The days of when a person would start at a company in an entry level position and work for that one company for the whole of their career lives are long gone. It’s very rare that a person starts with a single company and stays with them for most of their adult lives.
Today, the landscape for both employers and employees is very different. Companies often change their strategies to enhance their workforce with employees having skills that give them a competitive edge. Younger employees just out of college really don’t care for staying with a single company before moving on to another job that will advance their career.
According to Ken Nowack, whose father remained in the same job with Levi-Strauss for 39 years, things have definitely changed. “There’s a shift from organizational loyalty to job-task loyalty,” he said. “We prioritize growth and learning and development.”
The HR departments of yesterday would hardly recognize the HR departments of today where the dynamic between employer and employee have changed so drastically. Neither party in the employee-employer desire a one-firm career. The emphasis today is increasing learning and development opportunities within a company and taking those learned skills to their next job when the time comes.
HR professionals today have to adapt to this ever-changing landscape by implementing practices that allow for what the market wants/ Today it’s about staffing and flexibility in a more global marketplace. Here are some areas where new HR mindsets should aim to have the biggest effect, along with areas industry practitioners and observers say more change is imminent.
Every company has its own culture and HR managers taking a more prominent role in driving that culture. Dennis Carey, vice chairman at global advisory firm Korn Ferry, wrote in an article in Harvard Business Review, that because of the increased focus on talent, within an organization, the lead HR officer should be guiding higher-level corporate strategies.
Carey also believes that chief human resources officers could find a more realistic pathway to becoming CEO in the future. With human resource training now emphasizing business acumen and strategy, this becomes a viable trend for CHRO professionals.
Industry experts feel that the key to this is increased flexibility by leaving old business models behind. It’s time to rethink working hours, full-time only positions and the annual employment review. In terms of real life experience within companies, many employees have had to adapt to job changes, promotions, and changes in organizational structure. By taking these things into account, the review process becomes much more effective and tailored to the individual. That can go a long way in helping employees connect with the culture and become more active contributors within it.
HR is all about people, and matching the right people with the right skills, passion and talent to the right job within a company. NetPEO is a network of companies that can assist in all of your personnel needs. We feature HR outsourcing and Employee Leasing Services. Contact us today to learn how we can help improve your business and your bottom line with guaranteed results.