills, valuable experiences, workforce diversity, knowledge of work, and knowledge of how to get work done efficiently and accurately.
With all these being said, there is no doubt that valuable skills and experiences are needed for the future of work.
To buttress this point, research made by Gartner indicates that “46% of HR leaders report that their employees lack the skills necessary to drive future performance”. To solve this problem, organizations need to do the following:
- Challenge employees to improve efficiency and knowledge in various essential areas.
- Provide skills training and development opportunities for employees beyond their scope of work.
- Carry out market research and a predictive approach to identify high demand skills and build a connection with them.
- Create diversity in employee skills: Employees should have diversity in skills, experience, and job roles.
Conclusion
To conclude, if these priorities are taken into consideration, HR leaders will be fully prepared and won’t miss out on all the possibilities and importance the future of work has to offer.
It will also help improve employee productivity, engagement, increase employable workers, build business efficiency and increase a positive outcome for the future of work that is here already.
THANKS
Esther Ilori has been a content writer since 2017 and she currently works as a digital marketing manager at WayMaker Digital.
She brings her years of experience to her current role where she is dedicated to educating and inspiring the world on how to effectively use content writing and digital marketing in various companies, careers and to achieve various goals. Links to her published articles can be found here. You can find Esther on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter.
