05.06.2023

Crossing HR Borders - What does the future of HR look like?

'Don't think outside the box, think outside your industry.' For a lot of HR problems today, a different domain has already solved that challenge. It can be very inspiring to cross some borders to gain new insights. And we're not talking about just crossing country borders, but also the borders of your discipline, industry or other unexpected resources. These insights can lead to specific solutions of the challenges that you're facing today.

Explore these examples in this monthly 'Crossing HR Borders' series.

Only after a couple of months since the Coronavirus hit our planet, the Harvard Business Review already wrote that this pandemic drastically reshaped our economy and the labor force: Since its rapid spread around the globe, we have experienced titanic shifts in how we work, where we work, and the technologies we use to stay connected.

Such massive change is escalating the importance of HR’s role within organizations. Workers are turning to their managers and their HR leaders, in particular, for guidance on how to navigate their “new normal” — research indicates that 73% of workers depend on their employer for support in preparing for the future of work. Just as CFOs have greatly increased their scope since the 2008 financial crisis, CHRO’s now have that same opportunity to become central C-suite players.

So what does the future of HR look like?

• The human resources departments of the future workplace will have to revamp themselves and give the much required push to able to gel with the new workforce. While core functions such as hiring and human resource management will remain the same, certain new aspects of the HR functions and job roles are likely to be added in the near future.

What to say about a Corporate Disorganizer? An expert that shuffles hierarchies in companies to create a start-up culture or organized chaos?

What do you think about a Productivity Counselor? With the emphasis on productivity and "making a difference", coupled with new tracking technologies, people will need help refining their lives to improve their productivity, combining ergonomics, wellness, time management and career counseling.

Did you ever think of hiring a Curiosity Tutor? A personal advisor in "flaneuring"? An advisor that not only provides inspiration and content to spark curiosity, but one that teaches the art of discovery?

>>> Would you hire one of these future-proof HR roles?

• The Cognizant Center for Future of Work and Future Workplace jointly embarked on a nine-month initiative to determine exactly what the future of HR will look like.
They brought together a network of nearly 100 CHROs, CLOs, and VP’s of talent and workforce transformation to envision how HR’s role might evolve over the next 10 years.

The result was the conception of over 21 new HR jobs, including detailed responsibilities and skills needed to succeed in each role.
While some of the roles are entirely new positions, others are new responsibilities that are becoming increasingly important.
All 21 jobs embody five core themes: individual and organizational resilience; organizational trust and safety; creativity and innovation; data literacy; human-machine partnerships.

>>> Which of these new HR jobs could be of immediate help for your organization?

• Many organisations use personality testing to find out whether a candidate fits within the company. For decades such assessments have been performed through questionnaires which - if done in depth - require at least 30 minutes of the candidate’s time.

Facelytix, the technology developed by Ghita Ramdhiansing and Sevi Tuominen of the Dutch company Clearwater Skyfields BV, works with a videotest to screen job candidates via a 10-minute recording with a smartphone.

Gita was triggered by the American psychologist Paul Ekman and his work on emotions and facial expressions. Their videotest combines Ekman with video technology and analytical processing and is an important asset when it comes to quicker and more accurately selecting the right candidate for a job.

>>> What could you think of to make your process of hiring the right people quicker and more accurate?

• For many of us, work is a major part of our lives. It is where we spend much of our time, where we get our income and often where we make our friends.
Having a fulfilling job can be good for your mental health and general wellbeing.

Good mental health at work and good management not only go hand in hand, it also becomes big part of HR's future as there is strong evidence that workplaces with high levels of mental wellbeing are more productive. Addressing wellbeing at work increases productivity by as much as 12%.

For this reason, Justin Bieber and online therapy platform, BetterHelp, are partnering to provide free access to therapy for Justin’s 250+ person touring crew and for his millions of fans, the latter of which BetterHelp has committed mental health services of up to $3,000,000 in value.

>>> What can you do to better manage and invest in mental wellbeing in your company?

'Crossing HR Borders' is the result of a co-creation between Marc Heleven - Innovation researcher and Cyriel Kortleven - Global speaker on the Change Mindset.

These articles were first published in the Flemish HR Magazine ZigZag.
More info: www.cyrielkortleven.com