guest column..Emmanuel Zvada
WE live in an age of disruption and there is no doubt about that. New business models are coming up everyday, hence standing still is not an option since everything seems to accelerate. Truth be told, disruption has entered every industry and every aspect of our lives. Disruption is here to stay, so if we cannot run away from it, then I suggest we face it head-on.
The bottom line is that whether you are the leaders of your organisations or you are the HR practitioners, accept the fact that these disruptions are here to stay and become champions of this change within organisations rather than followers.
HR occupies a unique position in the organisation because we have to navigate the change not just for ourselves but for the whole organisation. Not only is technology changing every aspect of the HR function but the function is also responsible for helping the wider organisation prepare for and deal with the technological disruption . What is disruption
Disruption is caused by disruptive innovations. These innovations introduce the consumer to technology that will require them to change their current behaviour or modify the way things used to be done .
Disruptive innovation is an innovation that creates a new market and value network and eventually disrupts an existing market and value network, displacing established market-leading firms, products, and alliances.
The world of talent and workplace learning is constantly evolving. Organisations recognise the need to move with these times and to up-skill their workforce in line with the latest emerging trends in workplace learning.
Indeed, HR technology providers are increasingly designing applications for employees first, to enable workers learn and develop, collaborate, share feedback, steer their careers, and even manage other people more effectively.
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The trend reflects a major shift from a decade ago, when vendors designed HR systems primarily to streamline HR administration, improve record-keeping, and help redesign HR processes.Today, digital technologies are transforming nearly every aspect of HR, from sourcing and recruiting to talent and performance management.The below HR skills are also needed in the age of disruptions:The entrepreneur mindset
HR professionals have to speak the language of business and familiarise themselves with the entire ecosystem they operate in. The entrepreneurial mindset is about a certain way of thinking; it is about the way in which you approach challenges and mistakes. Having a business mindset is understanding strategy and implementing it into your business practices.
These HR practitioners tend to focus on the day-to-day mundane tasks and deadlines, solving short-term problems, and implementing marketing tactics that are not even a good fit for our businesses.
Strategy skills where HR should be proactive with the changes in the environment is also critical, They have to look at where they are going and how to get there. HR professionals should equip themselves with knowledge of the business to understand the talent requirements more effectively.Digital mindset and digital savvy
It is crucial to highlight that being digitally savvy is not the same as having a digital mindset. Being digitally savvy simply shows an individual’s ability to use specific technologies to develop a digital mindset more seamlessly, should they be willing to do so. In the digital age, however, not choosing to develop a digital mindset leads to disastrous consequences.
To help the entire organisation and all employees through digital transformation, HR professionals first have to get comfortable with the new technologies. It is essential that they invest in their own learning and development, and get as much knowledge as they can hold to help their organisations in the digital age.
HR agility is the capability of the HR function to respond more quickly and effectively to changing employee expectations, workplace disruptions, and business requirements. Change has always been a constant but the frequency and the scale at which change occurs today is massive. HR professionals have to be flexible and ensure that the company develops capabilities as per the changing business need.
As agile leaders, they should endeavour to create a culture of agility at an organisational level. HR professionals have responded to these challenges with agility; now technology and analytical insights are shaping how talent is nurtured in the organisation. The skills that HR should nurture in the organisation are a mix of technical and soft skills. HR agility requires sincere teamwork with client functions, and it thrives on constructive feedback that is crucial for refining the approach taken to provide seamless services.
The most important thing to note here is that agility helps move the HR department and the organisation move forward. Keeping pace with the competition is key to the survival of the company, and in today’s rigorous working environment, increasing efficiency and productivity provide a full-proof road to success. Agile HR realigns your organisation to respond to the dynamic changes in today’s business environment. Instead of sticking to rigid plans, agile HR supports flexibility and innovation.
Future focused Besides being adaptable, flexible and agile to the ongoing changes, HR has to prepare for the innovations that are yet to occur and the development that might define the future of work. This is where a strong knowledge of current trends and the potential they come with will come in handy. Adaptability and flexibility skills
Being adaptive to change in the workplace is the first and foremost trait that HR people need to have. Flexibility is the idea that your plans can change very quickly, sometimes with notice and sometimes without.
We can not always predict when changes like these are going to happen. That is why flexibility is so important. When you are flexible, you are versatile, resilient and responsive to change. You can adapt to unexpected demands in the workplace sudden surges in work. The HR team should be able to understand when it’s time to modify old policies, create new ones and how to help employees embrace change .
If you are proactive, you make things happen, instead of waiting for them to happen to you. Active means “doing something”. On the same not pro-means “before”. So if you are proactive, you are ready before something happens. Pro-activity is often considered more of a personality trait than a skill. However, it is certainly something you can develop over time. HR professional, are the connection between the employer and the employee, therefore pro-activity can them in spotting potential problems early and preventing them from escalating.
Analytical means that a person has a tendency toward analysis of “facts” presented, detail oriented means that a person orients themselves well with details discovered, and that they can more easily relate one detail to another through process of analysis.
Skills related to data-driven working and analytics have emerged rapidly in this age of disruption. Most HR professionals are now required to be analytically-driven and oriented as well as using data analytics to make better decisions. This can involve the use of complicated predictive analytics on HR data,HR dashboards or the much simpler use of data to make better decisions.
The journey for HR to pace up with all the changes in the age of disruption is critical in making thriving business. In the world of business, if we are not disrupting ourselves, we will soon be disrupted.
