The HR function is dealing with a range of questions: How can it prove its relevance within its organisation and bring strategic value? How can HR design an employee experience that responds to evolving demands? And how can it utilise technology to truly understand the needs and motivations of employees?
In our survey of over 1,300 HR executives from across the globe — we found that
3 in 5 believe that the HR function will rapidly become irrelevant if it doesn’t modernise its approach to understanding and planning for the future needs of the workforce.
“When you’re finished changing, you’re finished” – Benjamin Franklin (USA Founding Father)
We can see a path forward for HR that requires some fundamentally new thinking about what HR does and how it is built to deliver. The way forward may start with discrete adoption of workforce shaping, or piloting a more digital experience in one of their business units. In our view, these interim steps are only going to be helpful if they catalyse a more thorough rebuilding of HR capabilities.
In this year’s study we identified four interconnected focus areas prevalent for a small subset of the sample. We define this group as Pathfinding HR. This confident group of HR executives are simultaneously focusing on four discrete capabilities to chart their course to the future in a disrupted world:
- Shaping the workforce of the future
- Nurturing a purpose driven culture
- Designing a “consumer grade” employee experience
- Evidence-based workforce insights.
Download the full report and watch the video on KPMG’s website
