Canadian HR Reporter

CANADIAN HR REPORTER June 13, 2016 FEATURES 35 HR METRICS Looking ahead to the future of HR With analytics and long-term planning, the nature of the role is shifting dramatically By Jo Ann Miele I n the business of the future, the HR function will still be going strong because manag- ing people will always be a criti- cal component of any successful business — that's a given. But the nature of the role is shifting dramatically. e combination of a rapid growth in analytics, the increasing importance of HR in long-term business plan- ning, and the evolving needs of employees and potential em- ployees will have a considerable impact on the role of future HR departments. e HR department of the future hasn't truly been built yet, but the focus needs to be on data collec- tion. Data collection is relatively new. Collection systems are in place and interesting models are being developed. As that hap- pens, the tools at an HR expert's disposal will be built and remade. Technological improvement is a never-ending process of reinter- pretation and reinvention, and we are at the very beginning of an exciting new cycle. Not your grandmother's HR department In exploring the current trends in the industry and extrapolating forward, one thing is clear: HR is about to get a lot more interesting — and a lot more challenging. e era of HR professionals as paper- pushers or data-entry resources is now historical detritus. Documents are available on- line and on-demand. New hires and updates are increasingly handled by self-serve portals that follow standardized onboarding techniques. e exit process is becoming equally simplified and managed with applications and automated processes. In general, many of the day-to-day tasks for- merly assigned to HR profession- als are or will soon be automated. In their stead will be business- critical strategic management of human resources. As part of this new era, HR professionals are participating in the broader business planning conversation at most companies. e new HR shifts away from be- ing viewed as a cost centre and becomes a partner in helping a business to generate value and drive productivity. is is how that will happen: By attracting and retaining the right talent: Not all employ- ees are created equal. e focus on talent is a top three item on today's executive agenda. Engag- ing and retaining top talent is a differentiator for sustainable busi- ness performance. Being able to quickly identify and manage low performers improves productivity and, ultimately, results. A strategi- cally minded HR department will be able to distinguish between the two and build programs that keep the wheat and chuck the chaff. By developing employees' skills to meet future needs: Af- ter identifying the top performers, HR departments will need to arm them with the skills they need to succeed for next year — and five years down the road. HR leaders need to work with the CEO and CFO to identify the direction of the industry and the labour market, then build development and recruiting programs that will meet those needs. By introducing new tech- nologies to improve employee productivity: As the workplace becomes increasingly data-driv- en, it will be important to supply employees with the technological tools they require to do their jobs. Conversely, it will also be impor- tant to help them manage infor- mation overload. We all know of the challenges presented by the daily email deluge, employees being eternally on call and other problems associated with a con- nected society. HR departments, armed with data and analytics, will need to ensure employees are not overwhelmed, and that the work they do is productive, not churn. e data miner's daughter It's really difficult to overstate the impact people analytics is having on the modern workplace. e current environment is akin to physics in the early 20th century, when the collection of more and more sophisticated experimental data forced a revolution in our understanding of the universe (quantum physics and relativity). HR LEADERS > pg. 37 The new HR shifts from being a cost centre to being a partner. your career in focus When it comes to practicing human resources, membership matters. Only HRPA offers Certified Human Resources Professional, Leader, and Executive designations: the new global standard for HR excellence and professionalism. The CHRP, CHRL and CHRE designations demonstrate an HRPA member's commitment to their career and the success of their organization. P U T Y O U R C A R E E R I N F O C U S hrpa.ca/infocus

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