The future of the HR profession: A Q&A with Kim Hiler
Kim Hiler, chief people officer at Intradiem, takes aim at the many moving targets for HR professionals today.
If a company puts its people first, then customers, then profitability, all areas will actually benefit in the end.
So says Kim Hiler, chief people officer at Intradiem, an Atlanta-based provider of intelligent automation solutions for contact center and back-office teams. In our latest in this series, Hiler shares how the pandemic has likely forever changed organizations, and with that, the human resources function – and other recent trends for HR leaders to consider.
Related: HR professionals see morale and engagement as top priorities
Katie Kuehner-Hebert: How has the role of HR professionals changed in recent years, and what’s driving it?
The COVID pandemic has really changed the way we work in human resources by forcing organizations to adopt a remote work model. That’s a profound shift, and even if and when we all go back to the office, its impact will stay with us. There was no script that laid out how to handle the situation. We were forced to put our heads together and learn on the fly. We made mistakes. But we learned a lot.
Figuring out how to retain existing employees, hiring new people we’ve never met in person, onboarding them and helping them flourish – while nurturing our culture in a virtual environment – has been really challenging.
KKH: How has this shift impacted the relationship between C-Suite, HR and employee benefits consultants?
It’s had a critical impact. Alignment was always important, but it became even more important when we were geographically dispersed. We needed to be on the same page because employees are priority number one at Intradiem. That was true before the pandemic, and it was reinforced at our weekly town hall meetings. People first, then customers, then profitability.
We believe our “people first” philosophy is not only the right thing to do – it’s also good for business. Keeping employees motivated and feeling valued helps ensure they’ll continue to deliver innovative solutions that solve our customers’ problems and help them succeed.
It’s so important to support each other as human beings. Understanding the constraints of working at home, clearly communicating priorities and intentions, demonstrating that we care… all these things build trust, they promote loyalty and commitment. Benefits consultants also make a critical contribution to that circle of trust. They deal with issues – including sensitive matters like mental health – that have a unique impact on each employee.
KKH: How has technology changed the way you work? How has it changed your role in the company?
Managing human resources is a quintessentially “human” undertaking, and technology helps us do it well. Like other departments, HR uses technology to work faster and more efficiently, to automate processes, manage workflows, and onboard and nurture new employees.
But technology should be used primarily in the service of human beings. Zoom is a good example of what I mean: It’s a technology we’ve all come to rely on during the pandemic, but its utility is measured only by how well it helps us stay connected as people and achieve our objectives.
KKH: Do you see an increasing need for specialization within the field (talent management, compliance, diversity & inclusion, etc.)?
I think HR professionals need to be generalists, to a degree. We need to continually expand our knowledge and expertise across the entire function.
That said, there are two fundamental challenges for HR. The first is attracting talent. Candidates drive the market today, so we need to make it easy for them to understand who we are and why they should join us. We need to paint a clear picture of our culture, and explain what the candidate can expect when they join us. This message needs to be clear and consistent across the entire candidate experience, from the job posting to the first days, weeks, and months as an employee.
The second is developing that talent. The job offer is really only the beginning of the relationship! HR professionals need to be strong people leaders to help ensure the long-term success of employees. We need to be able to set clear expectations, have difficult conversations, deliver candid feedback and coaching, and create personalized development plans for the people we hire.
KKH: What skills will be most important to HR professionals in the future?
We need to keep getting better at doing the things I described above. We need to focus on being more strategic and finding ways to be more adaptive to changing conditions. Because whether we like it or not, change is constant.
We also need to adapt our “awareness” skills to the new reality. It’s harder to interpret body language on a screen than it was in person. But that’s where we meet candidates now, so we need to get better at it.
KKH: What trends, challenges or issues do you see most affecting your profession?
The biggest challenge is maintaining a solid fix on moving targets. These are turbulent times! We’re navigating through the “Great Resignation,” and HR is under huge pressure to find candidates, hire them, nurture them, and convince them to stay. That’s always been a challenge, but today it’s bigger than ever.
Intradiem is a technology company, but we’re a “people first” technology company. That’s a big part of why we’ve been successful. Putting people first creates a virtuous circle, and companies that understand this will lead the charge into the future.
HR has a bigger role to play in that future. We’re already people experts; we know that the overall well-being of our employees has a direct impact on the quality of their contribution. Being more forceful advocates for focusing on the well-being of employees – the people who make our companies tick – will help drive success, for them and for the organization as a whole.
Read more: