As layoffs continue to make headlines, Julie Gettys, chief human resources officer at Sectigo, emphasizes a people-first strategy for organizational success. She emphasizes properly resourcing teams to increase productivity and developing digital skills to energize the workplace.
Caring for people and caring for the bottom line are often seen as opposing forces. Investing in people is generally understood to take effort away from improving profits. And vice versa, operations that drive revenue are seen to conflict with employee development efforts.
2024 is less than two months away. high tech companies has laid off about 40,000 employees, with the largest layoffs at high-profile technology companies such as Amazon, DocuSign, and PayPal. Technology layoffs have been trending news over the past year, but they raise questions. Is it possible for fast-growing technology companies to develop a human-centered workforce while growing revenue? What role does technology play in streamlining the HR function?
There is This is an approach that high-tech companies can adopt to grow both talent and profits at the same time. In fact, I believe that taking care of your employees is not only important, but is key to the success of your organization. From my experience leading HR at his fastest-growing SaaS company for over 17 years, here's how HR leaders can best prioritize both people and profits.
Components of a people-focused HR function
Key elements that contribute to building an HR strategy center around employee benefits, development, and engagement. HR functions that prioritize the needs and interests of employees as central to an organization's success will have the greatest impact.
1. A well-resourced team is an effective team
One of the most important things for HR leaders to remember is that employees are only as good as their resources. Well-resourced teams are effective and productive, and often do their best to leverage their investments.
Think of it this way. One way productivity becomes low and the workforce becomes “locked out” is by under-resourcing and not providing employees with the knowledge and tools they need to succeed. There's a difference between equipping your employees to meet challenges and leaving them so ill-equipped that achieving your goals seems nearly impossible.
To properly resource your team, you need to take a close look at the skills you need to succeed in today's digital-centric workplace. AI is being implemented in every business function and department, from marketing and communications to finance and business development, and its use is increasing exponentially every day.
According to LinkedIn November 2023 Future of Work Report: AI at Work Report, We've seen a 75% monthly increase in members around the world, with terms like “GAI,” “ChatGPT,” “Prompt Engineering,” and “Prompt Crafting” added to their profiles. Additionally, 44% of US executives agree that they plan to increase the use of AI within their organizations next year. You need to prepare your employees to succeed in his AI-driven workforce.
Because data breaches on our Generative AI Platform remain a serious issue, we have developed an AI policy for our employees and are offering a LinkedIn training course on Data Privacy on our Generative AI Platform. However, AI is not the only solution. We are leaders in what we need to equip our teams with technology and infrastructure that is more integrated, automated, streamlined, and works “for us” rather than “against us.” We need to continue to invest in managers and manager training to ensure that they are available.
2. Engage your employees in the right way
Make employee engagement a priority! As mentioned above, one of the key ways to ensure your employees are engaged is to regularly give them what they need to thrive. Another way to create sustainable employee engagement is to consistently involve executives. What does this mean?
One way is to ensure that CEOs have access to many touchpoints within the company, including providing meaningful updates through platforms such as monthly and quarterly town halls and quarterly meet-and-greet sessions for each new employee. It's about being visible and responsive at all times.
Anonymized new hire surveys are conducted every 30 or 60 days, or as often as suits your organization. Her employee surveys, conducted at least twice a year, are a powerful tool that gives HR leaders new insight into the current state of their workforce and how best to recruit. Take them where you want to go. Another way to increase employee engagement is to include employees on decision-making committees or focus groups.
For younger generations, especially Gen Z and Millennials, one of the most effective forms of leadership development and mentorship is to work arm-in-arm with them, rather than just talking down to them. We leverage special interest groups (SIGs) and ambassadors in a variety of initiatives to drive focus and engagement at all levels of the organization.
3. The role of GenAI technology in the HR function
Generative AI has exploded in recent years and is impacting my work as an HR leader. The Future of Work: AI at Work report found that 47% of U.S. executives believe generative AI will increase productivity, and 92% agree that people skills are more important than ever. I am.
HR departments need to integrate generative AI into their candidate sourcing and hiring processes to speed up more manual tasks. Rather than doing all the work for us, Gen AI can narrow down and highlight top candidates based on past employers and resume keywords, so we can You can expend energy.
Gen AI platforms like HeroHunt.ai are great tools to find and hire the best talent with a simple search. And when it comes to recruiting, platform changes can be the difference between vague and clear employee metrics. Do your homework to find an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) that best meets your organization's needs for a welcoming candidate experience and provides the ability to generate diversity metrics along with your talent pipeline and time-to-hire. Please make sure to do this. KPI.
4. Work environment for diverse generations
Another trend that is having a major impact on how HR leaders build great people-focused capabilities is: multi-generational workforce. As Prude Global observed, for the first time in history, five generations are joining the workforce at the same time: Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z.
Each generation and subgroup within it works differently, responds differently to leadership styles, and has different motivations. Generational targeting is a growing trend in HR, and technology can greatly help with this.
Millennials and Gen Z are highly tech-savvy and consume more information through mobile devices and social media than their older colleagues. Automated texts, social media posts, and virtual engagement platforms are all technology tools that HR leaders should leverage to connect with this age group and meet them where they are most present. Baby boomers and Gen
Empowering HR leaders: Prioritizing HR tasks
Ultimately, these tools allow you as an HR leader to automate tasks that consume valuable time and energy, freeing you up to invest in the people-focused work that only you can do. The pace of growth of today's technology companies can easily sideline human resource management efforts. We all need to realize that without committed people, there can be no profits, no growth, and no culture to build. Well-resourced and committed people are the lifeblood of our organization and generate revenue and innovation whenever they are prioritized.
Is your organization starting to prioritize needs and give your employees the tools they need to thrive? Let us know on Facebook, Xand LinkedIn. We look forward to hearing from you!
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