HR professionals’ biggest priority for 2021 is to become a more strategic advisor, according to a report from The Hackett Group. The report is based on responses from over 300 executives at midsized and large firms.
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“The human resources (HR) agenda has been upended following an extremely volatile year, including a global health pandemic, a tense political climate and growing calls for social justice around the world. In this time of great uncertainty, HR has been called upon to guide the enterprise through challenging strategic and operational workforce issues,” according to the report. Acting as a strategic advisor was ninth on HR pros’ list of priorities last year.
Here are nine other priorities for HR professionals in the coming year.
Create a high-performance culture. Company cultures took a hit in 2020 as huge swaths of workers shifted to remote offices, and even people who are back in the office are dealing with new social distancing measures that impact familiar cultural rituals.
Align workforce and business strategies. Some companies were forced to reassess their workforce needs as the roles and skills required to stay in business during the pandemic changed. HR pros are looking for ways to address wellness and productivity with hybrid and remote workforces.
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Improve HR agility. 2020 forced as all to rise to new challenges, but as the report notes, “relying on heroic acts is not a sustainable strategy.” HR pros are considering how technology like cloud-based platforms and automation can make their teams more agile.
Enable business strategy execution. HR pros are recognizing that they are part of a business’s long-term success strategy as they develop workers into future leaders.
Enhance diversity and inclusion programs. Organizations’ increased focus on hiring a diverse pool of people and perspectives means having opportunity and award structures that are fair and equitable.
Speed digital transformation. The pandemic forced companies to adopt digital tools for everything from internal processes to market offerings. Almost two-thirds of companies have adopted robotic process automation to some degree, with 16% growth projected for 2021.
Support cost-efficiency. HR pros don’t expect cost-cutting measures taken in 2020 to go away this year, and are preparing for continued efforts, including potential staff reductions.
Improve talent management. Talent acquisition, development and performance management will increasingly be conducted digitally, according to the report.
Improve analytics and reporting. Digital tools will again come into play as HR pros respond to more complex data management needs. Two-thirds of respondents said they already have already adopted advanced analytics tools, and the report projects an additional 18% growth this year.
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