I have been fortunate to hear about the trends in HR and people management for 2018. Though I have already written about the future of work (link here), the insights I would like to share here bring another layer: how HR managers operate in the current environment. It’s always handy to know what’s going on on the other side of the fence, so we can better prepare for it and not be left behind wondering. It corrobates a lot what I have wrote about earlier, but also adds some new perspectives. Not all easy to digest, so bear with me!
So what is going within organisations right now? Increased productivity and performance mean lesser people required. Harnessing new technologies and powerful data analytics change the way we do business and make decisions (including who to hire). Driving the culture of innovation is still a must-do, as is finding future talents. Finally most organisations are going through some kind of transformation of their operating model: the way they reach and serve customers, and what this means in terms of internal structure and resources. Pretty full on isn’t it? So this is all a bit complex, but it is the world we live in right now. And all organisations are at different stages in this by the way.
So what are HR managers and executives thinking? The big buzzword here is business capability. It’s all about how can they deliver the objectives. You didn’t hear people? They are not at the top of the agenda. People are constantly changing for organisations, with the proliferation of contractors and similar flexible workers. It means good news in terms of job opportunities, but on the other hand job security is becoming more and more obsolete. Get ready to change jobs or evolve within a role more often than you think.
So how do you navigate that environment as an employee? Firstly, you need to be comfortable with working without clarity. Not ideal, but that is today’s language in organisations. Get used to it and flex your resilience muscles. Do what you have to do this week or month, and let the rest unfold. Take it as a given that leaders don’t know where the horizon is, as it keeps moving. If your contract is due to expire in a few months, expect that you won’t know what’s next until pretty close to the end. Have plans, but know that you will edit them.
Secondly this means that we all have to take our development into our own hands. Yes organisations offer courses and speakers, but they won’t teach you what makes you grow in your career: confidence, resilience, work-life balance, how to improve working relationships, your personal brand, time management etc. For those, you need to turn to on-line videos, coaches, mentors, courses and your own networks. So my advice is to know what areas you most need development in, and to find ways to invest in time/money this year for your own future. That will set you apart from other candidates when jumping from one job to another.
Another way to maximise your future career opportunities is to speak the language of HR managers and deliver on their expectations. For mid management, this now means being able to influence using market and financial data. To confidently present robust business cases. To infuse your plans with external trends. This sounds a lot like what senior leaders used to do, right? The gap is closing. They now have to also enhance their performance to contribute more broadly to the business strategy. It’s like we have all gone up one level. So having commercial acumen should now be part of every employee DNA.
This may all sound pretty complex, and for some of us quite terrifying. We don’t have to be all those things by the way! We can still be our imperfect selves. But we need to be aware and adjust. That’s how organisations roll at the moment, and unless we are entrepreneurs, we need to use the framework we are given. And the biggest mistake we can make is to wait, or dream for something different without acting. More than ever, your self-drive and your decisions are key to where you will be one or two years from now. And PS you can do whatever it is you set out to achieve.
