5 minute read
HR Foundations: Redesigning the workplace
It has been two years since New Zealand entered pandemic management. HR worked at the heart of these changes. Denise Hartley-Wilkins explores topics addressed in the HR Foundations course and the role HR has in these pandemicenforced changes.
I remember many saying, “It’ll all be over by the year-end; we can go back to normal working”. It became clear that would never be the case. When I think of that logic, I am reminded of Peter Drucker, who said, “the greatest danger in times of turbulence is not the turbulence itself, but to act with yesterday’s logic". We needed different ways of thinking and responding; disruptive, adaptive, collaborative. Challenge and opportunity came together, a burning platform catalyst for change. The future workplace came hurtling towards us, like it or not. I read that, globally, we achieved a level of workplace change in 12 months that would typically have taken five years.
Two years on, what’s changed for organisations, their people and HR professionals?
In the HR Foundations programme, participants report that managers increasingly see the value of HR. Our role as people professionals has become ever more central, demonstrating the value of what we do in our organisations.
Where the landscape lies
The HRNZ HR Trends Survey (2021) identified recruitment and retention as one of the main issues affecting organisations. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to labour market changes. In New Zealand, closed borders have affected our ability to bring in offshore talent, resulting in a tight labour pool. Factor in the ‘Great Resignation’ or ‘Great Rethink’, as some call it, with a suggested 50 per cent of people thinking of changing jobs, and we are seeing employers responding in different ways in a candidate-squeezed market. Pay hikes, retention bonuses and poaching are familiar stories. The trouble is monetary incentives might be an attractor or a shortterm holding pattern, but they won’t hold people in the long term. What retains people is a redefined sense of purpose, inclusiveness, relational ties, greater flexibility and autonomy, human-centred leadership and a high trust culture.
It seems some New Zealand organisations have cottoned on to this. In the 2021 HRNZ survey, respondents acknowledged the importance of developing a compelling employee value proposition or ‘employee experience’ proposition (an emerging language shift). As HR professionals, we need to guard against up-selling and ensure the narrative reflects the reality. Is the organisation living up to the ‘dream and promise’ it sold? “Recruit on reputation, retain with reality” is a phrase I have heard.
If you can’t buy, then build
Where businesses cannot compete through pay, or are unwilling to, we are seeing increased investment in building their internal capability.
The benefits are a more flexible workforce, agile working, and career development, which in itself is an attraction tool. We are starting to see the emergence of agile job descriptions, replacing the traditional boxed role approach.
Hybrid working is here to stay
HR professionals are reporting candidates are calling the shots not only around pay and benefits but also remote working expectations. McKinsey’s 2021 global survey found that around 75 per cent of employees would like to work from home two or more days a week. In the HRNZ June 2020 survey, 82 per cent of respondents reported their organisations planned to continue with remote working to some extent. They also reported the successes: productivity and engagement were not tied to where people worked from; companies could conduct most of their business effectively remotely; and leadership and management having a more open approach to remote working. roles, which has helped address the talent crunch and promote diversity in the workplace. Hiring managers can expand their search outside of their geographic location to a wider talent pool.
Emerging two-tier workforce risk
Right now, in a hybrid workforce, what does this mean for remote employees? Compared with employees who choose to go to the office, do remote employees get the same access to the boss? This can affect the allocation of resources, access to personal development and promotion opportunities. Do remote employees have the same level of inclusion as in-person team members? Are their voices still in the mix?
A question for HR professionals is might certain diversity groups be more affected than others?
The pandemic has shown us new ways to be agile and flexible in how we work. The expectation remains on us to continue to step up, to help deal with the many emerging challenges and to also look ahead, to operate strategically.
These are just a few of the issues we discuss in the three-day HR Foundations programme, which is designed for HR practitioners who may be early on in their career or who want to extend their knowledge of leading-edge HR practice. We cover all the major HR functions from resourcing to performance management, change management, employment relations to remuneration and reward. Whether you want to join us in person or virtually, we look forward to welcoming you into the HR Foundations room.
Denise Hartley-Wilkins, CFHRNZ, is the National President of HRNZ. In her day job, she is the Director of Shine People Consulting based in Nelson and works across New Zealand. She delivers training on all things people management, is an ICF accredited coach and Global Team Coach Institute Certified Team Coach Practitioner. She specialises in developing leaders who people want to follow, teams that hum nicely and workplaces that shine! Denise teaches the HRNZ HR Foundations and HR101 professional development programmes.
