All
management gurus
emphasize that
the 21st century
will belong to
Human Resources
and to organizational
capabilities.
After all, the
quality of people
and their engagement
will be critical
factors in corporate
vitality and survival.
It is no surprise
that Human Resources
(HR), now rearticulated
as Human Capital,
is springing on
to the centre
stage in organizations,
actively courted
by CEOs and accentuated
by the top hierarchy
to make a business
contribution to
the organization.
Now we have to
think, plan and
execute carefully
so that HR personnel
can deliver on
these great expectations.
They will have
to reduce the
time they devote
to administrative
duties, while
dealing with perennial
issues such as
rewards, benefits,
pensions and employee
relations. HR
executives will
have to forge
a greater alignment
between the HR
function and the
strategic objectives
of the organization.
In my view the
following six
strategic issues
will dominate
HR minds for the
next few years:
1. Building Leadership
pipeline is a
must.
Succession planning
will become a
stark reality.
Many organizations
may argue "they
will cross the
bridge when they
come to it".
But identifying
and grooming a
successor is a
critical task.
Organizations
should believe
in having a slate
of high-potential
leaders.
2. Leadership
must be dispersed
throughout the
organization
The complexity
and uncertainty
inherent in today's
business environment
demands a high
degree of agility
and adaptiveness
in organizations.
This can come
only with a redefinition
of leadership.
Organizations
must focus on
leadership as
a role rather
than a function,
and individuals
within an organization
must be called
upon to exercise
leadership within
their spheres
of influence.
Uni-polar leadership,
usually associated
with command and
control in hierarchical
organizations,
must give way
to leadership
exercised at all
levels of the
organization.
All high-performing
organizations
should foster
a culture that
encourages individuals
to exercise leadership.
Over the next
few years, HR
leaders will focus
on creating an
organizational
culture that demands
leadership of
all employees.
3. Employment
Branding gets
the talents we
seek.
No market is more
competitive than
the market for
employees. The
war for talent
is fierce and
is likely to become
more so with the
massive numbers
of employees retiring
in next five years.
Top organizations
are moving beyond
the vanilla 'employer
of choice' concept
to a more rigorous
strategy of attracting
and retaining
the right employees
through 'branding'.
True employment
branding ensures
high motivation
and helps align
the employee's
vision and values
with those of
the company. In
a tight labor
market, a weak
employment brand
can stonewall
even the most
creative and retention
strategies. HR
leaders will therefore
work more aggressively
towards differentiating
their firms in
the employee market.
4. Organizations
must capture a
bigger portion
of the employee
mindshare.
Hiring top talent
is one thing;
keeping talent
and getting its
full engagement
is another. Talents
are mobile, and
always open to
move to other
organizations.
Many organizations
also fail to capture
a bigger portion
of the employee
mindshare. Companies'
strategies to
gain employee
commitment are
often flawed and
ineffective. For
instance, pay
raises may be
a great short-term
motivator, but
motivational theory
research shows
that money satisfies
only to a certain
extent. After
that, people look
for meaning in
their lives. To
achieve congruency
between employees'
needs and those
of employers,
HR executives
will have to focus
on instilling
a high sense of
organizational
purpose in the
minds of employees.
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