At this time of the year lots of forecasting occurs. The L&D / HR space is no exception. Unfortunately it seems the predictions haven’t changed much over recent times. What are the top issues we’re dealing with this year?
- Operating as a key organisational player
- Finding workable solutions for the skills crisis
- Changing the fundamentals of organisational life
HR and L&D have been on the fringes for way too long. A number of leading lights in our profession have shone through but not enough of them. At any time in our history, now is the time to be counted. Now is the time for depth and substance grounded in business realities. Finance and marketing gurus will still take up space, and IT are still in there playing hard. Those professionals are critical to business success but the area they are in is largely  level playing field. Everyone has access to the same technology, compliance laws and regulations. The biggest opportunity for any business to clear the field is in how its people function. That old hackneyed phrase “people are our biggest asset” now has to have some grunt behind it. Time for HR and L&D professionals to muscle in to the Boardroom and deliver workable solutions to soft issues which have hard impact.
Aging workforces, lack of robust planning and increases in demand have created skills shortages unlike any we have known in our recent history. Finding people is still a strategy and recruiters are doing it tough in finding and placing hot candidates. Two areas for opportunity stand out here. Firstly, broader application of training is likely to see organisations like Natural, who deliver results-based training, in continued demand to design, consult and deliver learning strategies. Secondly, HR experts have a real opportunity to deliver shifts in workforce structures. Strong negotiation and influencing skills will stand senior HR/HRD professionals in good stead.
Rethinking how we manage and organise the people who help the business to produce its services and goods is the challenge. Tapping deeper into niche areas of the workforce, stepping away from traditional views of what a workforce is, and having the courage to argue sound financial and rational strategies to solve how businesses operate are key to the future value of HR/HRD.
For discussion and input on how HR/HRD professionals can leverage their skills and opportunities to make a difference to their business, contact us or call AU +61 419988303 Call direct. If we can’t help you, we can point you in the right direction.