HR is transforming to People – here’s four ways HR leaders can get ahead

HR is transforming to People

The sense from the sector in the research was unanimous: it’s shifting its focus to people. Just as Personnel changed to HR in the 1980s, it’s now evolving into a People function.

Here’s four ways our research revealed progressive People leaders can get ahead.

1. Drive agile ways of working

Agile ways of working in HR means teams can implement changes faster. They can get quicker feedback and take remedial action. By continuously re-designing better ways of working in this way, they can see a quicker impact on productivity.

Ultimately, organisations need to be responsive to market shifts and changing customer needs. This requires companies to be flexible, adaptive and agile.

Yet, our findings show that less than a third of HR leaders currently operate an agile HR model today.

As organisations globally move to more agile ways of working, operating as networks and in cross-functional project groups, HR will need to provide the skills and capabilities to design and enable such organisational agility.

2. Address the HR skills gap

We found that, while recognised, the challenge of plugging the skills gaps within HR has been vastly underestimated. With 86% noting a need to reskill, a global HR skills crunch is almost inevitable.

HR and People leaders feel they are weak in areas such as behavioural sciences, technology, People analytics, and communications. This is despite these areas being rated by respondents as important in the coming years.

Identify skills gaps in your team now, and where they could be in the future for your organisation to get ahead.

As well as upskilling existing HR experts in new People-focused and technological roles, companies have also acknowledged they must diversify, and source skills needed from non-conventional routes.

3. Get ahead with technology

Technology, such as automation and analytics, enables HR to work smarter, faster and more strategically.

Actionable insights, for example, are vital for effective decision-making. Automation frees up a third of HR teams’ time.

With 43% of HR leaders believing their organisation will not keep up with changes in technology over the next 10 years, however, there’s still a lot to do.

Find out more about the role of automation in your HR to People journey by downloading our eBook ‘Transformation through automation’.

4. Make the business case

Worryingly, 53% of HR and People leaders told us that they can’t make the business case for change.

Investing in your people is one of the most important business decisions an organisation can make. It’s non-negotiable for the success of your organisation, and, building a robust and comprehensive business case is the most powerful tool you can use to get that all important slice of budget.

To do it, align your goals with the company’s overall strategy, and demonstrate how change will impact the overall business plan.

Our 10-step guide for making a compelling business case sets out how HR and People leaders can go about making a case that’s impossible to say no to.

Be the face of change

Many professionals got into HR to change people’s lives for the better, if even a little bit. Though the challenges ahead in the sector appear vast, so are the rewards.

Thanks to technology like analytics and automation, HR can transition from being process-focused to people-focused, as HR and People leaders move from the backroom to the boardroom, and make a demonstrable impact on the bottom line.

As ultimately, HR leaders know better than anyone: people are more than a human resource.

As a result, isn’t it time we said goodbye to ‘Human Resources’ and hello to ‘People’?

Download Sage People’s brand-new research report, ‘The changing face of HR’, today.