Although doing nothing at all – or taking too small of steps too slowly – will likely be catastrophic, wrong turns can also lead to severe consequences. Knowledgeable HR specialists like Zalaris can help mitigate the risks while maximizing the rewards.
Analytics will be HR’s heart and soul as we look ahead, and the migration is already evident on a global scale. Not all countries and regions are moving at the same pace, of course, just like no two companies are ever created equally. That reality is conveyed in a recent article entitled, HR Analytics is a High Priority in APAC, But the Adoption is Sluggish, posted by People Matters, a new-age, niche media organization.
Citing research conducted by Willis Towers Watson, a global advisory, broking and solutions company, the article points out that only three percent of regional firms use data and statistics to predict likely outcomes relative to people decisions. This assessment may seem puzzling, as the findings coincide with a huge increase in new related types of positions in India, for example.
The delta can be attributed to various factors: It takes time to build the right team for this future and deploy appropriate solutions, for instance. Processes must be converted to make predictive analytics the foundation of decision making. In short, it takes investment. When the very existence of a company is at stake amidst rapidly changing workforce trends, the value of such long-range planning cannot be denied or underestimated.
The Formula for Long-term HR Success
“All HR must start thinking and acting like data scientists,” commented Dr. Shawn G Dubravac, founder and president of proprietary researcher Avrio Institute, who spoke at the SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) HR Tech APAC 19 event in Hyderabad, India, in May. In an HR Technologist feature story on the conference, quoting Dubravac and several other HR experts on new roles to expect, a recurring theme emerged from panelists that echoed attendee sentiments:
So how do we prepare for skills we don’t even know we will need in the future? And how do we plan for what a future HR department looks like in, say five years, when technology is evolving faster than we can keep up with it?
Traditional processes won’t cut it. Outdated attitudes and approaches won’t solve anything. HR needs to step up for this inevitably fluid scenario and reinvent to be nimble enough to instill and nurture the right structure and processes to facilitate advancements of every kind. The new mantra centers on the “employee experience,” and even that label is starting to give way to a new iteration of this concept – the human experience.
As HR Technologist pointed out, “Employees expect much more than compensation in return for their work. They expect a consumer-grade experience, to be treated the way they are as consumers. They expect the organizations they work for to work towards not just profit, but also purpose.”
The role of a human experience strategist will be crucial in any “progressive” HR department, according to Anand Shankar, Partner, Human Capital, at Deloitte India, who shared Deloitte’s 2019 Global Human Capital Trends Report at the SHRM HR Tech APAC 19 conference. Interestingly, the keynote speaker didn’t advocate fulfilling this role with a specific individual.
“All HR personnel should focus on how they can create a fulfilling experience for employees at the organization, an experience that elevates the employee from mere employee to a human at work,” Shankar asserted.
Rising to the Challenge
Just as this movement continues to ascend, it’s imperative to keep in perspective that technology will largely help fuel this human experience. While that may seem counterintuitive or contradictory, people (employees) don’t want to wait to meet with or reach an HR representative when robotic process automation (RPA), for example, can take care of routine transactional processes and a growing range of other demands. The combination of technology and analytical skills will ultimately inherit the HR earth.
Are you on the dark side of the moon or illuminating the future?
HR everywhere, not just in the APAC region, needs to revolutionize activities as well as processes while acquiring, instilling and developing entirely new types of skill sets … in their own departments as well as across the entire enterprise. When put in this all-encompassing context, the challenges can seem incredibly daunting. On the other hand, if done right – with the right human capital management solution, leadership and commitment – the end results will easily pay for themselves.
Take a Structured Approach
Zalaris understands the pain points and concerns. We’ve developed an approach that prepares companies to thrive in making this HR leap ahead. As this post explains, we deliver a “one-truth platform” that goes beyond next-generation HR services to serve the total workforce. The future of work is all about the employee experience. We are ready to help you personalize that experience down to driving engagement while improving skills management, retention and productivity. Our focus is on helping you transform in the cloud in every way, from user adoption to HR analytics, AI and RPA and much more, including trusted advisory services and point solutions.
Don’t wait. Don’t let competitors leapfrog you in the experience realm of their operations. It’s going to be as critical to successful recruiting, hiring and development as it is in finding, selling to and turning clients into lifelong customers. Experience will conquer. Analytics are the key. Data is the engine.
Zalaris can help power up your future at this pivotal juncture for enterprises and their HR functions. Don’t leave the right course to chance; we have the experience and expertise to get you ahead of the curve!