At a global level, there is a group of companies that leads the best practices in Human Resources and are characterized by having a focus on the diversification of talent, the experience of the collaborator, the use of data and analytics, the training of the workforce, the digitization of human capital processes and the development of new skills in its staff.
According to the latest edition of the study The Future of HR Lessons from the Pioneers of KPMG, around 10% of large companies in the world they are classified as leaders in talent issues and are the ones that have had the best response to the pandemic thanks to the way in which they have taken advantage of the disruption caused by the health emergency to reinvent the workforce and the business operating model .
These organizations have several lessons for the rest of the companies, including preparing the workforce and the workspace for the future. However, the practices that characterize leading companies in Human Resources They are the result of a recurring analysis of the scenarios that impact their workers and accept that the market will continue with disruptions, showing curiosity about the causes that will transform businesses.
“There is a clear opportunity to generate a positive impact on the ESG agenda, which the pioneers are taking advantage of with new schemes and ways of working, and developing a organizational culture based on the trust and empowerment of talent, while improving their quality of life and accelerating their development, ”said Olivia Segura, partner of Human Capital Advisory and Talent Management at KPMG in Mexico.
What can we learn from these organizations? Based on the firm’s research, there are at least three pillars that characterize large companies with the best Human Resources practices:
1. ESG principles
The Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) principles refer to the impact that a company has beyond the financial. The pioneering organizations in talent practices prioritize even more the social approach between this strategy, with the issues of diversity, inclusion Y equity as main concern.
The CEOs of these organizations agree that diversity creates significant value for the company and its culture, and they agree that a truly diverse company seeks to attract talent regardless of age, gender, or any other type of bias.
However, for leading businesses, promoting diversity and inclusion is not understood without metrics. In that sense, use the data to shape your inclusion strategy and identify hidden biases that may hinder people from entering and performing.
2. Focus on the entire workforce
This strategy involves focusing more on employees, rethinking the performance management, improve digital empowerment and help employees develop the skills they need, not just for today, but even for years to come.
According to KPMG research, the companies that offer the best customer experience are also the ones that have tailored and personalized experiences for their employees.
To achieve the best experience for the workforce, organizations also analyze data so that the value offer is aligned to your needs. Furthermore, they are characterized by an investment in learning platforms and for virtual work.
3. Rethinking the HR profile
In leading organizations in human capital, there is a trend towards innovation in the employment experience in a context such as the Covid-19 pandemic which transformed the strict philosophy on where and how work gets done.
Throughout the health emergency, this group of companies dared to implement strategies, which at some point could be risky, such as flexibility in working hours. In other words, the executives of Human Resources of these organizations have accepted practice and innovation as their new teacher.
On the other hand, all the Human Resources leaders who participated in the research agree that the talent solutions were real process results of active listening.
Practical steps for any company
To become a pioneering organization, a series of steps must be followed, including sometimes breaking with the the status quo. Experience from the last three KPMG investigations suggests that organizations can achieve this level of better practices via:
»Define its value
“Human Resources leaders need to listen to the organization and functional leaders, their internal customers, to know how their needs for talent, skills, behaviors have changed and, based on this, define a strategy that allows really enhancing the results of business and take advantage of momentum that offers the current double disruption”Says Olivia Segura.
To define value, within organizations must be ask these questions:
- How will the shape, size, organization, and skills of our workforce be different in three years?
- How can we engage Gen Z to experience significant career growth early, as well as the benefits of hybrid work?
- What does rebuilding mean for us?
” Deliver more
Develop the ability to provide analytical information and evidence is essential to find answers to the most important questions of the company. The pioneers interviewed are using analysis of data to better understand your workforce and, crucially, demonstrate how people’s problems influence business strategy.
The analysis of data It is a key to the success of leading companies because it allows them to experiment, break silos and promote a total workforce approach.
»End-to-end capabilities
There are four capacities that characterize this group of companies:
- A disciplined approach
- Data integration and information analysis
- Narration and data visualization techniques
- Agile project execution teams
»New operating model
Among the research findings, it stands out that the pioneering companies in Human Resources have a new architecture of the human capital departments, which are distinguished by being:
- More integrated
- Less process driven
- More focused
- More holistic
According to the study, pioneering best practices in Human Resources it is a way of reinventing the world of work and developing the ability to survive and prosper in the future.