The role played by HR is a constantly evolving one. Where in the past HR professionals were relegated to a backroom role, their status as strategic partners has come into focus in recent times.

In today’s hyper-competitive environment, there is no doubt that organizations are hungry for talent. Highly skilled and motivated employees are more efficient, perform better, and enable an organization to gain a competitive edge over its opponents.

Hence in order to survive in this brave new world, HR professionals need to position themselves as strategic partners in their respective organizations. Recognizing the importance of strategic HR management, we now take a look at how HR professionals and business leaders can prepare themselves for the future.

Aligning employees with business goals

Ensuring that the goals of both the organization and its members are aligned has often been discussed by HR professionals worldwide. When both employees and employers are able to work towards a common goal, great things can be done.

Thus when planning for the future, HR professionals should look towards building a skilled and motivated team of employees who are in tune with the organization’s goals and objectives.

As we’ve seen time and time again, companies with a people focus tend to perform much better. By building upon their workforce’s innovation, some organizations have been able to increase their revenues by as much as 5.5 times.

One example of this can be seen in the success of Marriott International; one of the biggest names in the hospitality industry. Having placed the organization’s values and beliefs at the very core of its organization, Marriott International has been able to build a name for itself as one of the top hotels in the world.

Implementing up-to-date HR software

Digitalization and the discovery of new technology have drastically changed the way we work. Traditionally, the role played by HR was one related to administrative tasks and compliance-related duties.

From counselor to recruiter and filing clerk, HR professionals were not able to fulfill their primary role; the recruiting and development of competent individuals. Unfortunately, this is a common situation in organizations where management tends to overlook the importance of upgrading and updating the HR department.

HR software such as IQDynamics makes use of AI technology and automation to significantly reduce the burden on HR professionals. This leaves them free to focus on more value-added tasks such as recruitment and training.

Through this, HR professionals can develop a strategic recruitment plan that outlines the skill requirements for the organization in the near future. By doing so, the organization is able to equip itself with the right talent and people to remain competitive.

Developing comprehensive internal training programs

Succession can be a serious problem in many organizations. The lack of upskilling and training can result in the formation of knowledge silos i.e. a scenario where information is hoarded and hidden by a group of employees seeking personal gain.

In the long term, this selfish behavior results in inefficiencies and can hamper internal talent development. This is because knowledge silos can result in employees choosing to only focus on a single function or process whilst refusing to develop new skills.

Hence this makes succession of any kind difficult as the organization will be constantly losing out on top talent due to the lack of career development opportunities. In order to break down knowledge silos, training and development at all levels of the organization are critical.

With IQDynamics’ HR software, managers and leaders can develop cross-functional training programs that facilitate the breaking down of silos. Enabling employees to develop their knowledge and build their skill sets, creates confidence whilst encouraging the free flow of information; all of which is crucial if HR is to develop a strategic succession plan.

Engaging with stakeholders

Despite taking a larger role in determining business strategy, there often exists a disconnect between HR and the employees that they serve. To the typical employee, HR representatives tend to be “by the book” types who only serve the company’s interests while strictly adhering to company policy.

This disconnect means that HR professionals will often struggle to obtain the cooperation of employees when implementing a new project or initiative. Typically, most new ideas are ironed out internally within the HR department itself before being foisted upon employees at large.

Consequently, this leads to a widespread lack of support amongst employees and leaders within the organization which often causes the project itself to fail.

Hence if the HR department is to assume a more strategic role within the organization, it needs to engage and work with its stakeholders. By doing so, more effective strategies built-in HR software can be developed as the team will have a more complete picture of the organization and its requirements.

With the global war for talent heating up, HR professionals must now develop strategies and techniques to get the best candidates. Alongside this, the ability to develop and retain such high-performing individuals is of the utmost importance. Explore how IQ Dynamics HR software enables HR professionals to manage and effectively level up organizational talents.