The global business environment is undergoing unprecedented change and human resources (HR) must develop new skills to stay relevant
The social and economic center of gravity of our world constantly shifts from west to east. Many developing countries face a ‘new normal’ characterized by persistent economic uncertainty, prolonged unemployment, excessive debt, and sluggish consumer demand. At the same time, emerging countries are thriving as their growing populations and middle class translates into a powerful new group of consumers and workers. And all of this is happening in an unpredictable context of natural disasters, political turmoil, dwindling global resources, and wildly fluctuating commodity prices.
These forces have important implications for the future of business and human resources. And the future starts now.
Next-Generation Human Resource Transformation In the past, Human Resource Transformation has focused on making existing HR services more efficient, effective, and compatible. The implicit assumption was that human resources had already done what they needed to do; I just needed to make them more efficient, faster, and cheaper.
Now the rules of the game change. Key HR capabilities such as efficient and effective service delivery, integrated HR systems, employee self-service, and timely access to relevant/correct workforce data are more important than ever. But today it’s all about table stakes – basic building blocks that every HR role must-have.
What companies need to consider in the future are human resource capabilities that not only support the business strategy but also enable it.