From automation, gig economy to generation Z, organizations have several disruptors to deal with today. This rapidly changing business environment puts direct pressure on HR to help organizations navigate through these disruptions efficiently. The HR professional in the age of disruptions hence needs to play a new role with emerging skills and tools and get on a learning journey. 

The learning journey of HR in the age of disruptions starts with understanding the drivers of change challenging the way of work. Oracle OpenWorld Asia to be held in Singapore from 26-27 March 2019 will aim to look at some of these  drivers of disruption in HR. Here’s a look at some of these drivers of change. 

The drivers of change

Technology

Blockchain, AI and people analytics are now being increasingly applied in people functions like talent acquisition and employee engagement. Further, as smartphones and the internet become easily accessible, the mode of communication for any employee-related query has now shifted to mobile. Even learning and development is happening on-the-go and the majority of employees are now looking for learning modules and solutions on their smartphones.

Gig Economy & Remote working

More companies have started appointing freelance and contract workers for crucial projects and functions.. Ensuring gig talent is included in the broader workforce strategy and encouraging leaders to align talent strategy to business strategy will be critical as the contingent workforce starts evolving.

The new generation at the workplace

We are in an era where we have up to five generations working together, depending on the type of organization you are in. The reward and recognition strategy that worked for one generation might not work for another. While one employee can be more motivated by financial incentives, the other might get more engaged by volunteering in an NGO. HR, therefore, needs to relook at their people strategies and redesign them to cater to a diverse generation of employees. 

Emerging business models

Who would have thought ordering food would become a matter of a click and cabs would be available at one’s doorstep? But all of this is a reality now. Breaking the old traditional systems, business models are rapidly evolving and giving birth to new innovative concepts.

What will then help organizations stand out from each other and stay ahead of the curve? ‘Capabilities’ and most essentially people capabilities. HR in the age of disruptions hence has to ensure that their company has the talent and the skills that help them take this next leap. They also have to take care that the current talent gets trained in the right direction and get access to learning the most relevant skills. 

Skills for HR in the age of disruptions

Digital mindset

To help the entire organization and all employees through digital transformation, HR professionals first have to get comfortable with the new technologies. It is essential that they invest in their own learning and development, and get as much knowledge as they can hold to help their organizations in the digital age. 

Agility

Change has always been a constant but the frequency and the scale at which change occurs today is massive. HR professionals have to be flexible and ensure that the company develops capabilities as per the changing business need. As agile leaders, they should endeavor to create a culture of agility at an organization level. 

Business mindset

HR professionals have to speak the language of business and familiarize themselves with the entire ecosystem they operate in. Even when hiring HR leaders, organizations often prefer to employ talent with a background in their core business or technology. HR professionals should equip themselves with knowledge of the business to understand the talent requirements more effectively.

Future Focused 

Besides being adaptable, flexible and agile to the ongoing changes, HR has to prepare for the innovations that are yet to occur and the development that might define the future of work. This is where a strong knowledge of current trends and the potential they come with will come in handy. 

The journey for HR to pace up with the age of disruption starts from knowing the employees, the business, the environment the business operates in, applying analytics and data science, and then framing relevant strategies which will be then executed using new age technologies as per the requirement of business. Thus, in the age of disruptions, the first thing HR needs to disrupt is themselves.

Click here to register for the Oracle OpenWorld Asia: Singapore happening at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore from 26-27 March 2019.