Exploring the future of the HR profession: A Q&A with Bill Armstrong
The president of Gava Talent Solutions weighs in on what skills and technology HR pros will need to stay competitive in our new work environment.
As the world of work becomes more complicated, the role of the Human Resources professional has expanded and evolved. Much like workers in many of today’s professions, the skills and qualities required to be successful look nothing like they did 10 or 20 years ago. Today’s HR professionals, representing what is increasingly recognized as a company’s most valuable asset, must know how to talk the language of the C-suite. They must also know how to deftly navigate human capital management platforms, payroll issues, benefits administration, and so much more. And, of course, there’s the not-so-simple matter of employee recruitment and engagement.
Throughout the coming months, BenefitsPRO will be spotlighting these changes and more than are reshaping the HR profession, and in turn, the nature of work and the benefits experience.
Related: Humanizing resources: HR for the post-pandemic organization
In our latest chat, BenefitsPRO caught up with Bill Armstrong, president of Gava Talent Solutions LLC, a global leader in professional staffing and consulting services based in San Jose, California and Melbourne, Australia, as well as vice president of Global Upside LLC, a leading provider of HR, payroll, accounting, finance and compliance services based in San Jose, California.
Katie Kuehner-Hebert: How has the role of HR professionals changed in recent years, and what’s driving it?
There have been changes in the HR role, driven in part by the evolution of business needs and, obviously in part, by the pandemic.
HR was already on the path to improve the employee experience and the pandemic has pushed employee wellness to the forefront. This is especially true in the area of mental health. Employers are more concerned about how employees are navigating these difficult times and are being open about addressing the impact on their employees’ mental health.
As business needs have evolved, HR has become far more integrated in the company strategy than previously. HR departments are working in consulting or partnership roles with business functions to drive business goals. While HR has always played a role in handling and filling the skills gaps of a company, the interconnection with company strategy plays a factor in how they can close those gaps.
KKH: How has this shift impacted the relationship between the C-Suite, HR and employee benefits consultants?
Particularly on some of these wellness issues, there is much more awareness, and in many cases, much more support for these issues from the C-suite. This is happening across all levels of the organization, which truly opens the door for conversations and real change. As opposed to someone pushing these issues up to the top, we’re seeing top-down support.
This is particularly true with some of the mental health benefits programs – C-suite executives are spending money on these things that in the past would not have gotten the budget or even resonated with leadership.
One thing that has been universal across the globe this past year is remote working. You have companies trying a variety of ways to integrate a remote workforce, keep people engaged and weave them into the fabric of the company.
KKH: How has technology changed the way you work? How has it changed your role in the company?
As HR teams work to onboard, train and support their remote workforce, companies are leveraging new technologies. Artificial intelligence is being used for onboarding and training, while HR looks to streamline their processes to be technology-friendly.
The integration of technology means HR professionals have to be tech-savvy, thus changing the core competencies of HR professionals. In some cases, they are not just HR experts, but also technology experts. They must know what’s the right price, what’s the best user experience, and how to evaluate the tools to make them work best for their company. Some large companies are going so far as to establish HR technology groups or develop their own technology within the HR department.
Further, analytics are playing a big role. HR departments are now giving managers embedded analytics to take advantage of when evaluating candidates, promotions or even raises. Diversity, equity and inclusion are critical issues within HR today, so companies are taking a hard look at themselves and leveraging HR to produce analytics, such as salary range for each position. Whether it’s gender, race or economic class, HR teams are evaluating which groups are paid differently, why and how it can be fixed.
KKH: Do you see an increasing need for specialization within the field (talent management, compliance, diversity & inclusion, etc.)?
Definitely. You’re really starting to see increased specialization particularly as you get into some of the larger companies.
This idea of the one person who is a jack-of-all-trades is fading. You’re seeing specialization within the HR department and then assignment to different business units to assist with issues such as compensation and job leveling.
Part of it is the awareness of these issues. As HR is more aligned with the business strategy, you want employees who are internal experts to focus on each area. Even in DEI, companies are realizing that if they are going to move the needle, they need to have specialized employees who can take it on as its own project.
Technology is also driving the need for specialization. Not everyone gravitates towards technology or analytics, so you need specialization to be effective. Yet at some point, it comes down to how many resources you have. Very small companies don’t have specialization so in those cases they go out and find specialized partners.
KKH: What skills will be most important to HR professionals in the future?
Consulting skills. Being able to consult with executives to figure out how to achieve business goals is critical in today’s world. You must have good technology and analytical skills otherwise you will get left behind. As companies cross borders, HR professionals will need to be compliance experts – or at least know where to go to get reliable information.
KKH: What trends, challenges or issues do you see most affecting your profession?
With work from anywhere a hot topic these days, the challenge of pay structures arises. Maybe you never have to go back into the office, so your employees move back home to an inexpensive state; do you still pay them the same or do you adjust for local wages?
This is a very big issue that becomes even more complicated with an international workforce. What benefits to offer? How to deal with compliance issues? How do I narrow down a country to hire in as a new role opens up? These are tricky decisions that people are going to have to figure out.
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