Blog 2 - Future prospects of HR

As mentioned in the last post, HR´s role is dynamic. The challenges and responsibilities of HR are shaped by the current needs. Therefore, in this post, I want to focus on the prospects of HR in the future and current day. 

John Boudreau, a Professor and Senior Research Scientist on organizational behaviour and management (USC Center for Effective Organizations s.a.), was interviewed about the future of the HR profession. The interview stated that we will see people with good disaggregation and re-aggregation skills in the professions. In addition, the future of HR is the idea of an orchestra conductor who´s well-connected to other subjects like design, data, and systematics and can implement them. (myHRfuture 14 November 2019, min. 0:55-4:45)

Moreover, the challenges that HR faces have changed during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Deepon Roy (27 April 2023), the main challenges in the future are: 

• Great resignation,
• Behavioural changes,
• Crisis response and employee engagement,
• Lack of agility.

In the current day, people want flexibility on when and where they work. Additionally, employees´ values have shifted, putting more weight on mental health and consistency rather than building a career. More in-depth, many organizations aren´t designed for quick reactions and fast responses since a lot of data and approval must be acquired before action can take place. However, most importantly, HR must provide the needed tools and channels to be able to create a feeling of security in the organization. (Deepon Roy 27 April 2023)

Lastly, organizations will become more human in the future by inspiring, collaborating, and bending to create meaningful and enjoyable employee experiences. Furthermore, future-ready companies know who they are and what they stand for, and they grow by improving their ability to learn and innovate. HR is the engineer who makes sure that the organization is living its purpose and value by identifying the culture and translating purpose into leadership, employee behaviours, and norms. Therefore, HR´s role as a support in an organization will only gain significance in the future. (Komm, Pollner, Schaninger & Sikka 2021)

I see the future of HR as fascinating. There is much to learn and implement constantly, and keeping up isn´t the easiest part. People and society are under constant change, and in future organizations, the HR personnel lead and guide it.

Figure 1. The HR Practitioner of The Future - 6 Key Themes (Millner s.a.)

Sources

Deepon Roy, B. 27 April 2023. Challenges of HR And Its Shift Post COVID-19 Pandemic. Vantage Circle. Blog. URL: https://blog.vantagecircle.com/challenges-of-hr/. Accessed: 8 September 2023.

Komm, A., Pollner, F., Schaninger, B. & Sikka, S. 2021. The new possible: How HR can help build the organization of the future. McKinsey & Company. URL: https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/the-new-possible-how-hr-can-help-build-the-organization-of-the-future. Accessed: 8 September 2023.

Millner, D. s.a. The HR Practitioner of The Future - 6 Key Themes. URL: https://www.meetinvr.com/2020/09/17/hr-practitioner-of-the-future/. Accessed: 10 September 2023.

myHRfuture. 14 November 2019. WHAT WILL BE THE ROLE OF HR IN 2025? Interview with John Boudreau. Online Video. YouTube. URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjCPWyiDoXU. Accessed: 8 September 2023. 

USC Center for Effective Organizations s.a. John W. Boudreau. URL: https://ceo.usc.edu/bio/john-boudreau-2/. Accessed: 8 September 2023.