No10 | All About Talent - HR World Magazine

#talents

october 2023

No 10

UMAN

The care and nurturing of talent within a company are inherent. A company strives to operate at its best, optimally, and profitably. That is its goal, and it is our mission. Talents, in this equation, contribute directly to that goal. So, the natural conclusion is that talents are important.

In the issue before you, you will find a wealth of articles on recognizing, developing, retaining, and engaging talents. I hope all of them prove to be beneficial to you. However, a thought has been nagging at me since the inception of this issue.

In an era when we fervently advocate for an agenda of inclusion and embracing diversity, the discourse surrounding talents seems to stand apart and divide us. But if we refer to some as talents, does that imply that everyone else within the company are non-talents?

Let's shift our perspective and reframe the question of talents as a question of passion. Each person is talented in something; it's just a matter of whether they are engaged in it. Probably not. The question is, does every employee work in a role that aligns with their talents and passions?

Is this an idealistic notion? Yes. Is it possible to make such a shift and find the "ideal place" for everyone? No. But I would love for the concept of talents not to be associated with elitism. It would be wonderful if we could remember that WE ARE ALL THE SAME, we are all humans. Perhaps then, we might treat the question of talents differently.

Because this seems like an uncomfortable challenge to a truth that is entirely justified from a business standpoint. However, on the flip side, this paradigm that we are all the same, that we are all talents (in some way), leads us to one of the burning issues that every HR professional grapples with, as well as the focus of this magazine issue – the war for talents.

The talent deficit disappears, and we all become talents. Imagine that reality.

A fairy tale. Now, envision at least one small step you can take in that direction – the direction where talents are all around us and within us.

Good luck!

Nevena Stanisavljević Editor-in-Chief

P.S. I would like to express my gratitude to all the authors and, especially, to the expert editor of this issue, Jakob Kiblböck, Head of SAP Success Factors CEE, for his contribution and unwavering support. Thank you.

IMPRESSUM EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Nevena Stanisavljević EXPERT EDITOR Jakob Kiblböck MANAGING EDITORS Tamara Jeremić Aleksandra Fuštić CONTRIBUTORS Jakob Kiblböck, Perry Timms, Alisa Evsina, Suzana Marović, Alina Perrin, Patti P. Phillips, Jack J. Phillips, Jasna Terzić, Miloš Petrović, Bojana Mucić, Maja Ninković Shapera, Ivana Vidović, Milica Perišić, Tjaša Bogataj, Tijana Bošnjak, Ivana Lazarević, Nicole Yelsey, Miguel Hernández, Vladimir Milenković…

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS & STAFF Maša Vlahović, Danica Ristić, Marija Todorović, Jovana Kostadinović, Katarina Đorđević, Almira Laličić, Lara Kukobat, Vlada Ranđelović, Anđela Petronijević, Nevena Bošković, Bojana Gaković, Nevena Mićović PHOTOGRAPHY Unsplash, Freepik, Envato DESIGN Belpak LLC, Željka Bašić Stankov Polovinas design studio, Belgrade PRINT Belpak LLC, Belgrade 2.000 copies PUBLISHER HR WORLD LLC PUBLICATION Twice per year Half year edition

CIP - Каталогизација у публикацији Народна библиотека Србије, Београд 005.96 HR World : better HR for a better world / glavna i odgovorna Editor-in-Chief Nevena Stanisavljević. - 2019, no. 1 (apr.)- . - Beograd : HR World, 2019- (Beograd : Caligraph). - 27 cm ISSN 2620-2859 = HR World COBISS.SR-ID 276133644

2 | HR World 10 | October 2023

Content

06

TALENT FOSTERING TALENT WITH THE HELP OF CUTTINGEDGE HR TECHNOLOGY & BUSINESS AI JAKOB KIBLBÖCK, HEAD OF SUCCESSFACTORS CEE, SAP SUCCESSFACTORS

09

TALENT TALENT MANAGEMENT: TRUTH OR DARE? ALINA PERRIN, HEAD OF PEOPLE, AMBER

17

TALENT TALENT: THE RETENTION PARADOX PERRY TIMMS, FOUNDER AND CHIEF ENERGY OFFICER, PTHR

22

STRATEGY THE TIMES ARE CHANGING. HOW CAN HR NAVIGATE THE HR STRATEGY NOW? ALISA EVSINA, HR DIRECTOR, NIS

27

INTERVIEW C-LEVEL SPOTLIGHT INTERVIEW MILOŠ PETROVIĆ, COO, OIP

30

TALENT DATA-DRIVEN TALENT MANAGEMENT: A NEW ERA WITH PEOPLE ANALYTICS TIJANA BOŠNJAK, HEAD OF TALENT SOUTH EAST MARKET, NESTLÉ

35

INTERVIEW C-LEVEL SPOTLIGHT INTERVIEW JASNA TERZIĆ, CEO, ERSTE BANK SERBIA

38

ENGAGEMENT FROM CULTURE TO COMMUNITY: THE NEW FRONTIER IN EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT MAJA NINKOVIĆ SHAPERA, VP PEOPLE, MITTO, NADA KRSTIĆ PANJEVIĆ, SENIOR MANAGER, PEOPLE & CULTURE, MITTO

47

INTERVIEW C-LEVEL SPOTLIGHT INTERVIEW BOJANA MUCIĆ, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES, NELT GROUP

50

LEADERSHIP WOMEN LEADERS IN THE LARGEST PRIVATE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM IN THE REGION MEDIGROUP

52

TALENT HOW TO PREVENT KEY RESOURCES FROM LEAVING THE COMPANY SUZANA MAROVIĆ, HEAD OF HR DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, TELEKOM SRBIJA

55

TALENT A WINNING FORMULA TO A GREAT TALENT MANAGEMENT SUZANA MAROVIĆ, HEAD OF HR DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, TELEKOM SRBIJA

58

TALENT THE PATH OF SHAPING THE TALENTS OF THE FUTURE MILICA PERIŠIĆ, SENIOR HR PROFESSIONAL, NETCONOMY

64

DEVELOPMENT GROWING TOGETHER: HOW TO ENSURE CAREER VITALITY OF OUR EMPLOYEES? ALUMIL YU INDUSTRY

66

ORG DESIGN WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO THE CONCEPT OF HR BUSINESS PARTNERSHIP? IVAN STEFANOVIĆ, HEAD OF STRATEGIC PROGRAMS OFFICE, HYPEROPTIC

74

EXPERIENCE WHERE WILL I BE IN 10 YEARS? SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC

76

STRATEGY WHICH TALENT ATTRACTION STRATEGY DO YOU USE IN THIS ONGOING WAR FOR TALENTS? VLADIMIR MILENKOVIĆ, HR BUSINESS PARTNER, A1

78

INNOVATION BRIDGING THE GAP: CONVINCING TOPLEVEL EXECUTIVES OF THE VALUE OF HR DIGITALIZATION IVANA LAZAREVIĆ, HR SPECIALIST, YOUBELEE

80

TALENT WHY YOU NEED TALENT INTELLIGENCE TO ELEVATE YOUR BUSINESS GAME? SANDRA PRVULOVIĆ, STRATEGIC TALENT ACQUISITION LEADER, FENIX HR

82

DEVELOPMENT DO YOU (EVEN) KNOW HOW TO LEARN? NEVENA MIĆOVIĆ, FOUNDER, MY LANGUAGE AVENUE

85

INNOVATION CAN KINDNESS BE THE KEY TO A HAPPIER AND MORE PRODUCTIVE WORKPLACE? NICOLE YELSEY, COFOUNDER & CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, KINDWORKS. AI, MIGUEL HERNÁNDEZ, ACCOUNT MANAGER, KINDWORKS.AI

89

BUSINESS CAN HYBRID WORK BRING A POSITIVE ROI? PATTI P. PHILLIPS, PH.D., CEO, ROI INSTITUTE, JACK J. PHILLIPS, PH.D., CHAIRMAN, ROI INSTITUTE, MATIC KADLIČEK, CEO, VIDEO CENTER

96

COMMUNICATIONS INSIDE OUT - UNVEILING THE SUPERPOWER OF INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS IVANA VIDOVIĆ, COMMUNITY LEAD, TOPIC_COMMUNITY

99

TALENT RETHINKING SUCCESS: SHIFTING FOCUS FROM TALENT TO POTENTIAL IN THE DEVELOPMENT JOURNEY TJAŠA BOGATAJ, COACH, UPORABNA PSIHOLOGIJA

105

TALENT HOW NOT TO LOSE YOUR TALENT WHEN LAYOFFS HIT DANICA RISTIĆ, HR CONSULTANT

107

HR PERSPECTIVE RAMADA PODGORICA

BY WYNDHAM

TALENT

FOSTERING TALENT

with the help of cutting-edge HR Technology & Business AI

Jakob Kiblbӧck, Head of SuccessFactors CEE, SAP 6 | HR World 10 | October 2023

TALENT

In today's fast-paced business landscape, harnessing and nurturing talent is of utmost importance. As organizations strive to stay competitive and innovative, the synergy between cutting-edge HR technology and advanced AI solutions is proving to be a game-changer. In this article, the focus is on delving into how these powerful tools are revolutionizing talent management, thereby paving the way for unprecedented growth and success.

Modern HR technology today is an enabler to unlocking high performance or the necessary “must-have ingredient” that frees up leaders’ time so they can focus on managing the mix of all the talents and skills they have in their organization.

Equally important is to spend enough time on fostering and further developing their people, always with the “What is next” mindset for the individual and the group – how to remain agile, how to reward and motivate people to achieve company goals, in line with their personal aspirations, ambitions, and interests?

Learning is the best example to illustrate this – no matter how good and talented we are in our jobs, we all need to stay on top of our personal development and continuously invest in learning to upskill

and often even reskill ourselves in order to remain relevant.

PERSONALIZATION IS A MUST

Over time, many companies had to transform their business models and processes to keep up with the rapid changes in business. Along with this came reskilling and upskilling of the employees, tracking all the innovations on the market, adapting their skill sets and job descriptions to bring new solutions to the market, the clients and customers, etc. The business landscape today is fundamentally different from what it was 10 years ago. Hence, putting people first and making learning became essential for any business to thrive.

“Putting people at the center of work” is the motto people have fully embraced in SAP CEE. This philosophy is lived and it resonates with the product philosophy!

Valuing every person every day by honoring their needs and motivations, helps drive better business results, and this goes for any business. This concept revolves around “moments that matter to me.” It is about understanding each unique individual, how they are impacted by their environment, what makes them tick, and how they choose to contribute.

At the heart of every thriving company lies a pool of exceptional talents. But how to foster them?

Just as humans change and pivot throughout their (private & business) lives, it is natural to approach employees’

1 https://news.sap.com/2020/10/whole-self-model-organizational-agility/

October 2023 | HR World 10| 7

TALENT

to gain visibility into the skills and capabilities of the entire workforce, help employees move within the organization to new career and development opportunities while building the skills and agility needed for the future.

✔ Learning and development:

Personalized learning opportunities and recommendations for employee growth, upskilling and reskilling

✔ Recruiting: the opportunity to find

the best job candidates with intelligent resume analysis and discover the best job candidates with intelligent resume analysis careers and the way talents are managed in the same way1. This is called the “whole self ” model. It is the lens through which employees experience change and opportunity throughout their careers. It includes work styles, mindsets, experiences, aspirations, passions, and more, all of which are in constant flux.

Talent Management processes and underlying technology should be designed to support the journey from who I am today to who I am becoming tomorrow. Without such a holistic view of talent, or flexibility, even the best-of-breed technology is doomed to fail.

PERENNIAL HR CHALLENGES & ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE Looking at the future of work, the Talent Management challenges will remain ever so important. These socalled “perennial HR challenges” are the basic, fundamental challenges related to workforce management that impact all organizations2: • Designing future-proof organizations • Filling critical roles in a sustainable manner • Developing capabilities & essential skills

• Enhancing & engaging performance • Increasing efficiency & productivity • Ensuring compliance • Building a strong culture.

What’s changing are the trends, which are shaping talent management3 and the tools and technology as our allies to help manage these challenges in the best possible way. To give a nice example from the HR tech world - look at Artificial Intelligence. AI has become the buzzword recently.

With the growing popularity and adoption of ChatGPT, everybody is thinking about [Generative] AI and how it can be applied to business processes.

HR is no exception. With business AI built into the employee experience, organizations have the potential to transform their recruit-to-retire process, optimize workforce planning, deepen employee engagement, and align the employee experience to their business objectives throughout the employee lifecycle.

In regards to this, the talent management use cases should include: Talent Intelligence: the possibility

✔

2 Addressing Perennial HR Challenges with Human Experience Management Technology An Analysis of Business Results reported by SAP SuccessFactors Customers 2022 Edition 3 https://www.sap.com/insights/talent-management-strategy.html

8 | HR World 10 | October 2023

✔ Employee Experience: the possibility to

complete tasks faster with digital assistants, offering personalized employee home pages and role specific information.

Some of the most exciting times in HR technologies are happening TODAY. With rapid developments, many use cases in the HR space will be seen in the near future, which will reshape the way organizations manage talents and drive organizational success. Embracing the power technology brings to businesses and especially HR departments becomes essential, and it becomes increasingly evident that fostering talents is one of the biggest strategic imperatives for any organization.

The synergy of technological innovation and human potential is not a distant vision; it’s here, and organizations must utilize it as best as they can.

TALENT

TALENT MANAGEMENT:

TRUTH OR DARE? Alina Perrin, Head of People, Amber October 2023 | HR World 10| 9

TALENT

TALENT KEEPS CEOS UP AT NIGHT When we asked Marius Stefan the president of the Romanian Business Leaders and the CEO of his group of companies - what keeps him up at night, he spoke about the allocation of talent in his organization, making sure that “the right talent is in the right place at the right moment of their career”.

This answer perfectly matches the one given by the 529 CEOs participating in the 2023 survey of the Global Leadership Forecast. Overwhelmingly, they all ranked talent-related challenges as the ones that keep them up at night, outranking other economic and business challenges.1

10 | HR World 10 | October 2023

TALENT

Attracting and retaining top talent, developing the next generation of leaders, and maintaining an engaged workforce are the top three concerns for CEOs. Even during crises or especially during tough periods, talents are more than ever crucial to the survival and thriving of a business. This is the context in which talents are the most vulnerable and the most likely to leave the business, be it because of being hunted by competitors, or because of a desired change in the career path, or simply because of the stress and pressure that push them to take a break.

Today, more than ever, talent management is critical.

WHAT IS THE NEW AGE FORMULA OF TALENT? For a very long time, "talent" meant a genius coder who barely spoke, a sales representative who could charm the socks off anyone, or a guy who could solve a Rubik's Cube blindfolded. In today's fast-paced world, the game has changed.

Defining talent isn't as straightforward as it used to be. It is not just about natural abilities anymore and it isn't just about being good at something.

Marius Stefan defines talent through a person’s approach to life. “With rare exceptions, we don’t expect people who join our company to have technical knowledge.

We look at their attitude and their behaviors.”

Talent is about being good, willing to get better, and knowing why it matters.

This is the trifecta: aptitude, skills, and experience.

Definition of Talent. Psychologist K. Anders Ericsson's work on “deliberate practice” shows that mastery requires about 10,000 hours of focused effort, not just innate ability. “Individual differences, even among elite performers,

are closely related to assessed amounts of deliberate practice. Many characteristics once believed to reflect innate talent are actually the result of intense practice extended for a minimum of 10 years.”2 Studies also indicate that structured learning plays a significant role in professional success, underscoring that talent is multidimensional and can be developed. This vision of talent has crucial implications for how best to gauge the impact of nature in the development of talent.3 Because without effort, talent is nothing more than unmet potential, and the skill is nothing more than what one could have done but didn’t, as Angela Duckworth argued.4 Real-world examples. While the three dimensions - aptitude, skills, and experience - are reference points for defining talent, the company culture and the profession shape the faces that talent can take. This diversity can be seen in realworld examples.

Elon Musk, for example, has engineering know-how, business acumen, and a grand vision for the future. Susan Fowler not only had software engineering skills but also blew the whistle on the toxic culture at Uber. She combined technical skills with her courage and communication skills using her experience to bring to light the events. Malala Yousafzai, as another example, is more than just an advocate for education. Her resilience and public speaking skills have made her a global icon.

Steve Jobs had a knack for technology and an incredible eye for design, showing that talent often comes from multiple angles.

Talent is not a single-faceted gem; it’s a composite of qualities that bring real value to a job. In CIPD’s understanding, talent refers to individuals who can make a significant difference to organizational performance, either through their immediate contribution or by reaching their highest levels of potential.

THREE PRACTICES THAT ARE MOST CLOSELY LINKED WITH EFFECTIVE TALENT MANAGEMENT: RAPID ALLOCATION OF TALENT — THAT IS, BEING ABLE TO MOVE PEOPLE AMONG STRATEGIC PROJECTS QUICKLY AS PRIORITIES EMERGE AND FADE; HR’S INVOLVEMENT IN CREATING A POSITIVE EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE & A STRATEGICALLY MINDED HR TEAM. October 2023 | HR World 10| 11

TALENT

Still, many organizations are broadening their definitions, looking at the “talents” of all their staff and working on ways to develop their strengths. At its broadest, the term ”talent” may be used to include an organization’s whole workforce.

In today's competitive business landscape, understanding the true meaning of talent and how to manage it effectively can make or break an organization.

WHAT IS THE REAL MEANING OF TALENT MANAGEMENT? Navigating the Talent Management Maze Talent management is not a one-and-done deal. While in the past it was just a hiring game, today's rapidly evolving business landscape demands a comprehensive strategy for nurturing and retaining highquality professionals.

Benefits of Effective Talent Management.

Organizations with effective talent management don't just win on paper.

12 | HR World 10 | October 2023

A study published in the Harvard Business Review showed that companies with strong talent management practices have a 41% lower turnover rate and generate 2.5 times higher revenue per employee.5 Survey findings indicate three practices that are most closely linked with effective talent management: rapid allocation of talent— that is, being able to move people among strategic projects quickly as priorities emerge and fade; HR’s involvement in creating a positive employee experience; a strategically minded HR team.6 Roles on the rise The Future of Jobs Report 2023 shows that the fastest-growing roles relative to their size today are driven by technology - AI and Machine Learning Specialists top the list of fast-growing jobs, digitalization - Business Intelligence Analysts and Information Security Analysts, and sustainability - Renewable Energy Engineers and Solar Energy Installation and System Engineers are relatively fast-growing roles, as economies shift towards renewable energy.8

Skills-based model On the other hand, in today’s reality, the most fundamental building block of work — the job — could be hampering many organizations. More and more organizations are starting to apply skills-based models aiming to answer today’s most critical organizational objectives: organizational agility, growth, and innovation; diversity, inclusion, and equity; and the ability to offer a positive workforce experience for people.9 Skills are on the rise. The Future of Jobs Report 20238 reports business expectations for the evolution of the importance of skills to their workers in the next five years. Cognitive skills are reported to be growing in importance most quickly, reflecting the increasing importance of complex problem-solving in the workplace. Surveyed businesses report creative thinking to be growing in importance slightly more rapidly than analytical thinking. Technology literacy is the third-fastest growing core skill.

TALENT

Self-efficacy skills rank above working with others in the rate of increase in importance of skills reported by businesses.

The socio-emotional attitudes that businesses consider to be growing in importance most quickly are curiosity and lifelong learning; resilience, flexibility and agility; and motivation and selfawareness – evidence that businesses emphasize the importance of resilient and reflective workers embracing a culture of lifelong learning as the lifecycle of their skills decreases. Systems thinking, AI and big data, talent management, and service orientation and customer service complete the top 10.

CORE COMPONENTS OF MODERN TALENT MANAGEMENT Identifying and Attracting Talents A McKinsey study shows that organizations that succeed in attracting highly qualified talents are 1.3 times more likely to overcome their competitors.10 Another study made on more than

600,000 researchers, entertainers, politicians, and athletes found that high performers are 400 % more productive than average ones.11 As Steve Jobs said: “Go after the cream of the cream. A small team of A+ players can run circles around a giant team of B and C players.”12 Technology is the Game Changer While gut feelings used to be the best barometer to detect talents, today technology is the game changer. “Machines are better than humans at hiring the best employees”, saidg Rebecca Greenfield back in 2015 when showing the findings of a new research that studied what happened when an algorithm picked the candidate.13 HR software systems SuccessFactors (SAP), Workday and many others gather information through sources such as LinkedIn to provide advanced warning when top talent may be starting to be open for new opportunities. Utilizing data analytics to sift through the candidate pool is becoming common practice and AI is a powerful tool to explore untapped potential.

SURVEYED BUSINESSES REPORT CREATIVE THINKING TO BE GROWING IN IMPORTANCE SLIGHTLY MORE RAPIDLY THAN ANALYTICAL THINKING. TECHNOLOGY LITERACY IS THE THIRD-FASTEST GROWING CORE SKILL.

October 2023 | HR World 10| 13

TALENT STRATEGY

Development of Talent The transformation of jobs and skills has significant impacts on companies and their business. It is crucial to work on forecasts, identify the appropriate talent to promote growth, and make informed decisions on managing the significant disruptions to jobs and skills. Besides, a skills-based approach to workforce development can help close the skills gaps and address labor shortages.

Knowing that the greatest barriers to transformation and scaling in companies are skills gaps and talent availability, investing in training is the most promising workforce strategy alongside automation.

Building workforce skills, via training and reskilling or upskilling, is essential to support new ways of working and new business priorities. And focusing on skills—particularly social and emotional skills, including empathy, leadership, and adaptability—can help close existing skill gaps.6 Marius Stefan shared his faith in learning as a leverage to successful talent management, reminding that talent in his organizations is raised in the spirit of continuous growth via reading, formal training, mentoring, coaching, participation in Mastermind groups, etc.

Being or becoming a learning organization creates an environment where “new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where people are continually learning how to learn together.”14 This approach is beneficial to employees, to the bottom line—mainly because an innovative, successful business thrives off the solutions its workforce creates -- and to the talent retention that can be increased by 30%.15 Monitoring & Rewarding Performance More and more companies are doubling down on development, often by putting

14 | HR World 10 | October 2023

their employees in charge of their own growth. Because learning is not only about structured training, but a blended offer of diverse learning activities (on-the-job training, mentoring, shadowing, coaching, etc.), this approach implies a high amount of feedback and appraisals.

The president of Romanian Business Leaders spoke about the way his organization is monitoring growth and performance: bi-weekly check-ins, threemonth intermediary review discussion, six-month 4 hours of formal conversation dedicated to business results (1 hour) and to becoming a better person (3 hours).

In recent years, most HR information systems were built to move appraisals online and connect them to pay increases and succession planning.16 The latest versions were designed to accommodate continuous feedback and while the debate is still open about tying or not performance to compensation and benefits decisions, the performance review remains a great tool to increase productivity and amplify motivation.17 Fairness and growth must be the guiding principles of an efficient performance management system alongside the alignment of individual, team, and company goals.

Employee Experience in the Digital Workplace While the digital age started decades ago, the pandemic forced companies to jump directly into a remote or hybrid world where the frontier between personal and professional life was blurred. Furthermore, what was supposed to bring more productivity and creativity opened Pandora’s box questioning the way remote teams can still bond, company culture can still be cultivated, and engagement can still be stimulated.

With millions of workers unhappy at work, engaging employees in the new digital workplace is one of the hottest topics in talent management.

The key to success can only pass through a human-centered approach that can be built by reflecting upon a few questions: How do employees feel about the work they do?

In what ways do they connect with teams and coworkers?

How is their work experience impacting their well-being and their personal and professional development?

Do they feel a sense of belonging at work and affinity for the company mission?18 At the question related to employee experience, Marius Stefan answered in an astonishing genuine way: “When you have the right practices, it is hard not to have a positive experience”. He talked about the quality of the workplace (from plants to sun), the quality of permanent satisfaction surveys allowing to adjust any identified gap, and the place of honor given to trust, respect, creativity, and bonding. As he says, “It is all about people” ... experience, we would add.

Indeed, companies can create a positive or a negative employee experience.

However, people who report having a positive employee experience have 16 times the engagement level of those with a negative experience. They are also eight times more likely to want to stay at a company.19

CONCLUSION: WHAT’S NEXT: THE FUTURE LANDSCAPE AND TALENT In our rapidly changing world, we must know how to manage talent from start to finish and be ready to adapt. We have the tools and insights to take this to the next level. All we need now is the courage to embrace change and the wisdom to navigate it.

STRATEGY

The great remaining question goes as follows: in a world where AI is gaining space, autonomy, and decision-making power, what is the place of the human?

In a world where the machine is already smarter than the human, what will be the definition of talent and, eventually, who the talent will be?

One answer could be that humans should focus on what machines cannot do: empathy, creativity, and strategic thinking. Humans should train to leverage technology, not fight it.

Truth: the truth is that by 2049, AI is predicted to be a billion times smarter in everything, and will surely develop emotions and biases... as AI is nothing more than an exaggerated reflection of who we are... 20 Dare: to imagine the world we are going to live in and the best way to prepare the future of talent in his/her humanity and cooperation with the machine.

Last but not least, we dare you to guess who wrote what advice in this article, who gave what perspective, and who envisioned the future among the (business) man, the (HR) woman, and the artificial intelligence.

(And just like with children, it’s not what we tell them but what we do that will shape them...) QED.

REFERENCES (1) Global Leadership Forecast 2023, https://media.ddiworld. com/research/glf2023.pdf (2) K. Anders Ericsson et al, Psychological Review, 1993, Vol. 100. No. 3, 363-406, “The Role of Deliberate Practice in the Acquisition of Expert Performance” (3) Dean Keith Simonton, Current Directions in Psychological Science, Vol. 10, No. 2 (Apr., 2001), pp. 39-43 (5 pages) (4) Duckworth et al. (2013). From fantasy to action: Mental contrasting with implementation intentions (MCII) improves academic performance in children. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 4(6), 745-753.

(5) Harvard Business Review (2019). "The Impact of Employee Development Programs on Retention".

(6) McKinsey & Company (2023). “What is talent management?”

(7) CIPD, 2022, Talent Management – Fact Sheet (8) Future of Jobs Report 2023, https://www3.weforum.org/ docs/WEF_Future_of_Jobs_2023.pdf (9) Deloitte, 2022, “The skills-based organization: A new operating model for work and the workforce” (10) McKinsey & Company (2018). "Attracting and Retaining the Right Talent".a (11) Herman Aguinis and Ernest O’Boyle Jr., “The best and the rest: Revisiting the norm of normality in individual performance,” Personal Psychology, Volume 65, Issue 1, Spring 2012, pp. 79–119, onlinelibrary.wiley.com.

(12) TalentTrust, “How Steve Jobs got the A+ players and kept them,” blog entry by Kathleen Quinn Votaw, October 31, 2011, talenttrust.com.

(13) Rebecca Greenberg, “Machines Are Better Than Humans at Hiring the Best Employees”, Bloomberg, 2015 (14) Peter Senge, The Fifth Discipline (15) Harvard Business Review (2019). "The Impact of Employee Development Programs on Retention".

(16) Harvard Business Review (2016). “Spotlight on building the workforce of the future the performance management revolution” (17) Gallup, Inc. (2017). "Re-Engineering Performance Management".

(18) Deloitte Insights (2022). "Solving for the disjointed digital experience in hybrid work".

(19) 2020 McKinsey survey (20) Mo Gawdat, Scary Smart

October 2023| HR | HRWorld World09 10|| 15 April 2023

STRATEGY

16 | HR World 10 | October 2023

Perry Timms Founder and Chief Energy Officer, PTHR

alent: he etention TALENT

TALENT

If there’s one thing that is perplexing in the post-pandemic world - it’s talent retention.

A paradox of the most challenging order.

People are challenged by the cost of living crisis and the turbulence in the world with economic fragility, climate volatility, and political uncertainty.

And yet, people are voting with their feet and their reduced kilojoules-on-the-job with phenomena like quiet and loud quitting. I confess that I don’t like or necessarily agree with the phrases, but any dedication to employers and the jobs people do appears to be stuttering at stubbornly low levels.

18 | HR World 10 | October 2023

There are low unemployment rates in the Western World, yet increased layoffs especially in the technology industry; industrial action over pay in the UK, and recruiters are testifying to some of the hardest yards ever in their efforts to find the best people for their clients.

Paradoxes galore. The market shouldn’t be this confusing, complex, and yes, even chaotic.

And the retention paradox is this: We throw everything (benefitswise) we’ve got at people, yet the research is telling us that doesn’t encourage them to stay or give their best.

The team unit 40 years of team research tells us that the optimum conditions for teams to thrive are: 1. A compelling direction 2. A strong structure 3. A supportive context 4. Competent coaching 5. Being a REAL team (i.e. not just a group of people and not everyone being nice to each other).

the retention paradox is this: We throw everything (benefits-wise) we’ve got at people, Yet, the research is telling us that doesn’t encourage them to stay or give their best.

So what are the 2023 and beyond versions of alluring, sincere, and effective retention strategies?

Let’s look at some evidence that points the way.

If we know this and managers have a duty of care for their teams, why doesn’t this feature more strongly as the playbook for team environments that are retentionpositive?

I think it’s a combination of 21st-century work interference factors:

1. The direction needs to be more than company profits or some under-inspiring KPIs. The company's purpose truly matters.

A sense that the organization exists to do something of value, merit, and real good in the world.

Without always having a grandiose sense of “saving the world”, doing something meaningful and worthwhile, it needs to align with something

TALENT

The sign of a good team is not that their numbers are always good.

It’s that AND they 2. A strong structure doesn’t would do mean being what’s fixed and rigid.

It’s a stabilizing needed “platform” where people for anyone can explore, learn, find within themselves, build that unit. relationships, and feel energized. ”All for Not trapped in a cage or a confined one, and space of a role/ job description. A one for strong structure all“ means it’ll bigger than the tasks people are doing. Like the bricklayer at the Sagrada Familia who will never see the finished building, but gives their all in pursuit of something they know will create awe in people for centuries to come.

bend with the winds. Adjust and morph as the operating environment demands, and yet a safe house in troubling times.

3. A supportive context doesn’t mean superficial platitudes or overly pandering whims to supposedly privileged and needy individuals. It’s psychological safety. It’s a social bonding place to be. A place where culture is powerful, meaningful, and not just declared states

of behavior; where I can be open about things that are difficult for me and know people will have my back.

4. Competent coaching is a must for the 21st century’s complexities and uniquely framed perspectives on what matters most to individuals.

Again, not indulgent or overly “me-centric”, but the uniqueness of person-centered duty of care.

We need it in our physical and mental health and we need it in our professional and economic endeavours.

It has been said that “conversations are the smallest unit of change” and the undeniable value of coaching is in listening, and having productive and powerful conversations.

5. And of course, a real team is not an enigma.

It’s not randomly recruited individuals with high-achieving capabilities thrown together, it's people who believe in what they’re doing, who they’re doing it with, and ultimately who they’re doing it for. Without that, it’s a transactional mire of

mediocrity and performative compliance. If you believe, and those around you do too, you have a common cause to connect to and even be comfortable with difference, inclusivity, and adaptability as a normative state.

How do we achieve this heady state of team utopia?

We co-create it. We contract, we experiment, we learn, we deploy, we adjust and we appreciate.

The sign of a good team is not that their numbers are always good. It’s that AND they would do what’s needed for anyone within that unit.

All for one, and one for all as Alexandre Dumas decreed in The Three Musketeers.

The leaders Well, this could be a massive section but instead, we’ll use the Trifecta of Leadership as shared

by Gallup.

• Lead and Support Change • Communicate Clearly • Inspire confidence in the future.

How might we see this in action so that leaders are absolutely the exemplar of that Trifecta?

Lead and Support Change is how

we’re operating in the Heraclitus Era. Famous Greek Philosopher Heraclitus is the voice behind the quote “Change is the only constant”.

Yet, we know and see that change fatigue is a thing and people are tired of convulsive, episodic, and unsettling changes. Yet the world will not allow us to be settled for more than a nanosecond.

As the World Economic Forum decreed again at Davos in 2023, we are in a Polycrisis.

The days of change programs being highly engineered appear to be somewhat futile.

Emergent, adaptive, iterative, and yes, agile change appears to be the only way to create a constant state of fluidity and responsiveness. We are designing - again paradoxically - for being stably unstable.

This requires leaders to model and lead in that uncertainty and bring islands of sanity in a raging sea of complexity. We need the change of “muscle” in our leaders to be like the lighthouse in the storm. Within that, it is not just changing the process, changing the technology, and changing our outcomes; but emotional change management as well.

“The future cannot be predicted but futures can be invented.”

And it’s precisely that leaders have the chance and the gift to do so.

October 2023 | HR World 10| 19

TALENT

How we deal with inclusion, reflection, and personal feelings about change should be a series of tasks and competencies as much as any of the program's “deliverables”, not just a communication exercise or an afterthought.

Communicating clearly is easy on paper, but usually difficult to do. In a time when there is more than enough information overload, it has to be how we choose the right timing, channel, phraseology, and impact of our communication that matters. Just doing a lot of it isn’t the answer.

Being overly selective isn’t either. It’s an open, dialogic, exchange of intelligence and affirming statements, declarations, updates, and questions posed that will give people the chance to feel they are informed, enlightened, and thereby enabled.

One approach that could give us a series of wins here in the major league of constant change is to run “intelligence sprints”.

Like Agile production sprints, except based on information we know, we need and we can share what helps us all be in that wise state of knowing.

It is said that the master strategist - Napoleon Bonaparte was so versed in the science of war and battles that he would look down from a high vantage point on the field of conflict and just

20 | HR World 10 | October 2023

give it a knowing glance (a Coup D’Oeil) and he would then set his tactics.

We need leaders to give their challenges a knowing glance and then set tactics, communicating clearly to the teams ready to go into action.

Which leads to having confidence in the future.

We know that the future is not only difficult to predict, it's nigh on impossible.

So why do we bother?

Why not just be reactive and responsive?

Well, that’s one way, but predicting what is desired in the future can actually create the future.

Inventing the future doesn’t mean predicting whether we’d use holographic projections for virtual meetings, it means that sense of how the enterprise takes itself forward and offers products, services, processes, and opportunities with deliberate intent.

The talent retention paradox is solved when we fuse teams and An invented future leaders in might be one where co-creating the data analyzed on working patterns, something preferences, and use of technological meaningful connectivity can modeled in a and efficient, besimulator to see how well work demands something could be covered individualized by those choices being enacted in and for a virtual version of the operations of the the company. collective; Or where we divest and something ourselves of carbonactivities in that solves creating favor of regenerative renewable the problems and sources of energy, of today and production, and consumption. writes the the art of code for the Ittheis possible and requires a fusion operation of of art and science.

Imagination and tomorrow.

Revered BritishHungarian Physicist Dennis Gabor once said, “The future cannot be predicted but futures can be invented.” And it’s precisely that leaders have the chance and the gift to do so.

analytics. Craft and efficiency.

Famous leadership thinker Esko Kilpii once said that

organizations have three development phases: 1. Organizations are built on predictability emphasizing routines & processes 2. Built on talent & ideas emphasizing development & speed 3. Built on inquiry & connections emphasizing the integration of passion & profession.

So, predictability comes from experimentation and analysis; talent and ideas require liberation and the capture of brilliance; passion and profession come when we are curious and make connections to systems, each other, and the demands of the world.

Futurology is a thing. Futures thinking - a creative and exploratory process that uses divergent thinking, seeking many possible answers and acknowledging uncertainty.

It is taught to degree-level qualifications, and if leaders aren’t practicing these things, they are operating on nostalgia for yesterday.

Putting it all together The talent retention paradox is solved when we fuse teams and leaders in co-creating something meaningful and efficient, something individualized and for the collective; and something that solves the problems of

today and writes the code for the operation of tomorrow.

Analyst Josh Bersin has captured this in his work around Irresistible Organizations.

In it, he says it is about: • Teams, not hierarchy • Work, not jobs • Coach, not boss • Culture, not rules • Growth, not promotion • Purpose, not profits • Employee experience, not outputs.

This is an exciting departure from the orthodoxy of our post-industrial machine-like existence that still prevails in the main.

in the USA; Buurtzorg and Tony’s Chocolonely in the Netherlands, Handelsbanken in Sweden, MindValley in Malaysia, Bambino Mio in the UK, Haier in China, Michelin in France and Patagonia and WD-40 across the globe.

Retention issues do not beset these enterprises. They have a mission that is world-friendly and people-friendly. They have teams that bind, bond, build, and belong. They have leaders that learn, listen, and lean in.

What we need is to install a new operating system for work that is around us already (like the examples above) and needs us to be brave, humble, and dedicated to that upgrade.

Retention comes not from To something more showering entrepreneurial people but scaled and humanistic but with perks, commercially viable. but from Retention supporting comes not from showering them people with perks, but from towards a supporting purposeful them towards ta purposeful lot in life lot in life (and (and in in work). work).

We see it in

I will leave you with an adapted quote inspired

by William Shakespeare from Henry VI: "Cry 'Havoc!' and let slip the dogs of war".

“Retention is nigh. Cry 'Havoc!' and let slip the bonds of work that help us flourish."

examples like Barry Wehmiller, Interface and New Balance

April 2023 October 2023| HR | HRWorld World09 10|| 21

STRATEGY

THE TIMES ARE CHANGING. HOW CAN HR NAVIGATE THE HR STRATEGY NOW?

Alisa Evsina, HR Director, NIS

22 | HR World 10 | October 2023

STRATEGY

In the dynamic world we live in, a blend of challenges and opportunities sets the direction for transformative shifts that redefine business reality. The ongoing evolution requires not only to be strong and quick but also agile to grasp new possibilities. Among health concerns, economic changes, societal progress, and overall uncertainty, it is essential to quickly adjust in order to meet business goals.

As businesses evolve in order to adapt to new opportunities, the need for dynamic HR strategies is on the rise. In this context, it is highly important for HRs to build resilience by proactively managing talents in their organizations. Transformations that influence the labor market and shape workforce strategies require a holistic approach, in which HR is not just a support function but a strategic driving force – to achieve business goals.

UNDERSTANDING GLOBAL CHANGES: INSIGHTS FROM THE FUTURE OF JOBS REPORT The Fourth Future of Jobs Report published in 2023 by the World Economic Forum provides a clear insight into the global transformation of the labor market. Think of it as a guidebook that helps us see where things are heading and how we can respond.

This report brings together the bigger picture of worldwide changes and how they unfold in different countries.

It is a tool that assists HR professionals in making informed decisions during these changing circumstances.

Furthermore, the integration of local contexts with global trends forms a dynamic mixture that shapes HR strategies.

October 2023 | HR World 10| 23

STRATEGY

TALENT ACQUISITION SHOULD NOT FOCUS ONLY ON THE EXTERNAL LABOR MARKET; THE INTERNAL ONE SHOULD BE THE MAIN SOURCE OF CAREER OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE EXISTING EMPLOYEES. THIS WILL SUPPORT THE RISING DEMANDS OF ALL GENERATIONS FOR CAREER MOBILITY. National economic intricacies play a crucial role in how global challenges manifest at the local level. The Future of Jobs Report provides a comprehensive lens through which organizations can deal with these complexities. This extensive outlook empowers HR professionals to design strategies in line with the specific needs of their environments.

SMART STRATEGIES FOR CHANGING TIMES: EVOLUTION OF TALENT ACQUISITION & NURTURING THE NEXT GENERATION A dwindling labor pool and diverse generations at work both reshape how we find and retain talents.

Instead of simply waiting for job seekers, we must find new ways to engage them.

This is where HR strategy comes into play.

It's about presenting job opportunities in an innovative way and ensuring

24 | HR World 10 | October 2023

employees see clearly their path for growth within the company. Just as no two individuals are alike, strategies must adapt to unique target groups, different profiles/ skill sets, and age group needs.

As younger generations become more demanding on the quality of the recruiting and onboarding processes, it is crucial to develop and provide thoroughly thought high-quality programs with allbusiness overviews and engaging mentors.

So, the fueling of the talent pipeline should come from diverse programs for students, such as short and long-term internships, active participation in learning programs, and different events for schools and universities.

TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION AND BROADENING DIGITAL ACCESS WILL REMAIN THE KEY DRIVERS OF BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION IN THE NEAR FUTURE. THAT WILL BRING BOTH THE LARGEST JOB CREATION AND DESTRUCTION EFFECTS AT THE SAME TIME. The promotion campaigns and tone of voice have to be tailored for them. It is also important to be honest and represent the company as an employer as it really is.

From our experience - it is a really good idea for companies to participate in the creation of study programs in order to adapt them to business needs. Not an easy task when the business is very diverse, but it is worth the energy invested in this segment.

Furthermore - talent acquisition should not focus only on the external labor market; the internal one should be the main source of career opportunities for the existing employees. This will support the rising demands of all generations for career mobility.

PREPARING OUR WORKFORCE FOR TOMORROW: DIGITALIZATION, DEVELOPMENT AND EXPERIENCE Technology adoption and broadening digital access will remain the key drivers of business transformation in the near future. That will bring both the largest job creation and destruction effects at the same time. This means cognitive skills are growing in importance, reflecting the increasing importance of complex problem-solving in the workplace.

Analytical skills, creative thinking, and technology literacy are becoming core skills for employees. That will require competency-building initiatives to become the company's skill training priorities - to increase the employees’ satisfaction, improve their productivity, to enhance cross-role mobility as a return of investment from developing the employees’ skills in leadership and social influence, resilience, flexibility, and agility as well as curiosity and lifelong learning.

ANALYTICAL SKILLS, CREATIVE THINKING, AND TECHNOLOGY LITERACY ARE BECOMING CORE SKILLS FOR EMPLOYEES.

STRATEGY

The shortage of certain skills and a fastchanging environment drive changes in our Talent Development processes.

First and foremost, the improvement of talent progression and promotion processes should be elaborated as the most promising way to increase the availability of talent.

The pace of constant changes and adaptation to new technologies as well as the habits of younger generations requires more learning “on the job” and in very creative formats. Thus, reskilling and upskilling are the ways to increase talent availability. Meanwhile, the development process becomes more and more tailor-made for all levels of talent.

One-training-fits-all is not the solution anymore.

On one side, the government is increasing the pension age. On the other, the digitalization of businesses and requirements for constant attention to new technologies, the shortage of the labor market - all create the necessity for special programs for the older generations.

The reskilling programs, long-term career planning, and focusing on certain positions for those closer to retirement are the measures to be part of our Talent strategy.

The impact of economic uncertainty is one of the main reasons why employees are changing their employers. Hence, the Compensation and Benefits strategy should provide as much stability as possible. Following the pay market growth still creates a fair visible link between the quality of work and remuneration.

Benefits should be adjusted according to employees’ needs taking into consideration generations and their diversity.

Additionally, we are talking more about the improvement of employee experience nowadays. Do we have to incline to more flexible working hours and locations?

Is it possible to instill a feeling of job security in employees? How to manage work-life balance and remuneration?

How to prevent burnout?

Those are some of the key issues to consider in order to improve the employees’ engagement index as one of the main indicators of a successful HR strategy. As employers, we have to adjust our value proposition to retain our talents, and as a result – attract our future employees. Moreover, the audit of corporate culture with responding values is far from the last on our agendas.

THE HR STRATEGY SHOULD SUPPORT THE CAREER DEVELOPMENT OF OUR EMPLOYEES AND HELP THEM STAY COMPETITIVE IN THE LABOR MARKET WHILE CREATING AN ENGAGING CULTURE AND ENVIRONMENT TO KEEP THEM DEVELOPING WITHIN OUR COMPANY.

What are we good for? Why do the candidates come to our company?

What do we propose to our employees?

Those topics should be well translated to both employees and the labor market and well supported by all HR practices.

In the end, the narrative shifts to crafting a compelling employee experience, harmonizing security, flexibility, and well-being, lifelong learning, culminating in enhanced engagement — which is the foundation of a successful HR strategy.

WRAPPING IT UP: HR'S ROLE IN A CHANGING WORLD In this transformative journey, HR strategy emerges as the guiding light in unexplored waters. The interaction of global shifts, talent dynamics, and enriched work experiences form the core of modern HR practices. As we move forward, HR leads the way between transformation and accomplishment. It encapsulates HR's pivotal role in shaping the future of business. HR strategy serves as a steady presence, navigating the turbulence of change and steering organizations toward a brighter horizon.

Therefore, the HR strategy should support the career development of our employees and help them stay competitive in the labor market while creating an engaging culture and environment to keep them developing within OUR company.

Last but not least - the Human Resources and Talent Acquisition roles are among the top 100 fastest-growing jobs. Therefore, as HR principals, first take good care of your team members, so they can help the company take good care of their employees.

October 2023 | HR World 10| 25

STRATEGY

26 | HR World 10 | October 2023

INTERVIEW

1

A BUSINESS ACHIEVEMENT YOU ARE PROUD OF?

C-level spotlight interview

Miloš PETROVIĆ COO, OIP

The successful opening of our new office in Hyderabad, India. This remarkable achievement marks a significant milestone in our journey as a company and opens up a world of possibilities for OIP. Our decision to establish a presence in Hyderabad was driven by our unwavering commitment to growth, diversification, and global expansion. The new office is not just a physical space; it represents an incredible opportunity to diversify our business and strengthen our presence in the Indian market.

One of the most exciting aspects is the opportunity to access India’s pool of talented employees, which will allow us to scale our business and continue to offer premium services at the same affordable price to our clients.

October 2023 | HR World 10| 27

INTERVIEW STRATEGY

2345 HOW TO SURVIVE IN A NEW BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT?

THE HR FUNCTION IN 2030 IS ...

MESSAGE FOR HR DIRECTORS IN THE REGION

THE MOST CREATIVE JOINT ACTION WITH EMPLOYEES?

Surviving and thriving in a new business environment can be challenging, but with the right mindset and strategies in place, you can increase your chances of success.

In 2030, HR will undergo a transformative evolution and play an even more strategic role within organizations.

The evolving landscape of work demands that we embrace innovation, adapt to changing dynamics, and proactively shape the future of our organizations.

In this era of strategic partnership, HR has the opportunity to become an indispensable driving force within our organizations. By aligning our initiatives with broader business strategies, collaborating with top executives, and leveraging advanced technologies, we can propel our organizations toward sustainable growth and success.

One of the most creative joint actions you can undertake with your employees is to organize a company-wide innovation challenge or brainstorming session. This collaborative initiative can help harness the collective creativity and diverse perspectives of your employees to generate new ideas, solve problems, and drive innovation within your organization. By doing this for your employees, you tap into their collective creativity and empower them to contribute to the growth and innovation of your organization.

I would single out several aspects that need to be carefully considered: Change, Information, Network, and Innovation. Recognize that change is inevitable in any new business. Be openminded and adaptable, and embrace new ideas and ways of doing things. Stay informed and up-to-date on the latest trends, technologies, and market developments relevant to your industry.

Build a strong network in the new environment. Connect with industry peers, thought leaders, mentors, and potential clients. In a new business environment, building strong relationships is key. Lastly, in a competitive and new business environment, innovation is an indispensable catalyst for survival and success.

HR professionals will actively shape business strategies, collaborate with top executives, and align HR initiatives with overall organizational goals.

HR departments will heavily rely on advanced technologies and data analytics to drive decision-making.

Artificial intelligence and machine learning tools will be used to streamline HR processes, automate administrative tasks, and provide data-driven insights for recruitment, talent management, performance evaluations, and employee engagement.

In the next seven years, HR professionals will need to develop innovative strategies to attract, retain, and engage diverse talent pools.

Lastly, HR departments will need to adapt to the growing global and remote workforce.

28 | HR World 10 | October 2023

We must also anticipate the changing nature of work.

The rise of agile and flexible work arrangements calls for HR to foster an adaptable and diverse workforce. By promoting remote work, flexible schedules, and an inclusive environment, we can attract and retain top talent while nurturing a culture that thrives on innovation and collaboration.

Continuous learning and development will be a crucial part of success. Ultimately, we must strive to create exceptional employee experiences and foster high levels of engagement.

6 BEST CONFERENCE YOU'VE BEEN TO?

I would have to say HR Week 2022 - C Level Day. I enjoyed learning and understanding how business leaders across various industries think about the current trends, and how they see HR as a partner in their organizations. This conference was also a great networking opportunity as I connected with some of the leading and most engaged participants of this event.

STRATEGY STRATEGY

7 THE LAST BOOK YOU READ?

I typically read science fiction books, but the best business book I read is Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't.

I highly recommend this book to business leaders, entrepreneurs and anyone interested in understanding the key factors that drive long-term success in organizations. It’s full of practical advice and realworld examples that can be applied in everyday work.

8 A TREND THAT IS CONQUERING THE WORLD?

Sustainability. People are becoming more conscious of the impact they are having on the planet. They recognize that their actions can have far-reaching consequences for the environment and those around them.

In the next seven years, HR professionals will need to develop innovative strategies to attract, retain, and engage diverse talent pools.

Tihomira Georgieva Nestle Goran Tintor DATA DO

Lena Thompson

Nicole Yelsey KindWorks.AI

Nenad Sićević Storyline

Natalia Ponomareva Yandex

Jessica Miller-Merrell Workology

Joerie Nijhuis It's up to you

Sara Milesson Trelleborg Group Evgenia Stavrova Willis Towers Watson

GET YOUR PREMIUM TICKET! Visit www.hrweek.global

October 2023 | HR World 10| 29

Data-Driven Talent Management: A New Era with People Analytics Tijana Bošnjak, Head of Talent South East Market, Nestlé

TALENT

How can we design an effective talent management strategy that is aligned with organizational goals?

How can we predict future talent needs and skill gaps to address workforce challenges proactively?

How can you identify the best-fit candidates for specific job roles?

How to improve Diversity & Inclusion by identifying potential biases in recruitment and promotion processes?

The answer to all these questions is in People Analytics.

People Analytics, also known as workforce analytics, refers to the practice of using data and statistical analysis to gain insights and make informed decisions about an organization's workforce.

It involves collecting and analyzing various data related to employees, such as demographics, skills, performance evaluation, employee engagement, turnover, etc., and to understand patterns, correlations, and future trends.

It is a strategic approach with the main goal of providing evidence-based insights that can help organizations optimize their HR strategies, including talent management, improve employee productivity, satisfaction, and drive better business outcomes.

But, is it worth investing time and effort in People Analytics?

To answer this question, let’s start with its benefits. Integrating people analytics into talent management practices can bring many advantages such as:

1. Data-driven decision-making: It enables companies to make informed decisions about talent acquisition, development, and retention strategies, rather than relying solely on subjective judgments or gut feelings.

2. Improved recruitment and selection: It helps to identify key skills that contribute to success in specific roles.

By analyzing data on past hires and their performance, organizations can develop more accurate candidate profiles, optimize recruitment processes, make betterinformed hiring decisions and significantly enhance the overall efficiency of the recruitment process.

3. Retention and succession planning: It helps to identify factors that contribute to employee turnover and predict flight risks, but also to develop targeted retention strategies and succession plans to ensure a pipeline of talent for critical roles.

4. Enhanced employee development: It supports us in identifying skill gaps and development needs within the workforce and in fostering career growth.

5. Performance management and feedback: It answers questions on performance trends, identification of high-performing individuals or teams, and highlights areas for improvement.

October 2023 | HR World 10| 31

6. Diversity and Inclusion: It helps to identify areas where diversity and inclusion initiatives are effective and areas that require improvement, leading to a more inclusive and equitable workplace, etc.

7. Work environment/Boosted employee trust: Employees perceive data-driven decisions as fair and equitable decisions that enhance transparency, which not only boosts employee trust but also promotes a more inclusive work environment where everyone has a clearer understanding of how decisions are made.

People Analytics are both exciting and challenging at the same time!

As for the challenging part, here is what you should be aware of:

1. Data Quality and availability: Do you have HR data that is accurate, up-to-date, reliable, and relevant? Do you have “one single source of truth” and data integrity? Make sure you have established a data governance framework with a centralized HR system and regularly conducted audits and data validation.

2. Data Privacy and Ethics: Handling sensitive employee data while complying with data protection regulations

32 | HR World 10 | October 2023

is crucial. Establish clear policies, procedures, and responsibilities for managing HR data to ensure compliance.

3. Analytical skills and capabilities: Are our HR Professionals equipped with analytical skills so they are ready to interpret data effectively? Ensure your team is trained and educated. Comprehensive training on data management, best practices, data entry standards, and the importance of data accuracy and integrity is a key pillar of success. It will ensure that employees responsible for data understand the significance of maintaining accurate and reliable HR data.

4. Data integration and accessibility: How do you integrate data from various sources, such as HR systems, performance management tools, and employee surveys?

Foster a culture of data integrity and accountability within the organization.

Encourage employees to take ownership of their data. This will help to maintain a high level of data accuracy and reliability.

5. Change management and adoption: Is your organization ready for the cultural shift? Do you have proper support and „buy-in“ from your top management?

Before you start the journey, ensure you have a strong leader sponsorship.

6. Alignment of people analytics with business objectives: How to align people analytics initiatives with the organization's strategic objectives?

The starting point can be creating a well-trained, skilled team of experts with needed business acumen.

All in all, key pillars of successful People Analytics are strong leadership support, investment in technology and infrastructure, data governance frameworks, and a building analytical capability within the People & Culture function.

If it sounds too complex, remember that “there is only one way to eat an elephant: a bite at a time”.

In the end Don’t forget that one of the great sources of talent data is next to you – in-person interviews and dialog with employees can always be excellent sources of data.

Now you know what will be critical to winning the war for attracting and retaining talent in the Future Ready Workforce.

So, what are you waiting for? Leverage the power of People Analytics.

STRATEGY

October 2023 | HR World 10| 33

STRATEGY

34 | HR World 10 | October 2023

INTERVIEW

C-level spotlight interview

Jasna TERZIĆ CEO, Erste Bank Serbia

1

A BUSINESS ACHIEVEMENT YOU ARE PROUD OF? There have been many over the years (not to brag), but I will single out the most recent one – i.e. the successful migration of Erste Bank Serbia to the new core banking system. This has been a complex and comprehensive project, which required large amounts of time, energy, and dedication from all of us at EBS, and it has made me tremendously proud to be at the forefront and lead it to its successful completion.

The strength and dedication of our team have been tested and confirmed many times, and our employees have shown that they are cut out for great accomplishments. I am happy that at this historic moment for our Bank all of us have proven once again that together we can achieve everything we strive for!

STRATEGY INTERVIEW

2 34 HOW TO SURVIVE IN A NEW BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT?

The truth is we live and work in the so-called VUCA times.

This stands for volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity, and refers to the constant, unpredictable change that is now practically the norm in certain industries and areas of business.

Therefore, I would say it has become crucial to be flexible, keep a follow-up on all the changes, accept and adjust to the ones that are aligned with your core principles and values, and simply go with the flow.

In light of the above, I believe the most important thing for a company is to commit itself to creating and nurturing THE team! Its success depends on that team, the quality of the people within it, and their motivation to render the company’s vision into specific goals and results.

It is the employees that make it all happen.

In addition to people, who always come first, what is important in business these days when we talk about survival or sustainability, is corporate social responsibility.

Without implementing a solid, comprehensive, and far-reaching CSR strategy, your company is not headed for success, no matter how impressive its financial results are. I am happy to see how important these two aspects have become.

Most recently, CSR goes hand in hand with the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles, which are likely to play a bigger role in how companies are assessed, not only by investors, but also by clients and stakeholders. In today’s business environment, mastering the ESG framework is vital to maintaining pace with market trends.

36 | HR World 10 | October 2023

THE HR FUNCTION IN 2030 IS ...

I often discuss HR trends with our experts, and it seems obvious that engaged and motivated people, their skills and competencies are the key differentiating factors for the success of any company.

We are faced with tough competition for talent and also a great demand for a variety of competencies for which there is simply a shortage on the market.

I see the role of HR to be steering people development in the future - increasing skills and managing career development to support companies in these challenging times.

People are our most important asset and HR needs to complement the knowledge-gaining industry, to focus even more on Employer Branding and do all this while keeping a keen eye on the increasingly changing market reality.

MESSAGE FOR HR DIRECTORS IN THE REGION

My message to the HR directors is to keep their eyes and ears open. Times are fast, changes have become a norm, and a good HR partner needs to be a few steps in front in order to steer the people's agenda in the right direction.

5 THE MOST CREATIVE JOINT ACTION WITH EMPLOYEES?

Most certainly the volunteering actions that we organize across the country since they offer us a chance to personally contribute to improving the environment and facilitating the communities in which we live and work.

8 6 BEST CONFERENCE YOU'VE BEEN TO?

I enjoyed listening to and then having the possibility to discuss future trends with Mr Brett King, an Australian futurist, who is bravely predicting the developments in the financial world.

7 THE LAST BOOK YOU READ?

I am in the habit of reading something old and something new at the same time.

Currently, I am reading CUBA: American History

by Ada Ferrer who won a Pulitzer for this interesting book and her different view on the history of Cuba. The second book, The Engagement Banking Revolution, is a practical view of how to architect banking around clients’ needs. The third is my favorite, Factfulness by Hans Rosling – or 10 reasons why we see the world in the wrong way although everything is much better than we imagine it.

STRATEGY

A TREND THAT IS CONQUERING THE WORLD?

The first one that comes to mind is an HR trend, as a matter of fact, and not because this is an HR-related magazine, but because we at Erste Bank really focus on our people. That is why I am grateful to see that a large number of companies across the world are joining this trend – putting more emphasis on employee satisfaction.

Cherishing your people, making their needs important, creating relevant, useful, and personalized benefits, enabling and supporting their career development – that is what truly matters.

Another thing is leading with empathy! The world will be a better place once empathetic leaders prevail, and more people in the working community feel valued and respected for their personal and professional worth.

April 2023 October 2023| HR | HRWorld World09 10|| 37

ENGAGEMENT

From Culture to Community: The New Frontier in Employee Engagement Maja Ninković Shapera, VP People, Mitto Nada Krstić Panjević, Senior Manager, People & Culture, Mitto 38 | HR World 10 | October 2023

ENGAGEMENT

Internal communication is often thought of as boring, one-way, top-down information sharing. But, with a strategy that emphasizes community and equity, your internal communication becomes a bustling, vibrant, two-way street where employees create a reciprocal exchange of feedback, positivity, and care for each other.

In this article, we want to share a case study on how we used a conversational internal comms tool to help us build a vibrant and inclusive digital community that helped us redefine our culture away from prescriptive ‘shared values’ to the emergent, diverse, and dynamic values that are brought to life with a different kind of internal communication approach.

October 2023 | HR World 10| 39

ENGAGEMENT

while everyone knows what a good culture is when they experience it, as soon as you define it as some list of imperatives (do this, don’t do that), all the magic of it disappears. The more you promote these values, the less authentic and more forced they all become.

In today's rapidly changing world, organizations and societies are undergoing a transformative shift in how they operate and thrive. Traditionally, discussions about culture and values have dominated the conversation, but increasingly, the spotlight is turning towards something even more fundamental and impactful: communities.

If you’ve been tired of the idea of ‘culture as shared values’ in the organization, you’re not alone. Aside from the statistical improbability of hundreds of people sharing the same values and some thorny ethical issues involved in ‘culture fitting’ the employees to some prescribed ways of thinking, there is another aspect at play here. Too strong of a focus on ‘culture as shared values’ can, often inadvertently, stifle the diversity of thought that’s in fact critical for organizational adaptability and innovation in today’s complex world.

Now, don’t get us wrong – we also talk about how great our culture is, complete with culture decks, punchy slogans, culture badges, and expensive consultants who helped us articulate that special feel. But here’s one funny thing about this – while everyone knows what a good culture is when they experience it, as soon as you define it as some list of imperatives (do this, don’t do that), all the magic of it disappears. The more you promote these values, the less authentic and more forced they all become.

40 | HR World 10 | October 2023

So, one thing we did is we’ve slowly steered away from creating the best culture possible (if culture = shared values) and we focused on making our workplace the best community possible.

With a remote-first approach and 36 different cultures across the world, it just made more sense to us. Instead of ‘THE 5 ways we do things around here’, we understood that, in reality, there are many ways we accomplish things.

Our original ‘values’ are still there, but we engage with them differently – they are discussed, debated, rejected, used ironically, joked about, or downright ignored. And that’s OK. The focus on community presupposes that people will have many different beliefs, attitudes, ways of thinking and doing, and this open communication is the key to feeling included, accepted, and valued as equally contributing members of the group.

Building a community: role of communication Two critical things we found out about what makes good communities are informal networks and open, two-way communication. We wrote about the importance of networks in organizations in another issue of the HR World magazine, so we’ll focus more on communication here.

Internal communication is often thought of as boring, one-way, top-down information sharing. But, with a strategy that emphasizes community and equity, your internal communication becomes a bustling, vibrant, two-way street where employees create a reciprocal exchange of feedback, positivity, and care for each other.

In this article, we want to share a case study on how we used a conversational internal comms tool to help us build a vibrant and inclusive digital community that helped us redefine our culture away from prescriptive ‘shared values’ to the emergent, diverse, and dynamic values that are brought to life with a different kind of internal communication approach.

ENGAGEMENT

Internal Comms of Today In a remote-first context, where employees are scattered across various locations, internal comms tools play a pivotal role in bridging gaps and fostering connections. These tools have evolved beyond traditional one-way, top-down communication channels into interactive dialogues, resembling the social media platforms we use in our personal lives.

The more traditional forms of newsletters, bulletins, and email announcements are making paths for more engaging mediums. Social-media-inspired formats enable employees not only to react to

more traditional pieces of internal comms through likes and comments, but also to actively contribute to that conversation by generating their own content.

Employees are no longer passive recipients of information, but active contributors to the conversation, visible to each other across geographical and departmental boundaries.

The Internal comms in Tech Landscape This shift is powered by the ever-evolving HR tech market that offers more and more channels for 2-way communication.

At the very heart of this change is the understanding that, even though communication previously fostered in the office cannot be simply replaced, it can be transformed.

Open, inclusive digital communication not only fosters employee engagement but also nurtures a sense of belonging and community – something that has increasingly become a huge challenge in environments where most of the employees never actually met in person.

To transform your internal communication into a two-way dialogue – and eventually a vibrant digital community - the key is to create inclusive channels where everyone can participate.

While you can create such conversational spaces using tools like Slack or Microsoft Teams, there are more advanced options available in the HR Tech market.

Some recommended platforms include Workvivo, Jenz, SocialChorus, Jostle, and Staffbase. These platforms prioritize user-friendliness and familiarity in their

layouts, resembling popular social media sites like Facebook or Instagram.

This design choice aims to facilitate easy adoption and address any initial reluctance to embrace new communication tools, making it a crucial aspect of the process.

Mitto & Workvivo We opted for Workvivo since we liked the familiar feel and user-friendliness (and for full disclosure, their awesome pancakes!), as well as the many perks and cool features that enable the formation and development of digital workplace communities: • The activity feed is the heart and lifeblood of Workvivo. All content flows into the main activity feed for colleagues to engage and interact with the whole community. (Image 1)

To transform your internal communication into a two-way dialogue – and eventually a vibrant digital community - the key is to create inclusive channels where everyone can participate.

October 2023 | HR World 10| 41

ENGAGEMENT

It runs through the center of the home page on the Web and Mobile and is populated with content from a variety of sources.

The activity feed can be tailored to your employees’ personal preferences, locations, groups, and interests.

The conversational features (likes, comments, shares, embedded links, and media) enable employees to easily engage with company’s and each other’s content.

We introduced several weekly/quarterly series such as #WelcomeWednesday, #UseCaseTuesday, Product Updates, Fun Challenges, Goal Tracking/KPI Updates, News, Team Spotlights, and Meeting Summaries owned by different departments.

In addition to these, employees post fun and social content, such as remote workstations, visiting conferences or clients, giving shout-outs to their teammates, team activities, and celebrating achievements.

For instance, a super popular challenge was #onestepbeyond – a walking/running challenge that generated friendly competition and fantastic images from various remote places across the globe where our people live and work.

Our people created micro-communities over pets, movies, travel, sports, gaming, and even an internal marketplace! What was super useful was creating a space for new joiners that houses our entire onboarding process and enables easy social connection between those who recently joined the organization.

• Workvivo Spaces are micro-communities that enable employees to interact and collaborate across locations and departments. Some even refer to spaces as a 'Workvivo within Workvivo.’

Spaces are a great way to centralize related information, updates and tips as well as a virtual noticeboard - people gravitate towards them to get the latest news or updates and freely contribute to content within their smaller communities. Our people created microcommunities over pets, movies, travel, sports, gaming, and even an internal marketplace! What was super useful was creating a space for new joiners that houses our entire onboarding process and enables easy social connection between those who recently joined the organization.

• Global Pages give colleagues quick access to web content across your organization. Global Pages are best used for content that has a longer shelf life and content that is more static, long-form, with text and images - content that would typically have been displayed as a web page on an Intranet or may have been published as a News Article.

- Podcasts give your employees an organizational voice. Within a set of clear operating guidelines, employees can share their likes, interests, insights, and bright ideas with colleagues.

This ability is more important than ever in the absence of office water cooler conversations and face-to-face interactions.

- Employee Recognition: An awesome feature centered around employee rewards beautifully done on Workvivo. You can create and assign custom badges to employees for various achievements. Those badges then appear on their personal Workvivo profile. We had really positive feedback on this feature, and our people loved this kind of recognition!

- Surveys: You can run simple surveys through the platform and make them fun by customizing the response types, even using emojis or memes as answers. These surveys and polls are good for quick and fun pulse checks, but keep in mind that they are not sufficiently developed for more sophisticated analysis and reporting.

• Variety of social features:

Image 1

42 | HR World 10 | October 2023

- Events are a great way to keep people informed of social events, webinars, conferences, external events, training deadlines, etc.

- Shout-outs: Everyone can give a shout-out to other employees or a team. This is an awesome way to give public recognition for a job well done.

ENGAGEMENT

• Analytics – Workvivo offers extensive analytics and reports on activation, usage, and content engagement on every single piece of content that is posted to the platform.

In addition to all the community-building features, you can customize the platform to match your branding and specific comms needs, creating a very personalized experience for your people.

Workvivo integrates with most HRIS systems, providing a seamless experience for users. On existing Workvivo posts, you have options to “Share” on Slack, Teams, and other social platforms which will send that post over as a message into a channel of your choosing. The most recent content from other company’s pages (LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook) will automatically feed into a special section of the main page. Workvivo also offers a mobile app to enable access via a smartphone.

First steps towards an inclusive digital community Onboarding employees onto the platform requires a step-by-step, thoughtful approach. While people long for the community, workloads and busy schedules make it hard to fit another tool in.

On the back end, preparing the platform for launch involves an 8-week implementation period fully supported by a dedicated Onboarding Manager from Workvivo’s Customer Support team.

We’ve designed our process to include a ‘soft launch’ to a group of 30 people “Workvivo Ambassadors” who tested the platform, provided feedback and offered valuable insights during the setup process.

The Ambassadors were also tasked with generating some initial pieces of content and as early adopters would set the tone of the communication on the platform before the global launch.

The implementation project consisted of: 1. Technical Setup – In this phase all of your preferred integrations and provisioning solutions will be sorted out.

Workvivo offers integrations with both Office 365 and Google users, as well as most of the HRIS commonly used by companies.

2. System Customization – Here you will take care of platform branding and decide on features, layout, etc. You can

opt in or out of most of the features like automated welcome Wednesday posts, Say Hi feature for new joiners, weekly digest emails, etc.

3. Content Planning & Creation – It’s super important to have your content types and spaces figured out before the launch.

Keep in mind that Workvivo is not (just) a social media platform.

The content your People or Marketing teams publish as the “owners” of the internal comms will set the tone for other teams to follow. Our north star, on one hand, was to publish as much relevant business-related content that would enable people to do their best job and stay current with industry trends and departmental news. On the other hand, we wanted to encourage the creation of an inclusive

October 2023 | HR World 10| 43

ENGAGEMENT

‘community feel’, where we initially pushed for as much employee-generated content as possible.

This is also the hardest part about digital communities – making people comfortable enough to post, comment and interact with others. Challenges are a great way to encourage this initially – posting photos of workspaces, videos from events or team activities, throwback challenges, and essentially any task that gives people a reason to visit the platform and interact with it in some way.

4. Launch and adoption – A well-designed launch plan is essential, as it will make or break your platform's adoption. Early adoption is the key to success and we advise generating as much excitement as possible about it beforehand.

Community-building metrics

be able to see the activation analytics in more granulated forms as well – per team, or location for example, so you can work on various strategies to improve these numbers.

As with all other initiatives, it’s smart to keep a close eye on different types of analytics that can indicate the degree to which your project was successful.

By employing a combination of these metrics, your team can gain a comprehensive view of community engagement and work towards fostering even stronger, more vibrant workplace communities.

However, just the fact that people activated their accounts doesn’t mean you’ve accomplished your goals in creating an online community. For the engagement metrics, you can use other reporting capabilities, such as usage and content engagement analytics.

Activation Analytics – This will tell you how many users have logged in at least once and accepted your terms and conditions to use the platform. According to Workvivo's client base, anything higher than 70% is considered a success.You will

Usage Analytics – You will have insight into detailed data of how frequently people are accessing the platform and whether they are using the web, mobile version, or both. Why is this significant? First of all, monthly active users (unique)

The most important part for us was to give our employees several “what’s in it for me” reasons! Check public holidays – Workvivo; wanna see who won in our latest Hackathon – Workvivo; wanna see latest product use cases – Workvivo...

Our feel-good launch plan included teasers, an initial “welcome to the platform” video from several leaders and employees across the world, and a challenge with fun tasks over the first several days.

Image 2

The driving purpose of the platform was to become a virtual hub that would bring all 250 employees from 36 locations together – a true digital heart of the organization.

After the launch is complete, you will be assigned a Customer Success Specialist to help you drive the platform usage, boost engagement, and stay current with all the new features. Recently acquired by Zoom, Workvivo is heavily investing in launching new and upgrading the existing features.

44 | HR World 10 | October 2023

Image 3

ENGAGEMENT

will tell you the adoption rate of the platform. For us, in the first 4 months of usage, this amounted to 70%. Second, Workvivo also provides lists of users who never logged in to the platform, giving you a pretty good idea of how to focus adoption efforts for full coverage. (Image 3) Interestingly, for us, these lists had predictive value – a significant percentage of users who never logged in ended up voluntarily leaving the company, showing us that engagement on Workvivo corresponded to some degree to employee engagement offline as well.

Content Engagement Analytics – Data here will show you the summary of the number of posts for any selected period of time, as well as how they performed in terms of likes, comments, and reshares per post. Also, you can get some insight into what type of content is performing best, so you can tweak your content strategy based on this data.

Image 4

Image 5

A quick scan of the overall numbers of likes & comments gives you some idea of how successful you’ve been in generating community engagement.

However, be mindful that many people can be ‘passive’ users – just the fact they didn’t hit like/comment/share doesn’t mean that they are not enjoying being part of the conversation. This is where your Reach metric comes in handy – for each post, you can see how many unique users have seen the post, as well as some basic demographics (location, department, device).

One useful community metric is the percentage of posts that have been employee-generated (in relation to the total number of posts on the platform). (Images 4 and 5) Workvivo makes it easy to calculate this by allowing Excel exports of all the activities taking place on the platform.

Image 6

October 2023 | HR World 10| 45

ENGAGEMENT

the hardest part about digital communities – making people comfortable enough to post, comment and interact with others.

Challenges are a great way to encourage this initially – posting photos of workspaces, videos from events or team activities, throwback challenges, and essentially any task that gives people a reason to visit the platform and interact with it in some way.

46 | HR World 10 | October 2023

Every single post or piece of content has this feature enabled and you can track how it’s performing in terms of reach, impressions and opens - even down to the % of users who watched your video content to the end. One cool option Workvivo offers is “Campaigns” where you can group various pieces of content that are part of the same bigger project and see how that is performing as a whole. (Image 6)

The impact In addition to all the quantitative metrics of community engagement, pay attention to what people say and feel about how the digital community changed their experience of work. Here are several comments that illustrate the positive impacts: “I posted several posts and got reactions from colleagues whom I don’t even know personally. That’s pretty cool and creates a friendly company atmosphere. It gives us additional connections to others and brings us together.”

“I thought this digital community was only for younger people, but it’s pretty cool actually. It keeps people connected across the world, makes them feel closer and more ready to help each other out when a business issue comes along.”

“I am so busy, talking to customers all day long – I often have no idea what other parts of the organization are doing. This platform and all the news from different departments really make me feel part of the larger team, we definitely should have more of that.”

So, to wrap it up – a shift from a culturecentric to a community-centric approach has been eye-opening for us. By embracing open and inclusive communication facilitated by innovative internal comms tools like Workvivo, we’ve strengthened the community feel and encouraged a more diverse and inclusive engagement. One last note: neither of us is affiliated in any way with Workvivo or its employees and has received no financial or other benefit by writing this article (ok, except the pancake part!).

INTERVIEW

C-level spotlight interview

Bojana MUCIĆ Executive Director of Human Resources, Nelt Group

WE SHOULD STOP DOING THINGS JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE SAW SOMETHING ON LINKEDIN. IF THIS IS NOT YOUR PRIORITY OR IT IS IRRELEVANT TO THE INDUSTRY YOU WORK IN – DROP IT. ULTIMATELY, STRATEGY IS ABOUT MAKING CHOICES – WE CAN NOT DO IT ALL.

2 1

1. HR IS IN A NEVER-ENDING REVOLUTION. IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT FACTORS LED TO THAT, AND WHERE IS HR AS A PROFESSION TODAY?

As a relatively young discipline, HR is still growing and transforming.

But not only HR, everyone else is changing – sales (look at the e-commerce boom in the last few years), engineering (look at progressive digitalization).

What is specific for HR is that we have a double role – to transform ourselves and help the organization to transform overall.

2. IF CORPORATE HR STILL STRUGGLES TO BE STRATEGICALLY RECOGNIZED OR EVEN ACKNOWLEDGED, WHAT CONCRETE STEPS CAN SENIOR HRS TAKE TO CHANGE THAT?

then you have the credit to take it to the next level.

During my career, I have had the privilege to work in an organization where HR is established as a strategic function.

Moreover, the HR team needs to be trained to speak in "numbers", to connect initiatives with clear business output, and not to run/invent initiatives l’art pour l’art.

But even if it is not like that in one's organization, senior HR leaders first need to develop the base – we can not talk about strategy while not being able to provide essential support to the business at the same time (e.g. staffing, job offers, basic administration).

After this is accomplished,

Also, like every change management process, it is vital to have a critical number of people who can influence the perspective. Those people should know how HR can contribute, and they can support you. The best HR person can only do much with top management support.

We should stop doing things just because someone saw something on Linkedin.

If this is not your priority or it is irrelevant to the industry you work in – drop it.

Ultimately, strategy is about making choices – we can not do it all.

October 2023 | HR World 10| 47

STRATEGY INTERVIEW

3

3. EMPLOYER BRANDING IS ONE OF THE HOT TOPICS TODAY. HOWEVER, COMPANIES JUST SCRATCH THE SURFACE, HAVING AD HOC EB ACTIVITIES INSTEAD OF STRATEGIC ONES. MANY OF THEM ONLY COMMUNICATE THEIR VALUES EXTERNALLY. HOW DO YOU SEE EMPLOYER BRANDING TODAY? WHAT IS THE KEY TO EB IN COMPANIES THAT STAND OUT? Agree. Employer Branding is still where we all experiment a bit; sometimes we win, sometimes not.

We need more marketers/ brand managers in Employer Branding to help us stay focused and do only relevant things for our target groups/ personas.

48 | HR World 10 | October 2023

Companies like Nelt have more complex roles because we have a very diverse workforce- blue colors, office/admin staff, field sales, ten markets, cultures, and different religions, so it makes Employer Branding efforts at least doubled.

How to attract the best candidates is different even in neighboring countries such as Montenegro or Croatia, and imagine doing it for Angola or Mozambique. It is an entirely different game.

4

4. HOW CAN EMPLOYER BRANDING BE TAILORED TO RESONATE WITH YOUNGER GENERATIONS AND WHAT ARE THEIR SPECIFIC EXPECTATIONS OF COMPANIES? In essence, people are people – they want to be respected, treated well, and belong to something. We already learned some basic things about youngsters - such as higher expectations of worklife balance, the importance of purpose, and a bit of nonchalance toward deadlines, authorities (compared to earlier generations), but... who said earlier generations were always right? :)

5

5 NEW GENERATIONS ARE BECOMING THE MAJORITY OF THE WORKFORCE TODAY, AND ARE SLOWLY TAKING KEY POSITIONS IN LEADING COMPANIES. TO BE ATTRACTIVE, THEY WANT COMPANIES TO BE ENGAGING, HONEST, REAL, SUSTAINABLE, SHOW THEIR VULNERABLE SIDE, ETC. WHAT CHALLENGES DOES THIS CHANGE POSE TO COMPANIES, AND HOW QUICKLY CAN THEY ADAPT? When we talk about executive positions in Nelt, we are a mix of 3 generations-baby boomers, X, and millennials. It goes very well.

When people are open, there is no problem.

6

6. WHEN IT COMES TO COMPANIES ATTRACTING AND RETAINING YOUNG TALENT, WHAT KEY DIFFERENCES DISTINGUISH SUCCESSFUL ONES FROM THOSE THAT FAIL IN DOING SO? Clear communication, do what you promised/do not overpromise, and involve internal people who can commit. Internally, saying no to supporting young talent development (through mentoring, programs, etc.) is not cool, but some people really have no time.

An absent mentor cannot help anyone.

WHAT IS SPECIFIC FOR HR IS THAT WE HAVE A DOUBLE ROLE – TO TRANSFORM OURSELVES AND HELP THE ORGANIZATION TO TRANSFORM OVERALL.

7

7. WE ARE WITNESSING HR GOING THROUGH A TRANSFORMATION WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY SUPPORTING COMPANIES' TRANSFORMATION. WHAT KEY AREAS MUST HR IMPROVE? Simplify processes (e.g. feedback, performance management), and automatize wherever possible.

9

MENTAL STRATEGY HEALTH

9. YOUR RECOMMENDATION FOR A BOOK THAT TAKES HR TO THE NEXT LEVEL, AND WHY. The book I use frequently is For your improvement – it is beneficial for self/ team development, not only to help you identify development areas but to identify the CAUSE and HOW you can improve it. HR/leadership books are nowadays written for commercial purposes with 2 or 3 major theses, so I use getabstract.com to understand the concept and use my free time to read fiction instead. Try Annie Ernaux, who won the Nobel prize last year. You can also use fiction to understand human nature – in this case, females who are half of our workforce. :)

8 10

8. THE LAST TOOL OR MORE THAT YOU ENCOUNTERED THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE IN HR PROCESSES.

We piloted this tool called Heartcount. It's the engagement and recognition tool hearing the organization's pulse frequently, even weekly.

It is user-friendly, with fresh design and interface, and helps with what is promised – listening to the organization heart beats.

10. WHAT WOULD YOU ADVISE HR PROFESSIONALS WORLDWIDE?

Talk in numbers/use data, listen genuinely to your people, simplify your processes and organization, and apply the 80/20 rule whenever possible. Try to understand the zeitgeist – the spirit of the time, connect it with business priorities and create HR initiatives around it.

October 2023 | HR World 10| 49

LEADERSHIP

WOMEN LEADERS IN THE LARGEST PRIVATE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM IN THE REGION MediGroup

According to data from research conducted by the Republic Statistical Institute in 2022, in Serbia, women make up a more educated part of the population. They are also more numerous among the working-age population. However, there are only 30 percent of women in top management positions in our country.

Among domestic companies, the MediGroup healthcare system aims to make a special contribution to the increase of this percentage, with more than 75 percent of women in managerial positions.

Traditional beliefs bzuilt into most jobs have marked both medicine and management as male fields, where women often face difficulties in advancement, even when they meet strict criteria. The heritage created over centuries presented humanity with a significant challenge more than a hundred years ago - the fight for equality, which has set an important task for the 21st century.

50 | HR World 10 | October 2023

STRATEGY

On the foundations that were built then, the struggle continues today for a society in which all women will have equal chances for prosperity, success, and development.

"The whole world changed when women stepped into business, and I am convinced that the entire shape of modern companies will continue to transform. Women change entrenched obstacles and prejudices every day, they move the barriers and are determined to remove the famous metaphor of the glass ceiling", said Ivana Pejak, HR director of the MediGroup system.

WOMEN IN MEDIGROUP 77% of regular employees are women 75% of women make up the Leadership Team The empowerment and education of all employees at all levels in the MediGroup system was particularly highlighted in September last year when a series of training and workshops were held.

For the support of promotions to leadership positions, the MediGroup Advanced program was developed, aimed at nurses who have ambitions and talent for advancement to managerial positions in the system. The program consists of three parts, and the training sessions are held three times a year. So far, 5 participants have successfully completed this program, and 6 more have started training this year.

It is important to note that the programs are tailored to fit the MediGroup employees, and have allowed them to see their role within the system, as well as the system itself, from a different, broader perspective. They "THE WHOLE have become familiar with WORLD the organization's processes CHANGED and their interconnections WHEN WOMEN beyond their scope of work.

Moreover, the programs STEPPED INTO have contributed to better BUSINESS, AND I team management, task AM CONVINCED delegation, and priority THAT THE setting, with improved team communication. The benefits ENTIRE SHAPE worth mentioning include OF MODERN increased assertiveness, COMPANIES WILL quicker decision-making, and CONTINUE TO better handling of stressful situations at work.

TRANSFORM."

In cooperation with the Mokrogorska School of Management employees had access to two programs, according to the positions and skills required in their domain of work: Basic and Advanced level of management training.

Basic level is organized twice a year, in February and August. In each term, the MediGroup selects about 20 participants from all parts of the system, based on a previous assessment of the potential and benefits the program would have for employees and the system.

So far, over 40 participants have successfully completed the program, and another group of 16 participants started the program this summer.

At the same time, within the internal academy, training sessions were organized for employees who will provide training to new colleagues in their sectors, while colleagues from pharmacies and the Contact Center had the opportunity to improve their product presentation and leadership skills.

The MediGroup system consists of health institutions, laboratories, and pharmacies in more than 75 locations throughout Serbia. In a comprehensive and complex system that continues to grow, women are outnumbered in all aspects of business and organizational structure.

October 2023 | HR World 10| 51

TALENT

HOW TO PREVENT KEY RESOURCES Suzana Marović, Head of HR Development Department, Telekom Srbija

Imagine the following situation: You are looking for a candidate for a managerial position. Besides that, your key person from the team is leaving the company. Also, you have an urgent need for a senior programmer or an expert in new technologies... a reliable administrator, an experienced technician, or a skillful salesman. Hectic, isn’t it?

Finding top talent is comparable to winning the lottery. Today, employees are the ones who set the conditions - they make their expectations clear early on in job interviews and they are the ones shaping their careers, whether companies like it or not. This shift is especially evident in IT, where top talents are the lifeblood (or unicorns, if you like it better) of any organization. HR professionals understand the value of these individuals, who possess priceless knowledge and skills in high demand. It's no longer a labor market; it's a genuine talent stock exchange, where those who bid more win, but with an uncertain outcome.

52 | HR World 10 | October 2023

From the point of view of the company - you will get what you are willing to give; on the other hand, from the point of view of the talent - you will ask for what you assess your value is.

This discrepancy leads to the practice of Talent Management, where more than just money is traded - motivation, individual development plans, corporate culture, flexible benefits, bonuses, succession planning, L&D activities, and more, all come into play, creating a battleground for talent acquisition.

TALENT

FROM LEAVING THE COMPANY? Losing key people and the inability to find the right ones at the right time when we really needed them is the best reminder that HR cannot relax in this battle. That is why HR must be prepared in advance by creating a rich talent pool, making sure the employees are satisfied, recognizing potential successors, and tracking their development.

How can Talent Management help us keep the key resources from leaving the company?

TALENT POOL The ability to quickly adapt and stay ahead of the competition hinges on having access to top talent. Building and maintaining a talent pool is not just a proactive strategy; it's an essential lifeline for companies seeking sustainable growth and success.

What would be an optimal strategy for a great talent pool?

Identify, in collaboration with managers, high performers with strong developmental potentials and the drive for accepting more complex and/or highest positions and who live the corporate values in practice. Upon making the Talent pool, recognize the key positions within the company, as well as the potential successors. Make sure you have talent pool renewals every two years in order to have talents and key resources fluctuate at the lowest level possible.

EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION Employee satisfaction has become a critical factor for the success and sustainability of organizations. Satisfied employees are devoted to their work and will try to achieve more than is expected of them, thus contributing to better business results for their team and the company. They can also be great motivators and good role models for their colleagues. When they are satisfied, they are more willing to recommend the company's services and employment to their acquaintances, families and friends, thus helping make the previously mentioned talent pool richer.

TODAY, EMPLOYEES ARE THE ONES WHO SET THE CONDITIONS - THEY MAKE THEIR EXPECTATIONS CLEAR EARLY ON IN JOB INTERVIEWS AND THEY ARE THE ONES SHAPING THEIR CAREERS, WHETHER COMPANIES LIKE IT OR NOT. October 2023 | HR World 10| 53

TALENT

How can you make your employees more satisfied?

Show them that their work and effort are valued the right way, and make them aware that the company supports their career path and looks after their development and improvement. As a result, their engagement will increase. Create a positive business atmosphere within teams by promoting mutual respect, encouraging openness to new ideas, and validating the achievements of each individual.

Invest in their personal development providing them with both hard and soft skills which could help them deal with different obstacles in everyday life. Our company’s e-learning platform “My Learning” engaged numerous employees with more than 170 educational videos regarding various topics. It also won the first prize as the best HR project for 2022 at this year’s HR Congress in Belgrade.

Satisfied and motivated employees make the best brand ambassadors. They will significantly contribute to employer branding, which has become a basic precondition for attracting young talents eager to build their professional career and acquire specific knowledge and skills in your company. Experience has proven that internal recommendation is the best way to reach quality candidates who are ready to learn and stay in the company.

EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT TRACKING 1. Recognize potential successors Who are your key employees? Recognizing the potential successors of the key positions is of utmost importance. Once you recognize them - make sure they have priority regarding attending specific training, using various flexible benefits and rewarding modalities, team building participation, etc. Provide them with a mentor on their development path, from their own or another business area (for example, if they work as engineers in the Technical Division, their mentors can be managers from Sales, Marketing, Finances, HR, etc.). This will help them widen their expertise and understand better other processes in the company that influence what they do.

2. Have insights Having insight into all team members’ data is especially valuable for HRs. Invest in good HR software that will help you have all important HR processes in one place, and help you support the development of your employees by tracking their performance, giving feedback on achievements, assigning training, and so on.

Make sure your managers also have insight into these data and key positions within their organizational units, so they can choose the potential successors. Collaborating with managers on choosing potential successors is essential!

54 | HR World 10 | October 2023

Having data can help managers assess the readiness of the candidate to succeed in a certain key position in case it becomes empty for any specific reason. Thus, continuity in business processes functioning is provided. What does successor readiness mean? It presents the speed at which the successor can undertake a more complicated position, and it refers to the period required for them to improve the existing and acquire new knowledge, skills, and experiences in order to successfully perform more complex and responsible jobs in the key position.

Conclusion All of these may be a magical formula that prevents key resources from leaving the company. However, we often underestimate how easily a key resource can decide to leave the company even in the presence of all the factors discussed here, just because they don’t feel accepted in their team, or because they lack a satisfactory relationship with their manager.

This is precisely where it all falls into the water. For that reason, it is mandatory that we develop the managers simultaneously in the process since their role is crucial concerning employee motivation and retention, specifically the talents and the key resources.

For that reason, let's reference something that might be of great importance to all of us: "No matter how educated, talented, rich, or cool one believes themselves to be, how they treat people ultimately reveals everything."

WE OFTEN UNDERESTIMATE HOW EASILY A KEY RESOURCE CAN DECIDE TO LEAVE THE COMPANY EVEN IN THE PRESENCE OF ALL THE FACTORS DISCUSSED HERE, JUST BECAUSE THEY DON’T FEEL ACCEPTED IN THEIR TEAM, OR BECAUSE THEY LACK A SATISFACTORY RELATIONSHIP WITH THEIR MANAGER.

TALENT

A Winning Formula to a Great Talent Management Telekom & SAP SuccessFactors story Suzana Marović, Head of HR Development Department, Telekom Srbija

Many challenges are imposed on the fierce and competitive business landscape today, however, one seems to be common: the scarcity of exceptional talent. The companies find themselves engaged in a quest to not only find but also identify their key talents and retain them.

It is clear that having an efficient Talent Management strategy isn’t just a luxury but a necessity.

October 2023 | HR World 10| 55

TALENT

SUCCESSOR READINESS FOR MANAGERIAL POSITIONS IS ASSESSED PRIMARILY BASED ON MANAGERIAL KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, EXPERIENCES, AND EVALUATIONS OF EMPLOYEE POTENTIAL AND KEY PROCESSES RELEVANT TO MANAGERIAL ROLES. Onboarding, Employee central, Performance & Goals, Succession planning, Carrier and Development planning, Variable pay, Time off, and WorkForce Analytics.

As a part of the System, the Career Site enhances the efficiency of the recruitment and selection process. In a couple of clicks it provides potential candidates with easy access to open positions and the possibility to apply.

At Telekom Srbija, Talent Management plays a vital role and is committed to growth, ensuring the company’s readiness for any unforeseen challenges, especially when crucial talents leave.

What does Talent Management look like in Telekom Srbija?

In Talent Management it all starts with recognizing the key positions within the company, as well as the potential successors of key positions.

Telekom Srbija’s talent pool consists of 3% on the Company level, i.e. 11.5% on the IT level, addressing labor market shortages.

These employees receive priority for training, flexible benefits, rewards, and mentorship to expand their expertise and navigate company processes with the help of experienced managers, and coaching with internal HR coaches who can help them unlock their potentials and cope with challenges more easily both in private and in business life.

Bearing in mind the importance of managerial roles in leading and managing talents and key resources - Telekom Srbija initiated the implementation of the new HR SAP SuccessFactors System in 2019. This System integrated all processes: Recruiting,

56 | HR World 10 | October 2023

In the process of tracking employee development, SAP SuccessFactors has proven to be a great HR tool for managers and HR professionals, helping them have a unique and overall insight into all team members’ data. It also inspires communication among managers and employees by setting goals, tracking performance and giving feedback on achievements, approving leave requests, assigning training, etc.

The Talent section in SSF has become significant in supporting the development of those who have been recognized as key talents. Within this segment, managers gain insight into key positions within their organizational units, and they select the potential successors from that Talent Pool. Also, managers provide additional information regarding the potential successors to get a comprehensive insight into their potential: the risk of leaving the company, the consequences of them leaving, and critical expertise which are indispensable for conducting complex activities influencing numerous activities in the company.

In Telekom Srbija, both managerial and expert careers are highly valued. Successor readiness for managerial positions is assessed primarily based on managerial knowledge, skills, experiences, and evaluations of employee potential and key processes relevant to managerial roles. In contrast, assessments for expert positions emphasize general and specialized knowledge, skills, experiences, and the ability to innovate, aligning with the specific requirements of the expert role.

STRATEGY

In conclusion, the significance of critical expertise, a precious resource that is sought-after in the labor market, cannot be overstated. It inherently carries with it the risk of employee attrition, a clear signal for HR departments to remain vigilant.

Telekom Srbija addresses this challenge effectively on a daily basis by using SAP SuccessFactors - a powerful ally in the ongoing quest for talent excellence.

2023 ANNUAL HR RESEARCH

75%

of companies do not have a defined Employee Value Proposition

88%

of companies take care of candidate integration into the company's organizational culture, but only

38%

of companies have a clearly defined methodology for managing organizational culture

14%

of companies that provide training for managers involved in the selection process also include employer branding in their training

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF CRITICAL EXPERTISE, A PRECIOUS RESOURCE THAT IS SOUGHT-AFTER IN THE LABOR MARKET, CANNOT BE OVERSTATED. IT INHERENTLY CARRIES WITH IT THE RISK OF EMPLOYEE ATTRITION, A CLEAR SIGNAL FOR HR DEPARTMENTS TO REMAIN VIGILANT.

17%

of companies provide training for managers on the reintegration of employees after extended periods of absence from work

28%

of companies offer training for managers on handling cases of harassment and workplace harassment

DISCOVER MORE VALUABLE HR INSIGHTS WITHIN EXTENSIVE 50+ PAGE RESEARCH hrworld.org/hr-research

TALENT

THE PATH OF SHAPING THE TALENTS OF THE FUTURE Milica Perišić, Senior HR Professional, Netconomy 58 | HR World 10 | October 2023

NETCONOMY Talent Lab is a role-specific traineeship program for future junior software developers and other tech roles in our company. The program is organized every year and lasts for three months. The Talent Lab includes a special set of training and workshops, mentoring from experienced colleagues, and getting a glimpse of what a real-world software development project looks like. We aim to offer a full-time job to young talents at NETCONOMY after sufficiently completing this traineeship program.

TALENT

MOTIVATION FOR THE PROJECT – HOW DID IT ALL START?

members who would act as its carriers and ensure a stable foundation for further colleagues to join.

As a relatively new IT company in the highly competitive Serbian market at that moment, we needed a strategic direction for the growth of our headcount.

After a comprehensive market analysis, as well as looking at our previous experience, we have concluded that one of the biggest Serbian “treasures” for our industry is an amazing talent pool of young people.

Still being at the beginning of our journey, we were looking for people who are tech-skilled on one side, but also have an entrepreneurial mindset that will help us grow as a team.

However, we faced the challenges many other companies face – an unknown brand at that moment, and not a big enough pool of candidates. Additionally, we wanted to develop a company culture based on devoted and loyal team

That includes fresh graduates or students in final years of studies of prospective technical faculties (both governmental and private ones) who are available and eager to learn new technologies and skills and start their tech careers in IT companies.

On the other hand, the market was not offering as many job opportunities for these people, due to the lack of professional experience. This is where we

saw a good opportunity to help and support these young talented individuals and provide them with their first jobs.

We have decided to focus our resources on building a customized Talent Lab program that will provide sufficient training and mentoring for future junior colleagues. The goal was to provide all the necessary support to prepare students to join our business and grow further, whilst assisting us in meeting our hiring needs in a highly competitive IT market.

We made our program attractive to students including different aspects:

✔ Talent Lab is a paid

program including all taxes and contributions.

✔ Mentoring is ensured during the whole traineeship.

✔ Hands-on experience

is included and the opportunity to work on project simulations within an agile team setup.

✔ Talent Lab is a role-

specific program – each year we define which roles will be available in the given year for the traineeship based on business needs.

So far, we have had roles like Software Engineer trainees (frontend and backend), QA trainees, Scrum Master trainees, etc.

✔ People are fully

integrated into the teams from day one – people are part of all team events organized throughout the company.

October 2023 | HR World 10| 59

TALENT

WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR IN CANDIDATES? OR WHO ARE OUR IDEAL CANDIDATES? Our target audience is recent graduates or students in the final years of their studies (IT, Business Informatics, or Business Administration with IT focus), who are willing to enter the professional work-life at NETCONOMY right after finishing the traineeship program. The program itself is created to be a preparation

and introduction for a future full-time job. That’s why, ideally, applicants should be in the final phase of studies, and not have too many exams left as it can be challenging for them to study and work fulltime in parallel.

We reach out to students who demonstrated proactiveness during their studies (through independent projects, student organizations, freelance work, non-profit organizations, certifications achieved, or similar).

Besides well-developed technical skills, we are looking for people who are interested in software development projects, specifically areas of digital commerce and web development, and agile frameworks.

We look for people who are advanced English speakers with great communication skills, who value openness, transparency in conversation and collaboration, and who are ready to give and receive feedback.

People who are independent thinkers and who are focused on finding creative solutions.

People who are curious and interested in learning and growing.

We also aim to reach people who like to work autonomously as well as in a team. Who like to be a part of an international environment, who enjoy working together with our clients, and who are willing to travel from time to time.

WHAT DOES THE SELECTION PROCESS FOR THIS PROGRAM LOOK LIKE?

Image 1: Graphical presentation of the selection process*

There are 4 main steps in our selection process. It starts with an online application from the candidate and sending his/her CV to our HR team.

60 | HR World 10 | October 2023

After a successful CV screening, short-listed candidates are invited to the first-round interview where an HR specialist

introduces them to the program, timeline, and steps of selection, answers to candidate’s questions, and at the same time checks if

they are a cultural fit, their personality profile, and motivation for working with us, including their longer-term career aspirations.

TALENT

After meeting the HR Specialist, and passing the 1st interview round, the applicant is invited to perform a technical challenge/task to demonstrate his/her technical skills, but also to utilize soft skills like working under pressure and solution orientation. There is a defined and predicted time for task realization – applicants have 3 days at their disposal.

Finally, after the practical task is finalized, candidates have the chance to present their solution to our technical leads and interviewers the solution on-site in our office, where communication and presentation skills are also assessed.

During this final step, candidates also have a chance to ask questions regarding technologies and projects that they will join, to get more details about traineeship roles, etc. Those candidates who present the most functional solutions in an adequate presentation style will be the ones who are offered a traineeship opportunity.

It was very important to adjust the selection process to our target audience: 1. The application and selection time frame is adjusted to the exam period for students.

2. The first interview is a shortened version of our regular interviews with more simplified questions

to provide a pleasant experience for applicants, as for some candidates this is possibly their first-ever selection process.

3. Technical interviewers are available for questions or clarifications during the task time frame. We imagined our selection process as a certain learning experience, by providing them feedback, and useful advice from tech colleagues that can support applicants in their future careers, even if they do not pass all selection steps with us.

4. Remote meetings during the selection until the final round due to the summer period and the pandemic as well, as to ensure the efficiency of the process for candidates living outside of Belgrade/ Novi Sad.

WHO ARE THE MAIN PARTICIPANTS INVOLVED IN THIS PROGRAM AND WHAT ARE THEIR ROLES IN TAKING CARE OF CANDIDATES’ EXPERIENCE? NETCADEMY and other coaches Our internal training department in Netcademy which consists of technical trainers together, and additional internal coaches, is responsible for preparing and delivering technical

content for particular topics/ roles; They guide the interns through the training and help them master the content of the training, as well as sharing the lessons learned from hands-on project experience.

Mentors Dedicated mentors act as the go-to person for interns concerning any possible questions during the entire program. They organize regular one-on-one meetings to follow the progress of the lectures and tasks given and collect feedback about the performance and guide the intern to ensure further career and personal development.

Traineeship Coordinator This person is driving the overall organization of the traineeship program. The coordinator acts as an internal ambassador and is the first touchpoint for different departments involving the HR team.

HR team The overall selection process is managed by the HR Team, which actively communicates with hiring managers and coordinates the hiring process.

The HR Team ensures that the onboarding of trainees runs smoothly. Further on, HR also conducts individual check-in talks with trainees after the 1st month to gather feedback and identify potential improvement areas for the program.

When it comes to selection process metrics, we focused on the number of applications in total, per specific role, and the number in different selection stages. This helped us coordinate the timelines in different phases of the selection process as well as to plan resources accordingly.

October 2023 | HR World 10| 61

TALENT

METRICS AND RESULTS FROM THE TRAINEESHIP PROGRAM When it comes to selection process metrics, we focused on the number of applications in total, per specific role, and the number in different selection stages.

This helped us coordinate the timelines in different phases of the selection process as well as to plan resources accordingly.

CONCLUSION: Business Impact of this program 1. Long-term loyalty of colleagues who joined the company through this traineeship program.

NETCONOMY Serbia is currently a team of 100 people, approximately one-half of them joined the team through this specific traineeship program and stayed afterward.

2. Proven culture fit of these colleagues thanks to a carefully conducted selection process. The

individual selection steps and devotion of different departments during this process allow us to make the best match of candidates each year in a sense of values, motivation, and team match.

3. Specific skillset developed from scratch with our defined onboarding program and education resources available. Within Netcademy, we have a team of technical trainers dedicated to delivering specific and customized training to trainees.

4. Healthy work atmosphere with

transparent values starting on the first day of working thanks to open communication.

During our regular employee satisfaction and check-in talks, we record high average grades from people for different company factors (employee collaboration, benefits and compensation, job quality, career growth, etc.).

5. Great business results and client satisfaction due to the excellent quality of work, delivered performance, and success of colleagues on real-time projects.

Image 2: Metrics from traineeship program iteration in the generation of trainees in 2021*

62 | HR World 10 | October 2023

STRATEGY

October 2023 | HR World 10| 63

DEVELOPMENT

HOW TO ENSURE CAREER VITALITY OF OUR EMPLOYEES? Alumil Yu Industry A constant change is reality in today’s world. Our planet and its population are adapting on the way, so fast that we cannot even notice that. The equation for change for us at Alumil is growth + development. We say our Ithaka is Building Excellence, and we are trying hard to make one step closer to it every day. Getting there is possible through continuous development of people and processes. It is important to recognize the value of ongoing learning in order to stay competitive, adapt to industry advancements, and maximize organizational efficiency.

Career Development Plan (CDP) and Internal Mobility play a vital role in the reinforcement of employee satisfaction and productivity, along with the retention of talent. During 2022, we have developed and implemented several CDP initiatives by the mother company in Greece and implemented them in other subsidiaries such as Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Egypt, Albania, Romania, and India. In other words, we created possibilities for all the Alumilers, throughout the world.

Identifying high-potential employees (HiPo) is essential to the process. In

64 | HR World 10 | October 2023

order to create a CDP, we set relevant competencies, qualifications, skills, and responsibilities, that the HiPo sustains about the position today and compare it with the ones that the future position will incorporate. We usually use tools that might help us understand the differences better, such as Job & Gap Analysis, 9 Box Grid, etc. The analysis of differences has to do with the differences between the skills, qualifications, and competencies needed for the present position of the individual, versus the future one, highlighting which skills, qualifications, and competencies need to be built, and to which level.

In the process of identifying key employees, we keep in mind the company strategy, while predicting positions that will need to be covered in the future. We stay flexible and personalize the plan, based on the gap analysis.

STRATEGY

In the process of identifying key employees, we keep in mind the company strategy, while predicting positions that will need to be covered in the future. We stay flexible and personalize the plan, based on the gap analysis.

The expected period for the CDP is one to two years, so the dynamics of the process follow-up may vary from 4-6 months respectively. The development of skills & competencies is accompanied by the Training Plan, so the assessor/line manager can evaluate the progression of the HiPo.

By having a strategic approach to the vitality of employees' careers, companies not only ensure their growth, but also their own employees’ experience at the high level.

ENIGMA

GROWTH EMPLOYEE

FUTURE LEADER

Seasoned professional capable of expanded role, but may be experiencing problems that require coaching and mentoring."

Does extremely well at current job with potential to do more; give stretch assignments to help prepare for next level.

Consistently performs well in a variety of assignments, superstar employee. Big picture thinker; problem solver; self motivated.

CORE EMPLOYEE

HIGH IMPACT PERFORMER

May be considered for job enlargement at the same level, but may need coaching in several areas, including people management.

Current role may still provide opportunity for growth/development; focused on tactical; focus should be on helping improve strategic thinking.

Moderate

DILEMMA With coaching, could progress within level; focus on stretch goals for this employee."

UNDER PERFORMER

EFFECTIVE

TRUSTED PROFESSIONAL

Low

Potential

High

For the past 2 years, we have promoted 20 colleagues in Serbia through an internal

mobility model, covering positions from executive to top management. The outcome was boosting their motivation by empowering their roles in our team.

Decision-making and the feeling of contributing to a greater goal were valued deeply, so talent retention was extremely high. Moreover, we send a strong message that we are not just acknowledging good performance but creating a growing environment as well.

May be a candidate for reassignment, reclassification to a lower level or to exit the organization.

Effective performer, but have reached career potential; try to coach employee on becoming more innovative, focus on lateral thinking.

Experienced high perfomer but reached limit of career potential.

A valuable employee & can be encouraged to develop communications & delegation.

Moderate

High

Low

Performance Career Development Plan, Alumil Model 9 Box Grid model

October 2023 | HR World 10| 65

ORG DESIGN

What Ever Happened to the Concept of HR Business Partnership?

Ivan Stefanović, Head of Strategic Programs Office, Hyperoptic 66 | HR World 10 | October 2023

ORG DESIGN

HR has traveled a long way since it first emerged as a profession, but it seems like somewhere down the road it took a wrong turn. Instead of providing more value to the business by focusing on the business results and overall organizational performance, HR is now stuck in the administrative space where tasks are repetitive and the relationship with the rest of the organization is transactional at best.

October 2023 | HR World 10| 67

ORG DESIGN

There is too much concentration on being an expert in particular areas, such as recruitment, staffing, rewarding, communication, training, employee relations, and so on. What is needed instead is orientation on results and overall company performance.

68 | HR World 10 | October 2023

This challenge was depicted by the magazine Fast Company’s deputy editor, Keith Hammonds, in August 2005. The critique he presented back then has brought to light many negative aspects of HR work (Hammond, 2005) that continue to persist these days. Hammond argued that HR managers contributed very little to organizational performance and remained fixated on bureaucratic procedures and administrative tasks. He also noted that the few things HR was good at could be outsourced, and that the strategic contribution HR managers were trying to achieve was beyond their capabilities.

such as recruitment, staffing, rewarding, communication, training, employee relations, and so on (Hird, Marsh & Sparrow, 2009). What is needed instead is orientation on results and overall company performance.

Other authors have followed this critique by arguing that HR has not yet proved to be worthy of taking a seat at the executive table because it acts more as an administrative service or compliance function than a business partner (Ulrich & Dulebohn, 2015). In essence, HR managers focus too much on the administrative side of their work and lack vision and strategic insight (Cappelli, 2015). At the same time, the HR function is more focused on details within its scope of authority than the big picture and it is more concerned with its specific activities than the end-to-end value creation for the external customer.

In other words, there is too much concentration on being an expert in particular areas,

The need for HR and the emergence of this field as a profession in the U.S. were the results of World War I. In 1914, a widespread labor shortage began, especially for skilled workers, resulting in wage increases. This situation created a need for employers to utilize their workforce as efficiently as possible while trying to minimize the turnover rate. The epilogue was seen in establishing personnel departments between 1915 and 1920 to centralize employmentrelated activities directed toward meeting business needs (Ulrich & Dulebohn, 2015).

Challenges faced by HR these days are the result of at least more than a hundred years of HR history. To understand where we are now, we need to look back at the trajectory taken so far. Therefore, a very short look back down the HR memory lane seems to be appropriate.

A SHORT LOOK BACK AT THE HISTORY OF HR

In the following period, the priority of HR has been on dealing with unions due to their growth in power, while

ORG DESIGN

most other activities came to be viewed as low-level and purely transactional. Thus, the business has started to perceive HR as a necessary function that focuses on administrative activities and cost control.

Another leap in viewing HR as a function that adds value to the entire organization happened in the 1980s. This happened due to several factors occurring simultaneously: increased internationalization of business operations, deregulation in many industries, decreased unionization, changes in employment legislation, and the start of the shift from an industrial to a knowledgebased economy (Ulrich & Dulebohn, 2015). This situation led to rethinking how businesses perceived their employees. All of a sudden, they were no longer treated as mere expenses, but became the most valued “resource” for gaining advantage over competitors (Prewitt, 1982).

The massive restructuring of firms that took place in subsequent years starting from the 1990s, saw the first large-scale outsourcing, including a large portion of transactional HR activities, such as payroll and benefits processing, as well as some types of training. At the same time, information technology proliferation has enabled the use of employee self-service concerning a wide variety of

HR activities. All of a sudden, it has become obvious that a radical shift in perception of HR has to happen again for the HR field and profession to remain viable in the long run.

Pressed with increasing demand to produce more value for the bottom line, HR professionals had to rethink their role within a firm. The line of work that sparked the new wave of thinking about HR has been provided by various authors who argued that overall firm performance is maximized when HR policies and practices are consistent with the business strategy (cf. Schuler & Jackson, 1987; Ulrich, 1997; Becker and Huselid, 1998).

In the exact words of Lawler and Mohrman (2003): “HR's greatest opportunity to add value may well be to play a role in the development and implementation of corporate strategy.” (p. 2) Hence, the concept built during the 1990s as a result of the inability of HR to make a significant contribution to the strategic agenda came to be known as the “HR Business Partnership” (Ulrich et al., 1995; Ulrich, 1997; Ulrich, 1998; Losey, 1999; Ramlall, 2006). The intent of the HR Business Partnership (HRBP) was to transform HR into a strategic partner to the business and lay out a framework for HR to become more closely aligned with the organization's

strategic goals and objectives.

In other words, the idea was to help HR professionals integrate more thoroughly into business processes and align their day-to-day work with business outcomes (Ulrich & Brockbank 2009).

With this concept, HR professionals have tried to provide a seemingly profound answer to the challenges business has been imposing on them. Even though the HRBP has resulted in increasing the perceived value of HR, it is still hard to say whether it is close to delivering value to the business constantly as promised.

THE HRBP CONCEPT EXPLAINED The HRBP concept focuses on HR’s role in the creation and maintenance of the capabilities that a firm must possess in order to deliver value to its customers, shareholders, employees, and communities (Ulrich & Brockbank 2009). To be viable in the everyday life of a firm, the HRBP work ought to be divided into at least three, but in more complex organizations – five components, each with its roles and responsibilities (Joinson, 1999; Kates, 2006; Ulrich, Younger & Brockbank, 2008; Ulrich & Dulebohn, 2015). Three basic components and their interactions came to be known as the “Ulrich model”, “3 Box model” or “Three-Legged Stool”. These components are as follows:

1

HR business partners (a customer-facing front end).

These are generalists who are matrixed in some form between line managers and HR. They act as consultants and planners, linking the business with appropriate HR programs. In other words, they are client relations managers whose job is to diagnose client’s wants and needs and then pull knowledge together to meet those client’s expectations.

2

Centers of excellence/ knowledge (a productfocused back end). These are small specialist groups that produce programs and policies and provide decision support. They are populated with individuals who have deep expertise in the HR core areas of staffing, learning, compensation, organization development, and so forth.

These employees depend upon the business partners to roll out the programs they create for the business.

3

Operational/administrative service center. This center is intended to reduce costs and improve both efficiency and quality by systematizing and reducing transactional work, such as payroll and benefits processing, employee assistance programs, relocation administration, pension plan enrollment and administration, applicant tracking, query answering, resolving low-intensity employee relations issues, and the like. In addition, by taking employee-centered

October 2023 | HR World 10| 69

ORG DESIGN

work away from the generalists, it theoretically frees up their time to concentrate on highervalue, management-focused work. HR service center enjoys economies of scale, meeting employee needs and resolving concerns with fewer dedicated HR resources based on highly standardized processes. Due to the maturation of information technology, it may be located anywhere (usually, the choice is some lower-cost location, such as Eastern Europe or India). Also, the center may be centralized internally, outsourced, or provided through multiple vendors.

Even though the just depicted model proved to be worthy in terms of adding value to the overall business, some HR work continued to fall through the cracks (Reilly & Williams, 2006). Thus, the work on operationalizing the HRBP had to be continued.

Besides these three basic components, two additional components were brought to light in order to strengthen the weaknesses perceived in the “Three-Legged Stool” model (Ulrich, Younger & Brockbank, 2008). These are:

4

Operational executor.

What has been missing in some HR endeavors is the capacity to deliver and implement the ideas from the excellence center, while maintaining focus on the business and its customers.

While this work ideally

70 | HR World 10 | October 2023

occurs through an integrated team made of experts pulled from various components of the excellence center, a designated person ought to be charged with this team and how it works. Thus, an operational executor is usually assigned to a business in order to help turn the strategy into action. This position is focused on implementing specific projects within the business.

5

Corporate HR. Since the operationalization of the HRBP concept obviously disperses HR activities, it is necessary to have one instance to integrate the remaining four. Therefore, corporate HR is established. Its primary concerns are the relations with the CEO and the rest of top management, alignment of all HR work to be done with business goals, arbitration of disputes between centers of excellence and business partners, ensuring HR professional development, and creating a consistent organizational culture.

It should be mentioned that simply pursuing the structural solution implied

by Ulrich’s model is not a sufficient condition for HR to deliver high perceived value (cf. Hird, Marsh & Sparrow, 2009). Becoming true strategic partners that add value to the entire organization requires HR professionals to understand the business context and key stakeholders, as well as how they interact with each other.

HR needs to rethink their role within the company and find a way in which they may add value to the business.

MOVING TOWARDS THE HRBP CONCEPT HRBP concept has provided logical answers to some of the questions being asked by the business, especially those related to the value being provided to the business

by HR. However, the fact remains that the benefits gained from Ulrich’s model implementation have been mixed.

While HR in some firms has made progress down the road of

becoming a true business partner, many other firms claimed not to be able to experience the results anticipated using this model. It has become obvious that the depth of HR talent capable of taking on an HR business partner role varies markedly between countries

ORG DESIGN

and companies. On the other hand, cultural differences reflected in the relationship between line managers and employees, and employees and HR have all

impacted the ease with which this model can be implemented.

So, how do we make sure we put HR on the trajectory of becoming a true business partner? A good piece of advice has been offered by Lawler and Mohrman (2003): “The consensus

seems to be that change is required both in the skills of individuals in the HR function and the way the HR function is organized and carries out its activities.

HR not only needs to have competencies having to do with the business issues involved in strategy and strategy development, but it also needs to be able to contribute to organization design and change management. As far as its own organization is concerned, it needs to be organized to carry out the basic administrative functions as well as being a strategic partner.” (pp. 4-5) In their view, if this becomes the case, the business will finally start

perceiving HR as a true strategic partner.

On the other hand, Ulrich, Brockbank, and Johnson (2009) provided a bit more elaborate insight. According to them, HR professionals can ensure HR takes a true leap toward becoming a strategic partner by doing the following: 1.

Facilitate the strategy creation process by ensuring that the right people are engaged in communication about the strategic agenda and streamlining this discussion.

2.

Help clarify and articulate the strategy by making substantive contributions in communicating the strategy to all employees and other stakeholders.

3.

Ensure execution of strategy by aligning HR practices in all its activities (recruitment, staffing, rewarding, communication, training, etc.).

4.

Align leadership behavior to strategy by clearly articulating what leadership knowledge and behaviors align with strategy and then turning these expectations into clear competencies and performance standards.

October 2023 | HR World 10| 71

ORG DESIGN

HR not only needs to have competencies having to do with the business issues involved in strategy and strategy development, but it also needs to be able to contribute to organization design and change management 72 | HR World 10 | October 2023

5.

Bring the view of the outside customer in by getting to know the motives, drives, and needs of external customers, and then translating this knowledge into relevant actions.

Similar to this line of thinking, we are offering an overview where HR needs to focus on contribution to the following four pillars to be able to finally start adding more value to the business and earn the seat at the executive table in return: 1.

Support in defining the strategy by making sure everybody around the executive table understands what is realistic in terms of current organizational capabilities and people competencies and then define which capabilities and competencies need to improve and how much. For this to happen, people working in HR must have a very good understanding of the following areas: a. The context in which their organization operates (trends and major forces impacting the business, as well as who the customers, competitors, and suppliers are), b. Business model – how their organization creates and delivers value to the customers,

c. Intended strategic direction – where does the organization want to compete in the future and how, and d. Current organizational capabilities and competencies per various positions and roles.

2.

Support in strategy implementation through all the initiatives (programs and projects) needed to achieve strategic objectives. HR needs to make sure that the following happens: a.Initiatives are being delivered by the right roles with the right level of competencies, b.Opening new positions and hiring, developing existing employees, or even terminating some positions promptly based on the impacts of these initiatives across the organization c.Managing all the changes resulting from these initiatives (right timing of the actions, delivering the right communications through appropriate channels at the right time, providing support to people working on these initiatives or being affected by them, etc.)

3. Support in organization design by helping the Executive Team to align the people practices and organization structure to the intended strategic direction. HR needs to learn frameworks and methodologies to do or at least support the following: a. Design of organization structure (criteria for departmentalization, organization layers and their contribution to the business, spans of control, liaison mechanisms, etc.), b. Design of individual positions (horizontal and vertical specialization of work and the accompanying competencies), c. Workforce planning (standard time to do a job, what-if analysis, trends in the workforce market and available supply of specific competencies, implications for remuneration and hiring, etc.)

4. Support in the development of organizational culture and people engagement by making sure the following happens: a. The right values are defined as the most important ones and are being practiced across the organization,

ORG DESIGN

HRs must embrace the fact that if they wish to be recognized as partners and take a seat at the executive table, they will have to be able to bring their share of value to the performance of an entire organization.

b. The Executive Team is walking the talk when it comes to espoused values, c. Giving people enough time and support for personal development, d. Encouraging people to proactively manage their careers within the organization by allowing them to have flexible career pathways and pursue their professional interests and passions.

Working across these four pillars requires HR to make a radical leap and transform itself. They will need to acquire new knowledge and learn new skills to be able to do this, but the expected overall effect might be in becoming a full-fledged partner to the business rather than a unit in charge of people-related transactional activities and being perceived as an overhead expense.

CONCLUSION The HRBP concept and accompanying Ulrich’s model have presented a tremendous revelation within the field of HR development. They have paved the way toward the increased significance of HR as a true business partner that influences the performance of an entire firm. However, experience has shown that implementation of the HRBP concept is not an easy task to master. HR professionals must understand what this concept

is really about and start working on elevating their competencies in order to meet the requirements of becoming strategic partners.

For HR to continue its journey towards becoming a true business partner, HR professionals must rethink the purpose and role in their organizations and start developing as contributors of value to the strategic agenda. They must embrace the fact that if they wish to be recognized as partners and take a seat at the executive table, they will have to be able to bring their share of value to the performance of an entire organization.

REFERENCES Becker, B. E. & Huselid, M. A. (1998).

High Performance Work Systems and Firm Performance: A Synthesis of Research and Managerial Implications. Research in Personnel and Human Resource Management, 16, pp. 53-101.

Prewitt, L. B. (1982). The Emerging Field of Human Resources Management. The Personnel Administrator, 27(5), pp. 81–87.

Ramlall, S. J. (2006). Identifying and Understanding HR Competencies and Their Relationship to Organisational Practices.

Applied HRM Research, 11(1), pp. 27–38.

Reilly, P. & Williams, T. (2006). Strategic HR: Building the Capability to Deliver.

London: Gower Publishing.

Schuler, R. & Jackson, S. (1987). Linking Competitive Strategies and Human Resource Management Practice. Academy of Management Executive, 1(3), pp. 207-209.

Ulrich, D. (1997). Human Resources Champions. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press.

Ulrich, D. (1998). A New Mandate for Human Resources. Harvard Business Review, January-February, 124-135.

Ulrich, D. & Brockbank, W. (2009). The Business Partner Model: Past and Future Perspective. TMTC Journal of Management, July, pp. 24-32.

Ulrich, D., Brockbank, W., & Johnson, D. (2009). The Role of the Strategy Architect in the Strategic HR Organization. TMTC Journal of Management, July, pp. 12-23.

Ulrich, D., Brockbank, W., Yeung, A., & Lake, D. (1995). Human Resource Competencies: An Empirical Assessment.

Human Resource Management, 34(4), pp.

473–496.

Note: This article has partially derived from the paper presented at the SymOrg conference in 2016 under the title “What Ever Happened to the Concept of HR Business Partnership? Some Evidence on Firms Operating in Serbia” by the same author.

Cappelli, P. (2015). Why We Love to Hate HR… and What HR Can Do About It. Harvard Business Review, July-August, pp.

54-61.

Hammonds, K. H. (2005). Why We Hate HR? Fast Company, 97, pp. 40-47.

Hird, M., Marsh C., & Sparrow, P. (2009).

HR Delivery Systems: Re-engineered or Over Engineered? CPHR White Paper 09/05, UK: Lancaster University Management School.

Joinson, C. (1999). Changing Shapes: Trends in Human Resource Reorganisations. HR Magazine, March, pp. 40-45.

Kates, A. (2006). (Re)Designing the HR Organization. Human Resource Planning, 29(2), pp. 22-30.

Lawler, E. E. III & Mohrman, S. A. (2003).

HR as a Strategic Partner: What Does It Take to Make It Happen? Los Angeles, CA: Center for Effective Organizations, Marshall School of Business.

Losey, M. (1999). Mastering the Competencies of HR Management. Human Resource Management, 38(2), pp. 99–103.

October 2023 | HR World 10| 73

WHERE WILL I BE IN 10 YEARS 74 | HR World 10 2023 78 09| |October April 2023

SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC

It shouldn't be a place, not a status, nor a matter of means.

Let love

BLISSFUL

PROUD

FULFILLED

FULFILLED FEARLESS

BLISSFUL

INSPIRED

THANKFUL

PROUD FEARLESS

let strength amplify you and desire will lead.

We can be wherever we want. At Schneider, we empower every person to fell uniquely and safe to be at their best and overcome their fears.

October 2023| HR | HRWorld World09 10|| 75 April 2023 79

STRATEGY

Which talent attraction strategy do you use in this ongoing war for talents?

Vladimir Milenković, HR Business Partner, A1

76 | HR World 10 | October 2023

Almost everyone in the whole wide world knows that the letter H in the HR acronym stands for Human.

However, there’s been a long debate about how HR should take over a more important role in organizations and truly understand the circumstances, goals, and strategies that the Business part of the organization wants to achieve, often neglecting the role of that very same Human in its achievement.

STRATEGY

DESIGN THINKING CAN TRULY BRING AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH THAT WILL CHANGE THE WAY HR TEAMS DELIVER VALUE, ORGANIZE WORK AND FIND SOLUTIONS, WITH BOTH BUSINESS AND EMPLOYEES ON THEIR MIND! Instead of the HR role being strategic, we mostly find ourselves trying to minimize the collision between the expectations of the organization and, on the other hand, the expectations of employees.

But, what if we could create a balance between business needs and those of employees, without losing, or rather emphasize the values that HR should promote, which are empathy, creativity, and innovation, only by using the Design Thinking methodology?!

By this, I mean that innovation is powered by a deep understanding of what employees want and need in their life cycle within the company, further pushing HR to leave behind annual processes and planning for simpler, faster concepts driven by human-centered principles.

As a company, we've been dabbling with Design Thinking for several years, somewhat cautiously and with varying degrees of success. However, we could say that the past year was a turning point and period of growth where we blossomed into more confidently using the entire process, or its tools not only for product design but also extensively to design better employee experience and HR processes such as Candidates journey!

There were two equally important reasons why we have empowered ourselves to embark on the project of redesigning Candidates Journey using Design Thinking as such.

The first goal was to gain a deeper understanding of the selection and recruitment process from the perspective of candidates, as the first among a series of HR processes where the relationship between potential new hires and the company is formed. In this way, we could act upon and improve the selection process from their perspective.

The second one was to empower, firstly small teams to really be bold and use the Design Thinking methodology, with the aim of providing future support to different teams within the organization in addressing challenges related to product creation, improving or redesigning internal processes, always with a focus on the human aspect!

WE DIDN'T REINVENT THE WHEEL, BUT WE DID CONFIRM TO OURSELVES THAT CANDIDATES WANT A MORE EFFICIENT AND TRANSPARENT SELECTION PROCESS... AND WHY IS THAT? BECAUSE THEY SEEK PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY IN THIS HIGHLY STRESSFUL PROCESS FOR THEM In the end, we didn't reinvent the wheel, but we did confirm to ourselves that candidates want a more efficient and transparent selection process... And why is that? Because they seek psychological safety in this highly stressful process for them!

From this perspective, we can say that through Design Thinking, we have established a deeper connection with our candidates, improved the selection process according to their needs, and laid the foundation for continuously using this methodology in our HR department.

Design Thinking can truly bring an innovative approach that will change the way HR teams deliver value, organize work and find solutions, with both business and employees on their mind!

October 2023 | HR World 10| 77

INNOVATION

Bridging the Gap:

CONVINCING TOP-LEVEL EXECUTIVES OF THE VALUE OF HR DIGITALIZATION Ivana Lazarević, Youbeelee In today's fast-paced business landscape, the role of Human Resources has evolved significantly. HR professionals are no longer just administrators - they are strategic partners driving organizational success. To fulfill this role effectively, HR software has become essential. However, many top-level C-suite executives still do not fully understand the value of investing in quality HR digitalization.

HR digitalization is essential for HR operations in the 21st century, and the HR specialists agree on that: • 56% of companies surveyed this year are redesigning their HR programs to leverage digital and mobile tools • 51% of companies are currently in the process of redesigning their organizations for digital business models.

• 33% of surveyed HR teams are using some form of artificial intelligence (AI) technology to deliver HR solutions, and 41% are actively building mobile apps to deliver HR services.1

Are you in this group or are you lagging?

Wherever you are in your journey to bringing HR to the digital age, this article will offer some advice on how to approach your C-suite executives to gain support for your digitalization goals.

cost of HR software. They may question whether the investment will yield a sufficient return on investment (ROI). Many think that digitalization costs a lot; in fact, good digitalization strategies can be created with less cost than expected, if chosen carefully.

Let’s explore why some C-executives are hesitant and provide strategies to help HR personnel convey the message that HR digitalization is not just beneficial but necessary.

Lack of Awareness: Some C-suite leaders may not fully understand the capabilities and benefits of modern HR software, viewing it as merely an administrative tool rather than a strategic asset.

WHY TOP-LEVEL C-EXECUTIVES MAY NOT SEE THE VALUE IN HR DIGITALIZATION? Cost Concerns: One of the primary reasons C-executives may be hesitant is the perceived

Resistance to Change: Executives may fear disruption or resistance from employees during the implementation process, leading them to avoid investing in new technology.

1 1Ocean, P., Stephan, M. and Walsh, B. (2017) Digital HR: Platforms, people, and work, Deloitte Insights.

Available at: https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/focus/human-capital-trends/2017/digital-transformation-in-hr.html (Accessed: 19 September 2023).

78 | HR World 10 | October 2023

STRATEGY

Existing Systems: If an organization already has HR processes in place, C-executives may question the need for a new software, assuming that the current systems are sufficient.

Short-Term Focus: Executives focused on short-term results may prioritize other investments over HR software that yields long-term benefits.

PRACTICAL WAYS TO CONVEY THE VALUE OF HR DIGITALIZATION TO C-EXECUTIVES Speak Their Language, show ROI: Frame the conversation around business outcomes that matter to C-suite executives, such as improved productivity, reduced turnover, and increased revenue. Present a clear ROI analysis that demonstrates how HR digitalization can lead to cost savings and improved efficiency over time. Highlight case studies and industry benchmarks to support your argument. Example: if you implement proper HR software systems - you will not only get savings in time (and money), but you will also get an opportunity for HR professionals to use their time on what is really important - increasing productivity and satisfaction of employees, thus turning it again into profit. The average is two to three times the increase in productivity with implementing HR digitalization.

Highlight Compliance and Risk Management: Emphasize how HR software can help mitigate legal and compliance risks, ensuring that the organization remains compliant with changing regulations.

Emphasize Data-Driven DecisionMaking: Stress the importance of data analytics in HR and how software can provide valuable insights for strategic planning. Show how it can lead to smarter hiring, improved employee engagement, and better talent retention.

Demonstrate Employee Experience Improvements: Explain how HR software can enhance the employee experience, leading to higher job satisfaction, improved performance, and reduced turnover—ultimately contributing to the bottom line.

Offer a Clear Implementation Plan: Address concerns about disruption by presenting a well-thought-out implementation plan that minimizes downtime and maximizes employee buy-in.

Many think that digitalization costs a lot; in fact, good digitalization strategies can be created with less cost than expected, if chosen carefully.

CONCLUSION Convincing top-level C executives of the value of HR software may require a strategic approach that focuses on aligning the software's benefits with the organization's broader goals. By speaking their language, demonstrating ROI, and emphasizing the potential for data-driven decision-making, HR professionals can convey the message that HR digitalization is not just necessary, but an investment that can drive organizational success in the modern business landscape. It can transform HR from a cost centre into a strategic partner in achieving business objectives.

October 2023 | HR World 10| 79

TALENT

Why You Need

Talent Intelligence

to Elevate Your

Business Game?

"IN THE BUSINESS WORLD, EVERYONE IS PAID IN TWO COINS: CASH AND EXPERIENCE. TAKE THE EXPERIENCE FIRST; THE CASH WILL COME LATER." - HAROLD GENEEN Sandra Prvulović, Strategic Talent Acquisition Leader, FenixHR

1 https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Future_of_Jobs_2023.pdf 2 https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Future_of_Jobs_2023.pdf

80 | HR World 10 | October 2023

Why Talent Intelligence?

Embracing Uncertainty and Permanent Changes In the wake of overnight remote work becoming the norm, we find ourselves in an era defined by global market accessibility. This transformation has fundamentally altered our approach to work, recruitment, talent retention, and organizational structure in a way to redesign. Simultaneously, it has given birth to fresh expectations and demands from employers, employees, and candidates.

One major challenge has been the imperative for adaptability, the need to act swiftly. This challenge remains as pressing today as it was when remote work initially swept across the professional landscape.

Almost overnight, a slew of new companies emerged to facilitate this flexibility, including Deel, Remote, Workmotion, and others.

These platforms have opened the

door to hiring highly specialized and rare talent from anywhere, thereby supercharging company performance and profitability.

Conversely, this newfound opportunity has enriched the work environment by injecting diversity and ushering in fresh perspectives, elevating teamwork and engagement to unprecedented levels. While some companies still insist on in-office work, the allure of remote work persists, creating a dynamic choice for both employers and employees.

By the end of last year, we witnessed another seismic shift as AI took the helm, leading us into the era of the augmented workforce. Here, the collaborative synergy between humans and machines acts as a catalyst, propelling productivity and business outcomes to unprecedented heights.

AI won't take jobs, but those who embrace AI will outperform those who don't.

AI and automation are forging a fresh division of labor between humans and machines.

According to the World Economic Forum (WEF), this transformation is poised to disrupt 85 million jobs globally from 2020 to 2025, while simultaneously creating 97 million new job roles.1 However, this evolution is also intensifying the global skills gap. The WEF forecasts that by 2028, 44% of workers' skills will undergo disruption, marking a significant nine-percentagepoint increase from its previous five-year projection.2

TALENT

As the skills required by individuals keep evolving, organizations should prioritize constructing flexible structures that can readily adapt to these shifts.

We Need the Strategy, but Which One? To start, we need a comprehensive and centralized view of our workforce's capabilities and potential.

This view will not only help us understand the skills our current employees possess, but also identify the best areas for reskilling and upskilling. It will encompass their geographical distribution, the current labor market conditions in various regions, our internal and external hiring processes, the status of our competitive edge, and the strategies we employ to enhance employee retention and EVP (employee value propositions). This enhancement serves as a testament to our previous successful initiatives.

These strategies encompass our approach to solving the challenges of recruitment, retention, reskilling, and organizational redesign.

Talent Intelligence is the key to gaining the insight needed to identify the actions to take, how to execute them, and the anticipated outcomes. ’It is an augmentation of internal and external people data with the application of technology, science, insights, and intelligence rating to people, skills, jobs, functions, competitors, and geographies to drive business decisions”, as defined by Toby Culshaw,

Talent Intelligence Leader at Amazon.

As an illustration of Talent Intelligence in action, consider the following example:

Finding the Right Career for Everyone I recently had the opportunity to explore the domain of Eightfold AI's Talent Intelligence (TI) Platform, and I'm eager to shed light on the incredible possibilities it brings to the table and how it can profoundly shape an employee's journey.

Unified Hiring System: External and Internal Integration What's truly remarkable is that the TI platform empowers candidates to instantly discover roles that align perfectly with their skills and potential. It provides valuable insights into why each job is an excellent fit, shedding light on the backgrounds of previous hires, including the companies they've worked for, their educational backgrounds, and experience levels. This transparency not only fosters trust in the hiring process, but also encourages women to apply by showcasing available matches for various roles—all of this transpires within seconds. Moreover, for enterprises burdened by outdated systems that require candidates to create accounts and essentially rewrite their CVs to complete application forms, the TI platform simplifies this process, ushering in a 21st-century application system. For recruiters and

hiring managers, the benefits are equally compelling. They receive instantly ranked lists of candidates that align precisely with their specific requirements, all while having an overview of an internal candidate pool, complete with skills ranging from 80% to 100%. Interested employees are also instantly notified about new internal opportunities.

This consolidation of external and internal hiring processes within a single system promotes transparency and accessibility for all involved stakeholders.

Predicting the next ideal career move The Eightfold AI platform offers a remarkable capability— providing highly relevant career recommendations on a significant scale. It excels at predicting the next ideal career move for individuals.

The platform's models boast a comprehensive understanding of over one million distinct job roles and one million skills, encompassing a multitude of languages.

Ownership in the hands of employees Employees, empowered by this technology, can embark on a journey to explore their future career paths. They gain a comprehensive understanding of the skills and experiences necessary for their next career step. Moreover, they have access to an array of resources, including projects, gigs, courses, mentors, and career opportunities, all designed to facilitate their personal and professional growth. By

placing career ownership in the hands of employees and actively encouraging their self-development, this platform significantly boosts retention rates and employee engagement.

Who Are the Potential Successors?

Simultaneously, organizational leaders can leverage the platform to oversee and finetune their talent strategies.

They can identify potential successors for critical roles, compare various scenarios, and craft plans for upskilling and reskilling to meet future organizational needs.

This example vividly demonstrates how Talent Intelligence has the potential to revolutionize the way we approach hiring, internal mobility, career development, and talent management.

It's a transformative force that delivers the anticipated experience of today's talent in their present positions, benefiting employees, candidates, hiring managers, and C-suite leaders.

CONCLUSION: EXPERIENCE IS ESSENTIAL Experience is the driving force behind attracting and retaining top talent, and it elevates the overall employee journey.

As companies navigate the transformative changes brought about by the AI revolution and the augmented workforce, it will be crucial for them to prioritize and maintain the highest levels of desired experiences.

October 2023 | HR World 10| 81

DEVELOPMENT

DO YOU (even) KNOW HOW TO LEARN Nevena Mićović, Founder, My Language Avenue

82 | HR World 10 | October 2023

STRATEGY

In today's interconnected and globalized world, effective communication skills have become a prerequisite for success in personal and professional spheres. In addition to the VUCA world we live in, the changing needs of language learners have forced educators to significantly transform their teaching methods over the past decades.

As a civilization, we have been exposed to English for what seems like ages now (e.g., movies, books, business meetings, emails), still, many of us get stuck in communication and feel like we can’t truly show our competence in the field. No, there’s nothing wrong with us!

In a research study conducted in 2010 by Ellaine K. Horwitz, University of Texas at Austin, it was concluded that speaking in a foreign language is often sensed as a “threat to peoples’ self-concept, self-identity, and ego, which they have formed in their first language as reasonable and intelligent individuals” and the inability to present oneself according to one’s self-image can set a learner into the cycle of negative selfevaluation.

Furthermore, it was reported (2020) that approximately 75% of individuals experience public speaking anxiety to some degree. When it comes to public speaking in English, individuals who are nonnative speakers may experience additional challenges and anxiety.

THE QUESTION IS – DO WE EVEN KNOW HOW TO LEARN A LANGUAGE? WHAT HAS CHANGED IN THE LAST DECADE OR TWO? The ICF's standards and principles have influenced the development of different coaching practices, including language coaching, a new and personalized approach to language acquisition, which evolved gradually with contributions from professionals in coaching, positive psychology, linguistics, and education.

It incorporates coaching methodologies, principles, and effective communication strategies into standard English courses and thus goes beyond language proficiency.

October 2023 | HR World 10| 83

DEVELOPMENT

NEXT TIME SOMEONE SAYS THEY NEED HELP WITH THEIR ENGLISH COMMUNICATION SKILLS BECAUSE THEY OFTEN GET STUCK, THINK TWICE – DO THEY NEED ENGLISH LESSONS OR ENGLISH COACHING SESSIONS?

According to MacIntyre, Gregersen, & Mercer (2016), positive psychology became a significant factor in foreign language learning encouraging learners’ strengths and self-regulated learning, while another research paper written

by Rebecca Oxford in 2015 indicated that learners should bring their negative emotions concerning foreign language learning under control – accept them, learn from them and let them go.

In recent years, various language coaching certifications have been developed (e.g., International Language Coaching Association, 2018), to train language coaches, who empower learners on their self-led learning journey through questions and feedback while implementing all of the abovementioned elements, thus working around the language.

Finding the right learning strategy and style, becoming aware of limiting and supportive beliefs, setting goals, having selfconfidence, dealing with (socially oriented) perfectionism, and the constant need to leave a powerful impression in a business setting – are just some of the ‘behind the scenes’ aspects that seriously affect our learning process, yet they have been neglected in standard courses.

84 | HR World 10 | October 2023

Having said this, it seems only reasonable to get these psychological barriers, corporate professionals often face when using English in a professional context, coached around or at least reflected upon (you can find a selfassessment scale below).

Next time someone says they need help with their English communication skills because they often get stuck, think twice – do they need English lessons or English coaching session?

MOSTLY ‘YES’ Before improving your language skills, try to understand where your beliefs about language learning are coming from. Task: write a journal for 7 days and put your thoughts before meetings and presentations in English on paper. On the same paper, mark all thoughts with a plus (helpful, supportive) or a minus (discouraging, limiting). Now, define one thing you can do next time you hear positive/negative inner talk.

SELF-ASSESSMENT

MOSTLY ‘SOMETIMES’

I feel like I can’t fully express my competence and expertise when speaking in English.

It seems that your level of self-confidence when speaking English is good enough, but there are still times when you may lack the courage to speak up in front of others. Task: create a success wall. Think about all the successful situations (be as specific as possible) in which you used English and put them on paper/board.

Now when you have it, put it somewhere you can see it all the time. Bonus: ask a colleague to name two things s/he likes about your English.

Yes

Sometimes

No

I always feel that my colleagues speak better than I do.

Yes

Sometimes

No

I start to panic when I have to speak English without preparation and I forget things I know.

Yes

Sometimes

No

My self-talk is quite negative before speaking English in front of others.

Yes

Sometimes

No

I think that perfect English is a must if you want to succeed professionally.

Yes

Sometimes

No

I am hard on myself after making a mistake in English.

Yes

Sometimes

No

Now, calculate your answers and see what you got.

MOSTLY ‘NO’ Your level of selfesteem when speaking English is quite high!

However, from time to time you might have the feeling that you’re not improving because you’ve been using the same phrases for years now. Here’s a task for you to change that: pick a role model (at work) and focus on one specific feature of his/ her English that you like.

Now, make an action plan on how to start implementing that in your English in the next 2 months.

INNOVATION

Can Kindness Be the Key to a Happier and More Productive Workplace?

NICOLE YELSEY, CO-FOUNDER & CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, KINDWORKS.AI MIGUEL HERNÁNDEZ, ACCOUNT MANAGER, KINDWORKS.AI

October 2023 | HR World 10| 85

INNOVATION

IN THE WAKE OF THE CHALLENGES OF A POST-COVID WORLD, ORGANIZATIONS ARE INCREASINGLY GRAPPLING WITH ISSUES OF DISENGAGEMENT, BURNOUT, AND LACK OF MOTIVATION. THE PRESENCE OF THESE SYMPTOMS HIGHLIGHTS A SIGNIFICANT CONCERN FOR HUMAN RESOURCES TEAMS. RECENT RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS A GROWING DISCONTENT WITHIN THE WORKFORCE: IN 2023, A STAGGERING 77% OF EMPLOYEES REPORT FEELING DISENGAGED, AND EMPLOYEE LOYALTY HAS PLUMMETED, WITH OVER HALF EXPRESSING INTENT TO LEAVE THEIR CURRENT JOBS1. THIS SITUATION IS COSTLY FOR BUSINESSES; THE AVERAGE COST TO REPLACE AN EXPERIENCED EMPLOYEE EXCEEDS $50,0002, AND GALLUP3 ESTIMATES A STAGGERING $8.8 TRILLION GLOBAL PRODUCTIVITY LOSS DUE TO UNENGAGED WORKERS. The acceleration of hybrid or remote work has presented a complex challenge in regards to establishing organizational culture, boosting employee morale, increasing productivity, and retaining talent, especially among teams that may have never met in person or worked across multiple time zones.

To address the imperative of keeping employees engaged and connected, companies have been compelled to explore innovative ways to foster a sense of belonging and team cohesion. In this quest, one powerful concept has emerged as a transformative force within organizations: Kindness. While it might not be the first term that springs to mind in a corporate context, Kindness is undeniably intertwined with business success.

In the workplace, Kindness means a culture and behavior that prioritizes empathy, compassion, respect, and consideration among colleagues and leadership. It involves treating coworkers with fairness, dignity, and humanity. The impact of Kindness is well-documented, touching areas such as employee well-being, team collaboration, reduced turnover, employee engagement, and creating a thriving workplace environment.

ACCORDING TO THE 2023 STATE OF WORKPLACE EMPATHY REPORT, MORE THAN 30% OF EMPLOYEES DO NOT PERCEIVE THEIR LEADERSHIP AS EMPATHETIC. THIS PERCEPTION IS MOST PRONOUNCED AMONG THE GEN Z COHORT, WITH NEARLY TWO-THIRDS (61%, AS PER THE SAME STUDY) NOT VIEWING THEIR CEOs AS EMPATHETIC.

In essence, Kindness possesses the potential to address some of the most significant challenges in both the workplace and the broader world. Research4 reveals that regular acts of Kindness boost happiness, enhance job and life satisfaction, reduce depression and burnout, and improve the overall mental health of both the giver and the receiver.

So, why don’t we talk about the importance of Kindness more often, as adults and in the workplace? While Kindness is a strength, we tend to think of Kindness as a ‘soft’ skill and not a power skill. We often confuse being 'Kind' with being 'nice.' In reality, the practice of Kindness is often not an easy decision. Kindness encompasses authentic generosity and compassion, including the ability to demonstrate these qualities to oneself. This may involve engaging in tough conversations, setting personal boundaries, embracing vulnerability, and showing respect without judgment. These actions, though seemingly small, carry profound meaning, and impact, and require significant strength.

Kindness need not be timely or costly. While grand gestures may come to mind, it's the small daily actions that have the most significant ripple effects. These can be as simple as smiling at a new colleague during a meeting, offering an unsolicited compliment, taking a short walk for a break, or leaving a Thank-you note for someone who has extended help. Research5 shows that these seemingly small actions have a substantial impact on the person performing the act, the recipient, and the culture of and results at the workplace.

1 Gallup. "State of the Global Workplace: 2023 Report: The Voice of the World's Employees.

2 TERRA Staffing Group. "The Real Cost of Employee Turnover in 2021." November 4, 2020. Accessed July 13, 2023. https://www.terrastaffinggroup.com/resources/blog/cost-of-employee-turnover/.

3 Gallup. "State of the Global Workplace: 2023 Report: The Voice of the World's Employees.

4 Chancellor J, Margolis S, Jacobs Bao K, Lyubomirsky S. Everyday pro-sociality in the workplace: The reinforcing benefits of giving, getting, and glimpsing. Emotion. 2018 5 Undervaluing Gratitude: Expressers Misunderstand the Consequences of Showing Appreciation

86 | HR World 10 | October 2023

INNOVATION

CULTIVATING KINDNESS: A PRACTICE THAT GROWS STRONGER Think of Kindness as a muscle—one that strengthens with practice and habits. The more we consciously choose Kindness, the more it becomes our instinctive response. Much like a regular workout regimen, practicing Kindness, even through small acts, gradually shifts it to the forefront of our daily decisions and actions. The culmination of each Kindness has a profound effect on our culture and society.

A POWERFUL CATALYST FOR EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP In today's organizational landscape, effective leadership is more crucial than ever, and Kindness stands out as a potent tool in shaping better leaders. Unfortunately, in many cases, it remains noticeably absent. According to the 2023 State of Workplace Empathy Report6, more than 30% of employees do not perceive their leadership as empathetic. This perception is most pronounced among the Gen Z cohort, with nearly two-thirds (61%, as per the same study) not viewing their CEOs as empathetic.

When Kindness is a key element of leadership, we see improvements in motivation, communication, the propensity for action, and adaptability. A study from 2017 underscored the significance of empathy: 60% of employees were willing to accept slightly lower compensation if their employer demonstrated empathy, and a staggering 78% indicated their willingness to switch to an employer offering equal pay but characterized by empathy.

Leadership challenges are pervasive across all industries and geographic regions. Issues like employee engagement, maintaining morale amid uncertainty or layoffs, overcoming connectivity hurdles in the hybrid and remote work era, and the authentic integration of diversity, equity, and inclusion into the corporate culture are just a few of the pressing challenges. Leaders often grapple with the task of sustaining high performance and productivity amidst these complexities.

The remedy lies in introducing Kindness into the workplace.

Building empathy, nurturing active listening, fostering human connections, and deploying all the tools of authentic Kindness in leadership heralds the future of work. By doing so, organizations can both address the leadership gaps of our times and cultivate an environment where empathy and effective leadership thrive, ultimately benefiting both employees and the company's productivity.

RESULTS SUPPORTED BY DATA Kindness has proven and measured benefits in the workplace. Data from Kindworks.AI indicates that individuals who practice intentional Kindness regularly self-reported a 177% increase in feelings of appreciation and a 255% increase in feelings of connectedness over a 12-week period. Moreover, the Kindness exercises have proven effective in boosting employees' sense of making an impact, with a notable 63% increase observed over three months.

This evidence underscores the transformative power of Kindness in the corporate setting, demonstrating that cultivating a culture of Kindness can lead to profound improvements in employee wellbeing, engagement, overall workplace dynamics, and the company’s bottom line. The intentional practice of Kindness is a must-have in any successful work culture.

KINDNESS POSSESSES THE POTENTIAL TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES IN BOTH THE WORKPLACE AND THE BROADER WORLD. RESEARCH REVEALS THAT REGULAR ACTS OF KINDNESS BOOST HAPPINESS, ENHANCE JOB AND LIFE SATISFACTION, REDUCE DEPRESSION AND BURNOUT, AND IMPROVE THE OVERALL MENTAL HEALTH OF BOTH THE GIVER AND THE RECEIVER. The culture of Kindness can be cultivated with technology as well.

KindWorks.AI is a platform with a Kindness buddy, ‘Beni’, who shares personal Kindness exercises to strengthen a person’s Kindness muscle, grow their impact and knowledge, and help each person choose Kindness in every moment. ‘Beni’ uses artificial intelligence to bring the right exercise to the right person at the right time to have the greatest positive impact on themselves and their workplaces and communities.

In today's digital age, technology holds immense potential to amplify the impact of Kindness. While there are instances where technology has been employed in ways that might not align with our shared humanity, it also possesses the remarkable ability to connect us and facilitate growth in unprecedented ways. When one person extends a Kind act to another, the ripple effects are exponential. Leveraging technology to supercharge this positive impact can lead to limitless benefits for Kinder communities and a Kinder world.

6 Businessolver. “2023 State of Workplace Empathy Report”.

October 2023 | HR World 10| 87

WELL-BEING STRATEGY

88 | HR World 10 | October 2023

BUSINESS

CAN HYBRID WORK BRING A POSITIVE ROI? Patti P. Phillips, Ph.D., CEO, ROI Institute Jack J. Phillips, Ph.D., Chairman, ROI Institute Matic Kadliček, CEO, Video Center

October 2023 | HR World 10| 89

BUSINESS

With hybrid work becoming ever more present and with multiple generations now preferring or demanding it to even consider an employer desirable, questions on its value and effectiveness emerge in the minds of many executives. Helping them decide whether this is the right choice requires selecting and tracking the right data and comparing the results to the traditional work arrangement. This may mean examining success from three perspectives: 1) the organizations that offer hybrid as an option, 2) the people who see the advantages of such an environment, and 3) the community and environment that benefit from less traffic congestion and pollution.

90 | HR World 10 | October 2023

BUSINESS

We’ve seen the rapid shift to remote working throughout the last few years, either in our organization, our community, nationally, or globally. Most knowledge workers not facing customers were forced into a remote work environment. Many have grown to like it and although some do prefer to return to the office, most now prefer a hybrid work arrangement. This arrangement is appealing because fully embracing either may not be realistic. A hybrid arrangement would accommodate everyone, while also supporting ESG transitions (Environment, Social, and Governance). So, what is needed for hybrid work to work?

THE MISSING LINKS Many decisions around remote vs. the office are based on polls and employee feedback. For some executives, this isn’t convincing enough. Conversely, some adopt a “laissez-faire” approach, allowing employees to essentially do what they want. There seem to be four missing links in this decision-making process:

#1 The most important data. There is little data on how well remote working is working. True, there is data on preferences from both sides, but not much else is known about how things are going in terms of getting the work done, the impact of the arrangement, the barriers to making it more successful, and the enablers that need to be protected because they support past successes. #2 Manager input. Years of our research have revealed the No. 1 barrier to having employees work at home is the first-level manager.

Some have a natural resistance to this arrangement, largely rooted in myths like: “If a manager’s physical

presence is not needed, do you really need one?”, “If employees work independently, will the organization eliminate the managers?”, or “If I cannot see the work being done, then it is not being done.” If the managers don’t think it will work, it won’t work.

If they want to make it work, it will work. If they see the arrangement driving their KPIs and OKRs, they will support this effort. Now, why would a top executive counter that? #3 Proof of impact. It is usually the senior executives making the decisions

October 2023 | HR World 10| 91

BUSINESS

about working from home, mostly using ROI — costs vs. benefits. ROI analysis for hybrid work is rarely conducted, yet it could be powerful. The senior executive may prefer people to be in the office so they can monitor the work, but when they see a high ROI, this might make them reconsider. #4 Environmental considerations.

Despite a substantial worldwide push towards ESG, there hasn’t been enough serious discussion about remote work’s contribution to it. This is strange because most executives having workers back in the office also support the environment. Meanwhile, there have been many ROI case studies calculating the tons of carbon not released into the environment because of remote work. It is dramatic and impressive. The environmental effects of remote and hybrid work deserve to be front and center of the decisionmaking process.

Level

Measurement focus

Typical Measures

0-Input

• Input into the hybrid work arrangement, including indicators representing scope, volumes, times and costs.

• Target group • Number of people involved • Time working at home in hybrid arrangement • Costs

1-Reaction and Planned Action

• Reaction to the hybrid working arrangement, including how employees perceive the arrangement and planned actions to make it successful.

• Relevance • Importance • Convenience • Appropriateness • Valuable, personally • Intent to use • Recommended to others

2-Learning

• Learning how to work in a hybrid environment, how to use skills and competencies to be successful working at home or in a hybrid environment.

• Knowledge • Skills • Capacity • Competencies • Confidence

3-Application and Implementation

• Application and use of knowledge, skills and competencies, including progress made and implementation success.

• Appropriate behaviors • Following the rules • Task completion • Collaboration • Success with use • Follow up • Barriers to use • Enablers to use

4-Impact

• The impact of the hybrid or work from home arrangements and processes expressed as business impact measures.

• Productivity • Retention • Revenue • Quality • Efficiency • Innovation • Absenteeism • Office expense • Job satisfaction • Carbon emissions

5-ROI

• Comparison of monetary benefits from project to cost of project.

• "Benefit-Cost Ratio (BCR) • ROI (%)"

THE VALUE CHAIN

Cnsider remote work as a project with a value chain tied to it. This type of logic model is the basis for most evaluation systems in the world as everyone can relate to it, and it works. Figure 1 shows the five levels of outcome data (Level 1-5) from a hybrid arrangement, starting from input (Level 0).

Figure 1. The Value Chain for Remote and Hybrid Arrangements

ROI ANALYSIS FOR HYBRID WORK IS RARELY CONDUCTED, YET IT COULD BE POWERFUL. THE SENIOR EXECUTIVE MAY PREFER PEOPLE TO BE IN THE OFFICE SO THEY CAN MONITOR THE WORK, BUT WHEN THEY SEE A HIGH ROI, THIS MIGHT MAKE THEM RECONSIDER.

92 | HR World 10 | October 2023

BUSINESS

WHOSE ROI DO WE CONSIDER? In this era of stakeholder relations, it helps to think of the hybrid work arrangement from three perspectives.

THE ORGANIZATION’S PERSPECTIVE A credible ROI for hybrid working comes from any changes in business measures, isolating the effects for each impact measure, and converting that impact to money. These become the monetary benefits for an ROI calculation.

Many business measures can be influenced by hybrid work: 1. Retention. Any honest discussion reveals that the No. 1 reason for a hybrid solution is to retain employees. For many, this is an important part of the decision to remain with their employer. The key is to isolate the effects of this arrangement on their decision to stay. Because the costs of turnover are so high, this improvement alone can result in a substantial monetary benefit.

2. Productivity. Studies show employees to be more productive when given the opportunity to work from home or in a hybrid arrangement. This may be due to reduced stress from long commutes, instead being relaxed and ready to contribute. Another possibility is that employees work harder to be more productive to keep this arrangement. If done right, working from home can be less distracting and may enable more productivity without the constant interruptions of the office.

3. Absenteeism. Sometimes absences happen because of an employee’s need to take care of personal issues, such as a brief doctor’s appointment or a personal errand. Instead of an entire day off, they can accommodate these into a suitable portion of their time. There are also individual circadian rhythm differences as sometimes people may not feel their best in the morning, reaching their productivity spike later. If they are forced to go to the office, they may opt to just take a sick day.

4. Office expenses. While these may not necessarily be reduced in a hybrid arrangement, as a person’s desk and in-office support might need to be maintained and ready, this can be adjusted by having sharing arrangements or a hoteling concept (reserving an office for the days they are there). Where possible, this reduction can be significant.

BCR =

ROI (%) =

The key to tracking business measures is to capture the impacts directly attributable to the difference in working arrangements (ie. isolating the effects), converting them to money, and comparing them to the costs. Costs can range anywhere from minimal to extensive, particularly if the organization has invested a lot in setting up a workfrom-home arrangement for many employees. The important thing here is to capture all the costs. The final step is an ROI calculation, using either of two simple formulas: the benefit-cost ratio (BCR) or the ROI calculation.

THE EMPLOYEE PERSPECTIVE Although not necessarily requiring an ROI calculation, collecting the advantages versus disadvantages from the employee’s

Program Benefits Program Costs

Program Benefits – Program Costs Program Costs

5. Quality. With more focus and fewer office distractions, some types of work benefit and lead to fewer mistakes and errors.

6. Intangibles. Many executives are highly skilled in recognizing opportunity costs. However, there may also be many opportunity benefits to consider. Benefits such as higher job satisfaction and engagement, better work-life balance, convenience, reduced stress, and a stronger employer reputation, all contribute to the organization’s overall success.

x100

IN THIS ERA OF STAKEHOLDER RELATIONS, IT HELPS TO THINK OF THE HYBRID WORK ARRANGEMENT FROM THREE PERSPECTIVES: - THE ORGANIZATION'S PERSPECTIVE - THE EMPLOYEE PERSPECTIVE - THE ENVIRONMENTAL PERSPECTIVE

October 2023 | HR World 10| 93

STUDIES SHOW EMPLOYEES TO BE MORE PRODUCTIVE WHEN GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK FROM HOME OR IN A HYBRID ARRANGEMENT. THIS MAY BE DUE TO REDUCED STRESS FROM LONG COMMUTES, INSTEAD BEING RELAXED AND READY TO CONTRIBUTE.

perspective is beneficial. If the employee prefers a hybrid arrangement, there should be job satisfaction, work-life balance, convenience, personal cost savings for commute time, parking, and meals. Part of the employee feedback could be asking: “Is this a good return on investment for you?” If the implementation was done right, you should receive a positive response.

THE ENVIRONMENTAL PERSPECTIVE In addition to our ecosystems, the environment also includes our communities. Most mayors and inhabitants support less traffic and congestion and might reward, recognize, and promote the hybrid concept. Many cities across the globe often give awards to organizations that offer these options.

Some will even provide incentives for offering a work-from-home option. Just imagine the most congested cities like Belgrade, Zagreb, or Ljubljana, what the wider impact on commute, air quality and standard of living would be like if a

larger part of those working in the city adopted a hybrid work arrangement.

When examining the effect on the environment, take the fuel savings into account. It’s a plus as a living expense saving for them on the monetary side, but it also reduces fuel burned in the travel commute. This can be converted to the tons of carbon prevented from going into the environment.

Some environmental supporters even suggest that the single most important thing a company can do to help the environment is to allow working from home.

On a final note, it is important to realize that any approach using ROI usually improves multiple factors.

This is because it aligns our efforts with measures on all 5 levels of data.

In addition, each time we ask any stakeholder for feedback or read out a result on any level, this is yet another reminder to give everyone focus and show the value of what we do.

THERE HAVE BEEN MANY ROI CASE STUDIES CALCULATING THE TONS OF CARBON NOT RELEASED INTO THE ENVIRONMENT BECAUSE OF REMOTE WORK. IT IS DRAMATIC AND IMPRESSIVE. THE ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF REMOTE AND HYBRID WORK DESERVE TO BE AT THE FRONT AND CENTER OF THE DECISIONMAKING PROCESS.

October 2023 | HR World 10| 95

COMMUNICATIONS

Inside Out - Unveiling the Superpower of Internal

Communications IVANA VIDOVIĆ, COMMUNITY LEAD, TOPIC_COMMUNITY

It is no secret that we all want the same thing – the best people for our teams. Therefore we carefully choose our words for job descriptions, we hire top-notch designers to make our job ads look cool and to attract the right candidates, we have countless meetings with our digital agencies to ensure we reach our target audience on social media with fun and engaging posts, we even shell out a lot of money to make sure our job ad is the first thing people see on the most popular hiring websites. You get the picture. We put a lot of effort and resources into attracting the best talent.

But, somehow we often overlook the crucial factor that has a staggering 561% more impact than all those fancy messages we pour our hearts into.

Believe it or not, it does not require digital agencies, language experts, fancy analytics, or first-class designers to do the magic. It is our employees who make this magic happen. A message shared by an employee has 561% more influence compared to the same message shared by the company.

So, our employees possess the real magic that outshines all the fancy stuff that we as companies do. However, this magic does not just appear by itself, and we do have to put effort into making it happen. The ultimate goal is to create a workplace culture that our employees can really be proud of and share with their friends and family. To make this happen, we need to make sure they feel motivated, engaged, satisfied, well-

informed, and proud. And that is where internal communications take the spotlight.

Internal communications play an important role in creating and fostering this magical atmosphere.

How? By keeping everyone in the know and making them feel valued and heard.

When employees are well-informed and they know that their voices matter, when they feel like they are part of a bigger picture, and enjoy the time spent at work - they're more likely to bring their best selves to the table. Moreover, they are more likely to work their magic and bring their best people to the table as well.

Should we take a step further, the talents we want for our teams are

STRATEGY

WHEN THEY ARE GIVEN THE FREEDOM TO DO THEIR JOB THE RIGHT WAY, INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS CAN CREATE A CULTURE THAT EMPLOYEES TRULY WANT TO SHARE WITH THEIR PEOPLE. THE BEST PART ABOUT THIS IS THAT THEY DO NOT NEED TO HIRE COPYWRITERS AND DESIGNERS TO MAKE IT WORK. THEIR VOICE ALONE IS 561% STRONGER THAN ALL OF THAT.

likely to willingly pull up a chair if the table seems like a great place to sit.

And how do we get there? By letting internal communications reveal their superpowers.

Internal communications have the power to shape the picture of the table internally. This influences how employees’ closest people will see it as well. It is important that the word-of-mouth carries the right message, and this can only be achieved through transparent and timely internal communication. Employees should always be the first to know about the company’s latest news and achievements. This is particularly important in times of change and crisis.

When IC is done right, employees feel like they are up-to-date, safe, taken care of, and most importantly, they know how to navigate turbulent times and meet expectations.

By adding value through engaging events, fun activities, and exciting initiatives, by recognizing and celebrating individual and team accomplishments, promoting good practice, fostering an atmosphere of appreciation, and promoting the company’s mission, products, and values, IC directly impacts motivation, productivity, and overall satisfaction.

Therefore IC should work closely with HR and management to create a culture that fosters a sense of belonging, that is supportive and inclusive, that listens to their employees and prioritizes their well-being, satisfaction, and development.

No amount of money will motivate your employees to speak positively about the company and recommend it to their loved ones if they are dissatisfied. No matter how wellcrafted your email instructions are, they won’t make your employees share your perfectly written social media post with their friends and connections if they do not feel like it is true.

When they are given the freedom to do their job the right way, internal communications can create a culture that employees truly want to share with their people. The best part about this is that they do not need to hire copywriters and designers to make it work. Their voice alone is 561% stronger than all of that.

A MESSAGE SHARED BY AN EMPLOYEE HAS 561% MORE INFLUENCE COMPARED TO THE SAME MESSAGE SHARED BY THE COMPANY. October 2023 | HR World 10| 97

STRATEGY

98 | HR World 10 | October 2023

TALENT

Rethinking Success: Shifting Focus from Talent to

Potential in the Development Journey TJAŠA BOGATAJ, COACH, UPORABNA PSIHOLOGIJA

October 2023 | HR World 10| 99

TALENT

IN LARGER, TRADITIONAL, HIERARCHICAL ORGANIZATIONS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT OFTEN USES A PERFORMANCE AND POTENTIAL MATRIX TO EVALUATE AN INDIVIDUAL'S TALENT. THIS CLASSIFICATION IS DEPENDENT ON THE INDIVIDUAL'S IMMEDIATE SUPERIOR. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS IMPLIES THAT EMPLOYEES WHO ARE NOT RECOGNIZED AS PARTICULARLY TALENTED MAY NOT HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO JOIN THE CIRCLE OF COLLEAGUES WHO ARE "WORTHY" OF DEVELOPMENT AND PROMOTION. THIS CREATES A BOTTLENECK FOR CAREER DEVELOPMENT.

100 | HR World 10 | October 2023

TALENT

It is important to understand the distinction between talent and potential. Talent refers to an individual's existing skills and abilities that have been demonstrated through past performance in a specific field. Potential, on the other hand, refers to an individual's abilities and capacities that can be developed and expanded over time with appropriate guidance and opportunities.

Potential holds the promise of growth and adaptation to changing demands.

In larger, traditional, hierarchical organizations, senior management often uses a performance and potential matrix to evaluate an individual's talent. This classification is dependent on the individual's immediate superior. Unfortunately, this implies that employees who are not recognized as particularly talented may not have the opportunity to join the circle of colleagues who are "worthy" of development and promotion. This creates a bottleneck for career development.

Many companies still use a traditional, hierarchical model of talent development.

This means that the company is generally only interested in those skills that are in the job description for the employee. Anything outside this range is considered irrelevant. In such a talent model, managers usually have control over employees.

An employee's career path is usually limited to the

sub-functional silo assigned to them upon employment.

Many organizations believe that career paths are linear and predictable, and, in that way, employees will inevitably reach their level of incompetence.

Centralized, hierarchical structures may have worked in the past, and they might still work for certain types of organizations. However, they are not responsive enough in an ever-changing world for organizations that wish to keep up with the changing environment.

The "danger" of a talentcentric culture is that it worships talent and disregards potential. This promotes a fixed mindset where individuals believe their abilities are predetermined and unchangeable from the start. Talented individuals often face the burden of unrealistic expectations, which can lead to a fear of failure and limit their willingness to take risks and explore new opportunities.

This kind of culture overlooks the fact that people can develop their skills, abilities, and knowledge through dedication and hard work.

Some other issues with talentcentric culture are: • Lack of feedback and growth opportunities: This can hinder employee development and limit the chances for individuals to reach higher levels of performance.

• Limited decision-making power: can lead to a lack of autonomy and prevent individuals from fully utilizing their talents and skills.

• Lack of collaboration and teamwork: This can create a silos culture where employees are hesitant to share ideas and skills, hindering overall organizational growth.

Let's discuss how to identify employees with great potential.

Here are some abilities to look for that often indicate high potential: • Learning Agility: This refers to individuals who can quickly learn, adapt, and apply new knowledge and skills. They excel in various roles, industries, and situations.

• Curiosity and Passion: These workers show a genuine interest and enthusiasm for their work.

They proactively seek opportunities to learn and explore new ideas beyond their assigned responsibilities.

• Adaptability: Seek out individuals who are comfortable with change and can adjust their strategies quickly. They learn from failures and handle uncertainties confidently.

• Leadership Potential: Assess individuals' ability to influence others, take on leadership roles, and drive positive change.

Strong interpersonal skills, effective communication, and motivation are key indicators.

• Problem-Solving and Critical Thinking: These employees can analyze complex situations, think critically, and propose innovative solutions. They generate ideas and embrace new perspectives.

THE "DANGER" OF A TALENT-CENTRIC CULTURE IS THAT IT WORSHIPS TALENT AND DISREGARDS POTENTIAL. THIS PROMOTES A FIXED MINDSET WHERE INDIVIDUALS BELIEVE THEIR ABILITIES ARE PREDETERMINED AND UNCHANGEABLE FROM THE START. October 2023 | HR World 10| 101

TALENT

EMPOWERED INDIVIDUALS ARE MORE LIKELY TO ACTIVELY CONTRIBUTE WITH THEIR EXPERTISE, CREATIVE IDEAS, AND CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS, WHICH CAN SIGNIFICANTLY ENHANCE THE TEAM'S OVERALL PERFORMANCE. • Initiative and Drive: Recognize initiativetakers who take ownership of their work and consistently exceed expectations. Their powerful desire to succeed leads them to go greater lengths.

• Resilience and Perseverance: Consider individuals who can bounce back from setbacks, demonstrate resilience in the face of challenges, and maintain a positive attitude. They learn from failures and persist despite obstacles.

• Emotional Intelligence: Look for individuals who

102 | HR World 10 | October 2023

possess strong emotional intelligence, including self-awareness, empathy, and effective relationship management skills.

These traits are crucial for navigating complex organizational dynamics and leading others.

One effective way to identify the potential in your teams is through 360-degree feedback. By utilizing the appropriate tool and having individuals who can properly interpret the results, this method offers numerous benefits. These include heightened self-awareness, a clear understanding of behaviors, promotion of communication, improved working relationships, encouragement of personal growth through feedbackbased development plans, increased accountability, and improved performance.

Think also about recognizing your T-shaped employees and uncover hidden potential.

T-shaped employees are individuals who possess deep expertise in a specific area (represented by the vertical line of the T) while also having a broad understanding of various other disciplines (represented by the horizontal line of the T). This multidisciplinary approach enables them to tap into different perspectives, seamlessly collaborate across teams, and tackle complex challenges from diverse angles. Their versatility and ability to bridge gaps between different areas empower them to adapt quickly to new situations, making them ideal candidates for roles requiring innovation and creative problem-solving.

T-SHAPERS ARE OFTEN CAREER CHANGERS, LIFE-LONG LEARNERS, THOSE WITH DIVERSE SKILL SETS, TEAM PLAYERS, OPEN-MINDED AND WILLING TO TAKE ON NEW CHALLENGES, THOSE WHO ARE CONSTANTLY LOOKING FOR IMPROVEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT, AND ABLE TO SELF-EVALUATE.

In practice, T-shapers are often career changers, life-long learners, those with diverse skill sets, team players, open-minded and willing to take on new challenges, those who are constantly looking for improvement and development, and those who are responsible and able to self-evaluate.

Once you have recognized your T-shaped employees, it is time to connect them to T-shaped teams. When T-shaped employees are placed in T-shaped teams, the benefits can be significant. Their ability to understand and appreciate different perspectives enables them to work seamlessly with colleagues from different backgrounds. This promotes knowledge sharing, creativity, and innovation within the team, leading to more effective solutions to complex problems.

In traditional organizations, it is a frequent practice to assign tasks to team members based on their specialized skills. While this approach is effective when the workload, work type, and team composition remain consistent, change is inevitable, and these factors are bound to fluctuate over time. This is where crossfunctional teams come in, requiring individuals with T-shaped profiles. A team of generalizing specialists shares equal responsibility for achieving the desired

TALENT

ONCE YOU HAVE RECOGNIZED YOUR T-SHAPED EMPLOYEES, IT IS TIME TO CONNECT THEM TO T-SHAPED TEAMS. WHEN T-SHAPED EMPLOYEES ARE PLACED IN T-SHAPED TEAMS, THE BENEFITS CAN BE SIGNIFICANT. outcome, eliminating individual workload.

T-shaped profiles are willing to take on tasks outside of their area of expertise and contribute where their skills are most needed. With a team of T-shaped profiles, dynamic and fast-changing environments can be navigated with ease.

Where working in a crossfunctional team requires team members to be T-shaped, it also makes them more T-shaped. In the ideal cross-functional team everyone is equally committed to reaching the agreed-upon result. This results in team members

taking up tasks outside their specialization when a colleague needs help or is absent. When teams mature, they weapon themselves against changes in workload, changes in the type of work, and changes in team composition, to deliver the agreed-upon result. This results in team members working in pairs on certain tasks, documenting important processes, and having whiteboard sessions involving the entire team. All these self-emerging behaviors result in knowledge and expertise being shared within the team. As a result, creating cross-functional teams where everyone is equally committed, and share mutual accountability, results in team members becoming more T-shaped.

The characteristic of mutual accountability amplifies the responsibility of every team member to share knowledge, ideas, experiences, and perspectives in order to improve overall team performance. With mutual accountability in place, teamwork is optimized.

Members understand that success is a collective effort achieved through effective collaboration, resulting in increased cooperation. Rather than functioning independently and safeguarding individual interests, a team with strong mutual accountability constantly asks, "How can we improve our collaboration?" both to themselves and their colleagues.

In order to have effective teamwork and achieve excellence, mutual accountability is necessary.

This means that if one team member produces a poor project outcome, all team members are equally responsible for the outcome, not just the individual who failed. Similarly, successes should also be shared amongst all members of the team.

Connecting T-shaped employees in T-shaped teams with empowerment and delegation can lead to a highly effective and efficient work environment.

Empowering T-shaped employees within T-shaped teams is essential for maximizing their potential.

By granting employees autonomy to make decisions and take ownership of their work, they feel responsible and motivated. Empowered individuals are more likely to actively contribute their expertise, creative ideas, and critical thinking skills, which can significantly enhance the team's overall performance.

To thrive in a rapidly transforming world, we must be willing to break free from old paradigms and embrace new approaches. By changing the way we worked in the past, we can achieve healthy workplaces where employees feel safe, and where they can develop, and collaborate with their colleagues.

October 2023 | HR World 10| 103

TALENT

104 | HR World 10 | October 2023

TALENT

HOW NOT TO LOSE YOUR TALENT WHEN LAYOFFS HIT Danica Ristić, HR Consultant

The last couple of months could indeed be described as the layoff season.

In 2023, more than a thousand tech companies laid off close to 250,000 people. That’s almost double the entire 2022, and we are only in September. Layoff season, indeed.

But, it’s not just that.

It’s also the season of horrible PR. Insanely humiliating public layoffs over group Zoom calls. Long and heartwrenching LinkedIn posts. Ruined reputations. It has been a challenging time all around!

In this article, we won’t touch upon should layoffs happen in the first place.

In most cases, they are a necessity.

But, how we go about it and all the decisions we make along the way are deciding factors. Will this be a glitch in a company’s journey or that one thing that brought it down?

The most essential thing while conducting layoffs is to secure the company’s future. That is, after all, why they are being conducted in the first place. And for the company to continue to stay afloat, or even thrive, it is necessary to make sure there is a solid talent base still in place. As a company, it is crucial to make sure there are enough A-players to keep it on the right track. So, how to go about it?

TRY TO AVOID LAYOFFS IN THE FIRST PLACE Well, obviously this one is given. But, how? Without diving into too many specifics, this is what you could do from an HR standpoint.

In most cases, when layoffs happen, companies are simultaneously hiring. Not only is this entirely illogical, but it is also very bad for the reputation, retention, and overall team morale. Therefore - try to make the best out of a bad situation, and instead of letting go of some and hiring others, aim to kill two birds with one stone. You can, surely, introduce horizontal promotions and move some of the workforce you meant to lay off into positions you are in need of filling.

Many skills are cross functional and valuable workers are way easier to retain than to hire in the first place.

October 2023 | HR World 10| 105

TALENT

INCLUDE EMPLOYEES IN THE DECISIONMAKING If there is one thing your workforce will hate, that is being ambushed. Lay out to them what the current situation is and what are the necessary steps that need to be taken. Introduce them with options and let them decide in which direction they believe the company should go. Yes, the company may be in a dire place and tough calls have to be made. But they will suffer the consequences more easily if they know their voice matters.

NO LAYOFFS, REGARDLESS OF HOW BIG OR SMALL, SHOULD BE CONDUCTED PUBLICLY, WITH NO PERSONAL TOUCH, AND WITH EMAILS THAT SOUND LIKE THE BEGINNING OF AN APOCALYPSE.

INTRODUCE COST-SAVING MEASURES AND BE TRANSPARENT ABOUT IT

CREATE CAREER PATHS FOR REMAINING TALENT AND SECURE THEIR LOYALTY

Before introducing layoffs, cutting costs is a necessary step. Even though some of the measures introduced won’t necessarily be popular with the employees, the way we go about it will make a huge difference in terms of how adaptable they are to them, and how much pushback the company’s management will get.

Introduce this as the last step until layoffs are necessary, and introduce cost-saving measures as the means to keep more jobs. Make sure the numbers are as clear to them as they can be, and make sure to do your due diligence and follow up after the fact.

The main concern after massive layoffs in everyone staying in the company is always the same. Will I be next?

Their fear is real and rational. No one wants to stay in a sinking ship, the one that has no future for them, and no prosperity. It’s your task to show them that it has.

COMMUNICATE INTERNALLY, DISCREETLY, AND WITH DIGNITY

Each company has at least a few single points of failure.

Those are the people without whom the company wouldn’t be able to function, at least not for a very long time. They are your talents, your lighthouse through the storm of a horrible market, your anchor in stormy weather, whichever metaphor you prefer.

Even when implementing the first three steps, a layoff may very well be necessary. In order to maintain the rest of the workforce in good spirits, learn from those who came before you. No layoffs, regardless of how big or small, should be conducted publicly, with no personal touch, and with emails that sound like the beginning of an apocalypse.

There is no good way to fire someone, but there are certainly bad ones. Steer clear from announcing before each impacted person has been aware, assign them as generous packages as you possibly can, and provide references for future employment.

For the workforce that remains, communicate as if they are your partners, which they are, and not your subordinates. Their wit, diligence, and attitude will be the only thing that prevents future layoffs. So, count on that.

106 | HR World 10 | October 2023

Every cost-saving measure, layoffs included, should benefit the people who stay, even if the only benefit is that the company survives. Everyone who stays, and especially those who are doomed talents, should know what is the plan for them, their role, and their department.

They need all the guarantees you can give them that they will be safe. Designing career paths, creating milestones, providing them with mentorship, coaching, development opportunities, or even promotions that expand their scope.

Count on them, bank on them, bet on them.

They are your safest bet that, despite the chaotic sea conditions, you will be able to dock safely in the harbour.

THERE IS NO GOOD WAY TO FIRE SOMEONE, BUT THERE ARE CERTAINLY BAD ONES.

STRATEGY

Which talent attraction strategy do you use in this ongoing war for talents?

Sonja Bašanović, Human Resources Manager Ramada Podgorica by Wyndham

Hotel Ramada Podgorica's talent attraction strategy involves collaborative partnerships with educational institutions, providing stimulating incentives, offering comprehensive training and development programs, and emphasizing clear career progression pathways. This approach ensures the hotel attracts and nurtures young talents, creating a sustainable talent pipeline and fostering a rewarding work environment.

October 2023 | HR World 10| 107

Authors

AUTHORS

108 | HR World 10 | October 2023

Alisa Evsina Alina Perrin Officially, Global Head of People, She calls herself Head (&Heart) of People in Amber HR Executive with more than 20 years of experience, Alina worked in several countries as an HRD for multinational companies as well as an entrepreneur, always focused on developing people and organizations.

Last year she joined one of the most exciting industries in tech, the gaming industry.

Alisa Evsina is an experienced HR Director with over 20 years of experience in HR management.

She holds a Master's degree in economics, in HR management in Kingston University and is CIPD certified.

Her background includes valuable experience in leading projects of acquisition, establishing new services, and transforming companies from state to private ownership, implementing best practices in compensation and benefits (C&B) and driving cultural transformations.

Alisa joined NIS in 2014 as the Director of the Compensation and Benefits Sector, became an HR Director in October 2018, leading one of Serbia's largest and distinguished HR teams.

Ivan Stefanović

Bojana Mucić Bojana Mucić is an experienced HR executive with a proven track record of driving strategic HR initiatives and fostering a positive organizational culture. Currently, she serves as the Executive Director of Human Resources at Nelt Group, where she has successfully led the HR function, aligning it with the company's vision and goals.

Bojana joined Nelt after 14 years of experience in various HR positions at CocaCola Hellenic, covering almost all markets in the Western Balkans.

Her expertise includes HR consulting, talent management, organizational development, and employee relations.

Bojana holds a master's in Serbian literature from the University of Belgrade.

Danica Ristić Danica Ristic is an experienced HR professional whose consulting business aims to spread awareness and tools on how to create, maintain and develop healthy careers that benefit individuals and businesses alike.

Ivan has more than 10 years of experience in the area of organization design, organizational changes, business process design & improvement, strategy development, and performance management.

His work spans over different industries, such as banking, oil & gas, gaming, and retail. He worked with some of the most renowned organizations in Serbia, such as: NIS Gazprom Neft, Vojvodjanska banka, Banca Intesa, Orsus, Soccer Bet, Victory, SOS Childrens’ Villages, NALED, etc. Ivan is a Certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, Certified Business Architect and Certified Performance Management Professional.

AUTHORS

Matic Kadliček

Jakob Kiblböck

Ivana Vidović With degrees in languages and Marketing & PR, Ivana developed a profound appreciation for the power of communication early on. This passion led her to pursue a career in the field, where she quickly discovered her affinity for internal communications.

Ivana is a passionate advocate for internal communications and employee engagement, with extensive experience in some of Serbia's largest corporations.

Beyond her corporate work, she actively contributes to the field through her involvement in topIC_ community, the first community gathering internal communicators in the Balkans.

Jakob is leading SAP SuccessFactors across the CEE region including 24 countries.

Having started at SAP in 2016, Jakob had the responsibility for the platform, data & technologies business at SAP, and in January 2020 took the role of Head of SAP SuccessFactors CEE. Together with his team, Jakob is passionately driving Digital Transformation in HR and making the Human Experience Management (HXM) and Intelligent Enterprise vision real for their customers.

Jakob holds a double-degree in International Business Administration and CEMS Masters in International Management at the Vienna University of Economics and Business and ESADE Ramon Llull University in Barcelona.

Jasna Terzić After graduating from the Faculty of Economics of the University of Novi Sad, specializing in international economic relations, Jasna Terzić entered the world of banking almost three decades ago. In her career as a banker, she has been on many expert task forces within the Association of Serbian Banks, the National Bank of Serbia, the Chamber of Commerce of Serbia, as well as a member of the Advisory Board at Visa International.

Since February 2007 she has been an Executive Board member, and since June 2022, the CEO of Erste Bank. She is responsible for retail banking, small businesses and entrepreneurs, marketing, HR and property management.

Maja Ninković Shapera Maja Ninkovic Shapera, PhD, is a People Analytics expert, the owner of HR research and consulting agency Alathea R&S, founder of the People Analytics Hub and the subject matter editor of the HR WORLD magazine.

Currently serving as VP People in a global digital communication scale-up Mitto.

Matic Kadliček is an organizational psychologist and CEO at Video Center, Slovenia. He is a sought-after consultant for HR and L&D to 100+ companies, building internal learning centers and tools for successful skill building, psychometric testing, coaching, succession planning, organizational network analysis, on-boarding and mentoring.

Keeping credibility front and center, he uses the ROI Methodology to measure results.

Among the first EuroPSY certificate holders for Work & Organizational Psychology in Slovenia, he is also a dedicated mentor to new psychologists and takes humor seriously.

Miguel Hernández Miguel Angel Hernández is a communications professional with a strong background in journalism, media relations, and strategic communications.

With a career spanning roles in newsrooms, press teams, and communication consultancy, he has honed his expertise in delivering effective communication strategies and content-based communications.

His experience encompasses working across different sectors, from media organizations to the public sector, city marketing, investment promotion strategies, and corporate communications.

October 2023 | HR World 10| 109

Authors

AUTHORS

110 | HR World 10 | October 2023

Milica Perišić As a professional with 10+ years of experience in HR within the IT industry, Milica worked in all areas of HR – recruitment and employer branding, people development and training, etc. Currently her focus is on enhancing performance management and people evaluation.

Her previous experience includes work in international IT companies where she could connect her IT background and love for HR. Besides her career in HR, she holds certification as an Erickson Professional Coach, as well as an Intuitive and Success coach.

She is currently enrolled in studies for Energy Psychology within Institute Johannes Kepler in Belgrade.

Miloš Petrović Miloš Petrović is an accomplished business executive with extensive experience in operations management and leadership roles.

Currently serving as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) since May 2022, Miloš is responsible for monitoring the overall performance of the company. He oversaw multiple clients and fostered strong client relationships, contributing to the OIP's growth and expanding the client base.

Additionally, he is representing OIP at business insurance conventions and plays a key role in the HR and new hires' selection process. Miloš is married, has 2 kids and is a passionate football fan.

Nada Krstić Panjević A Comparative Literature graduate who transitioned into a career in Human Resources, with 5 years of experience in both corporate and start-up/scale-up environments.

Currently Senior Manager, People & Culture at Mitto, where she puts a fresh spin on issues such as organizational culture, employee experience, business partnership, and leadership development.

Passionate about People Analytics, especially repurposing her qualitative analysis skillset in business contexts.

Nevena Mićović Nevena Mićović is a founder of My Language Avenue, the first Language Coaching centre in Serbia, a certified Business English Language Coach (International Language Coaching Association, Miami, Florida), MA Business English teacher (Faculty of Philology, Belgrade, Serbia/ Alpen Adria University, Klagenfurt, Austria), a creator of two language learning products, My Language Notebook & My Language Journal, public speaker and a passionate entrepreneur, currently being educated for Cognitive Behavioral Coaching, whose principles and tools she plans to implement in her work with corporate clients.

Nicole Yelsey Nicole leads operations, marketing, and strategy at KindWorks.AI. She has 20 years of experience in marketing, brand, and business development, working on both the client and agency sides for large Fortune 100 companies and early-stage startups.

Nicole has led and grown teams, products, and businesses from conception to scale. She is a solutionfocused leader who understands how to design a big-picture vision and to efficiently and effectively operationalize it.

AUTHORS

Perry Timms Perry is the founder and Chief Energy Officer of PTHR, a BCorp Certified consultancy, Perry is an international and 2x TEDx speaker and award-winning author. His books, "Transformational HR" and "The Energized Workplace," were named as two of the Top 100 Business Strategy books of all time. Perry holds teaching roles at Hult International Business School and Ashridge Management School and affiliations with Cranfield School of Management and Sheffield Hallam University. He's a Chartered CIPD member, 5x HR Magazine's HR Most Influential Thinker, and a Top 100 Global HR Influencer, LinkedIn Learning instructor, and RSA Fellow.

Sandra Prvulović Sandra Prvulović brings over 15 years of expertise in tech recruitment, specializing in resolving complex, global talent acquisition challenges. She is dedicated to continuous improvement and excellence, aligning her work with the dynamic challenges of the industry to deliver impactful results that connect all stakeholders seamlessly. She identifies herself as a dedicated advocate for talent intelligence.

Suzana Marović

Tijana Bošnjak

She graduated from the Faculty of Philology and obtained her master’s degree in HR at the University of Belgrade. Recently she has become holder of the Ericsson Solution Focused Coach Certificate issued by Erickson Coaching International. She has been working in Telekom Srbija for 25 years occupying various positions. She is responsible for the implementation of Performance and Talent Management, the development of Corporate Culture and Change Management and the Training Centre. She is committed to continuous improvement of employee engagement. Since 2019 she has been coordinating HR teams for the implementation of SAP SuccessFactors.

Tijana Bošnjak is currently in the position of Head of Talent for the South East market.

With over 15 years of experience, she has a diverse background that includes various HR functions.

Her expertise ranges from administration, internal communications, compensation & benefits, business partnering, talent management, to involvement in numerous global and local HR projects. Tijana is known for her enthusiastic and optimistic nature, always striving for simplicity and efficiency in HR processes.

She finds great joy in coaching, mentoring, and working with people, particularly in multicultural environments.

Tjaša Bogataj Tjaša Bogataj is MSc in HR and educational systems, Coach /EMCC SLO, Scrum master, Agile HR pro.

With 15+ of experience working in an international environment, her passion lies in transforming organizational culture to create thriving workplaces. She continuously strives to stay up-to-date with the latest advancements in the HR field.

As a coach, she empowers individuals and teams to reach their full potential. As an agile HR expert, she specializes in implementing agile methodologies within HR practices.

October 2023 | HR World 10| 111

STRATEGY

HR WORLD TEAM Contact us at community@hrworld.org

Grupna slika HRW part 1

112 | HR World 10 | October 2023

STRATEGY

K3 Grupna slika HRW part 2

October 2023 | HR World 10| 1