In HR, 2017 was a year of realisation that a radical shift in mindset and approach is the only way to make a significant impact on an organisation. Some notable insights need mention. First, HR processes need to be delivered keeping in mind business needs. Second, mere enablement of technology is not adequate, its effective adoption is a must. Third, with so much change happening, it’s necessary for HR and leadership to work with a contemporary mindset. Finally, culture needs to be relevant to business context. In 2017, HR gained fair amount of respect for its ability to play an effective business partnering role and lead change-management initiatives for making organisations more resilient. This year will not be different. I expect changing of gears and fine tuning of what began in 2017. Disruptive trends of 2017 will start taking concrete shape in 2018. One, HR is likely to play a more transformational role for itself and the organisation. Most progressive organisations are reinventing themselves. HR will get more engaged in this journey as a change agent. Two, change management makes any technology successful, and HR would be expected to play a leading role in this.
Three, HR will get more oriented in its people agenda. With tech tools taking care of transactional work, HR would be seen as driving the strategic agenda that impacts leadership, talent, culture and structure. Four, not just learning but learning agility is expected to gain prominence. Five, one is likely to see path-breaking ideas getting implemented across many HR processes. Performance management, reward and recognition, and learning and development will get reshaped. Lastly, there will be greater degree of emotional quotient (EQ) in the working of an organisation. Soft skills like empathy, collaboration and interpersonal effectiveness will ensure an organisation behaves like a living organism in a disruptive world. In summary, in 2018, HR will go beyond its normal domain and impact business performance and outcomes significantly.
By: Sushil Baveja
The author is executive director, HR, DCM Shriram. Views are personal