This survey, the most recent in a series dating back to 2008, includes responses from more than 6,600 partici-pants in 113 countries. To supplement the quantitative findings, the authors interviewed more than 30 people management leaders at organizations around the world.
Identifying the Most Urgent People Management Topics
Respondents rated 32 people management topics accord-ing to their organization’s current level of capability and each topic’s future importance. Combining those two dimensions shows the people management areas requir-ing the most urgent action:
•Digitization. Most companies are struggling to digitize their HR departments. Compounding the challenge is the fact that employees are accustomed to streamlined digital experiences and intuitive interfaces in their per-sonal technology, so they want modern solutions at work as well. By taking deliberate and proactive steps to build up digital capabilities and skills, HR can fulfill its man-date of becoming a true partner to business units.
•Talent. The ever-intensifying competition for talent—especially digital talent—requires a state-of-the-art approach to finding, managing, and cultivating high- potential employees. The emergence of the gig econo-my now requires that organizations manage a hybrid workforce of contractors, gig workers, temp workers, and traditional employees. At same time, HR must strategi-cally identify skills that the organization will need in the future, along with developmental approaches to close any gaps.
•The Future of Work. As they emerge from COVID-19, companies are pushing HR to take a more active role in redefining how and where work gets done. Initiatives such as rethinking work processes, implementing a new
organizational structure with the right workforce mix
(including full-time employees, gig workers, and other contingent labor), and enabling transformational change are becoming larger priorities for HR.
Recommendations for Decision Makers
The survey data and the insights generated in the expert interviews point to five key actions for people management leaders to take in 2021 and beyond:
•Put employees at the center. Continuously listen to and collect feedback from employees to focus HR work on what they really need; upgrade employee journeys and organize HR workflows from their point of view; and individualize career paths and learning opportunities.
•Shape the future of work. Define a smart work strate-gy, rethink employment options and workforce structure, and foster affiliation by sharpening the organization’s purpose and culture to inspire employees.
•Accelerate in digital. Get the IT basics right, focus on digital priorities that make a difference to employees, and improve people analytics maturity.
•Set new paradigms for skills and employees. Dy-namically plan the organization’s workforce for the future, build a learning organization, and enhance HR expertise.
•Transform the people management function. Develop and follow a clear HR and people management strategy with defined principles and priorities, rethink the target HR organization, and transform managers into real people leaders.
加速数字化。HR 必须加强其在数字、IT 和分析方面的能力,以适应未来的组织工作场所、改善员工体验并发挥更具战略意义的作用。只有约三分之一的受访者表示 HR 拥有可提供无缝、个性化体验的数字工具;少数人表示他们的组织拥有强大的人力资源 IT 系统来捆绑和分析员工数据。为了改进,公司需要正确掌握 IT 基础知识,专注于对员工产生影响的数字优先事项,并提高人员分析的成熟度。