Today’s leaders have their work cut out for them: sourcing quality talent, dealing with a rapidly-evolving work landscape, managing a hybrid workforce, and dealing with near-constant disruption. It can be tough to know where to start.

Yet, the most savvy among us recognise that this complexity requires that we always stay one step ahead. There are a few key considerations and factors that must be taken into account when setting the foundation for success. 

Managing Both Internal and External Workforce Participants

According to the recent findings from the Deloitte/MIT 2022 Future of the Workforce Global Executive Study and Research Project, 74% of leaders and managers say that effective management of external contributors, such as freelancers, contract workers, and app developers, is critical to their organisation's success. As a result of Covid-19, more and more highly-skilled professionals are going freelance. Whether through gig, contract or contingent work, there’s no doubt these offer a promising people solution. But managing both internal and external contributors requires a particular set of skills, particularly in a hybrid setting. 

Learn more about equipping leaders with skills to manage the evolving workforce here. 

Building an Increased Connection to Mission, Purpose and Values 

There’s no doubt that communities have evolved as a result of the disruptions over the past two years. People want to do work that matters. In the midst of an unprecedented turnover - dubbed The Great Resignation - leaders who can foster a commitment to the ‘why’ of work stand to succeed time and again. This commitment starts with revisiting your company’s purpose statement and the values that underscore this statement. 

Learn more about how to craft an employer brand that aligns with your mission here. 

Managing the Motivations of the Workforce 

What do people really want, and why? Leaders who can figure out the core drivers of human motivation will stand to optimize their teams’ efficiency, engagement and productivity. And it’s not all about salary - far from it. It’s crucial that leaders work to understand why so many are looking elsewhere and figure out what can motivate them to stay. 

Learn more about how to master motivation and engagement, click here.

Augmenting Decisions and Boosting Efficiency Through Automation 

In the very near future, large portions of the EX lifecycle - from performance management to onboarding to voice of the employee and beyond - will be automated. The most successful leaders today will understand that EX is a single feeling. Rather than taking a granular approach to improving the day-to-day of their teams, they will prioritise and invest in technologies that shape employee experience - including through the automation of repetitive tasks. 

To find out more about augmenting EX through automation, click here. 

Displaying a Day-One Commitment to Bigger-Picture Issues

A recent survey by Greenhouse reveals 86% of job candidates consider an organisation’s investment in DE&I during their application process, and a recent survey by PLAY reveals the majority of workers want to see organisations becoming much more transparent about their sustainability efforts. True progress is made up of the innumerable small actions of well-intentioned leaders moving the needle in the right direction. 

To find out more about how leaders can demonstrably commit to bigger-picture issues, click here. 

Data, data and more data! 

The future of HR lies in analytics. Data - and the ability to create meaningful stories from data - has the potential to revolutionise the way we deploy and optimise our people resources. Really, we shouldn’t be making decisions without it. By drawing on data to address challenges, organisations are able to find evidence-based solutions to a whole host of business problems, all backed up by numbers, statistics and figures. In a time of immense uncertainty, these insights are becoming increasingly valuable. The possibilities are limitless. 

To find out more about using data to optimise people resources, click here. 

In this interconnected world, BeNext-certified cohorts give you a chance to learn, network and connect with people from every time zone, every continent and every industry.  BeNext programs provide tools and knowledge for HR leaders to find their answers (and become the answer themselves). 

BeNext programs are five-week, interactive cohort-based courses where you will learn from practising experts and peers from top companies around the world. Over the past 18 months, more than 5,000 professionals in more than 60 cohorts and across 18 programs have been certified at BeNext.

To find out more, click here.