Organization Leadership

Individual Assignment
Characteristics of the evolving world of work and its implications on skills
and priorities for HR professionals

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Name – Saurav Bhandari

Date of Submission – 19/8/2022

Executive Summary

The world is changing day by day and so is organizations we have seen VUCA (volatility,
uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity) world and now we are seeing BANI ('brittle', 'anxious',
'nonlinear' and 'incomprehensible') world and the entropy of this change is countless and I
believe we as HR managers are the first line in the organizations to face the changes. To get
insights on the topic I’ve talked to 3 people

1. Dr. Pankaj Kothari

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/pankaj-kothari
2. Ms. Shibani Patel
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shibanipatel
3. Ravindra Bhandari
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ravindra-singh-bhandari-b546756

The gist of all the interactions was around Data analytics, Emotional Quotient and being tech
savvy

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You must enhance both your hard and soft skills if you want to succeed in your career.
Although receiving focused training on an application would be beneficial, having the
appropriate mindset is essential for high levels of success.

The additional advantage of developing your technical abilities is that it can help you establish
credibility with people in your organization, including with IT, which can foster greater
collaboration and better success with employee experience projects.

1. Spreadsheet and word processing applications

Spreadsheets and word processing software continue to be standard tools in many firms,
despite technological advancements in HR systems. You'll save time and effort if you can
leverage the advanced capabilities in these applications. This may include employing themes,
mail merge, and tables in word processing software. The ability to employ advanced
functions in spreadsheets will save you numerous hours and significantly enhance the
spreadsheets you create and share with others.
2. knowledge of common jargon used in technology
You may probably encounter several of these acronyms and words in your work as an HR
professional, including SFTP (Secure File Transfer Protocol), cloud, SaaS (software as a
service), interface, SQL (Structured Query Language), database, AD (Active Directory), and
others. Understanding what people mean when they use these terms is crucial so that you can
respond to their questions and contribute to the discourse.

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3. Social media
Many people in HR, especially your recruitment staff, need to comprehend how the various
social media platforms work. This includes understanding the particulars of each platform,
such as when to publish to reach your target audience, a fundamental grasp of search engine
optimization, or SEO, to ensure that your posts are seen, and how to format photos so that
they display properly on any screen.
4. HR systems
It is important to learn how to utilise your HR system's capabilities and related modules to
the best extent possible. Included are elements related to hiring, talent management, and
onboarding. Utilizing the systems to collect data is one thing, but getting the most value out
of your HR software will depend on your ability to make configuration modifications to
capture the new data you require, establish workflows, alter forms, and execute other "techie"
jobs. You become more valuable to the organization by having that talent.

While all 3 were focused on technology and hard skills Dr. Pankaj Kothari who is has a
PhD in Organization Psychology emphasized on two very interesting aspects

1. Proactive curiosity
Without always knowing the answer, trying to improve anything will frequently result in a
more effective solution than simply developing a new manual method. Look online, speak
with members of your HR team and those in other departments, and consult your outside
contacts. You're likely to discover something new from this process that could help you
overcome your present problem or perhaps the one that comes next.
2. An automate-first focus
With the help of this soft talent, the HR team will make sure that manual processes are not
added to the everyday tasks unless there is no other choice. Consider using the current HR
systems when a new procedure is required. You can guarantee that the HR operations
continue to be as effective as possible by doing some preliminary planning. Also keep in
mind that HR specialists don't have to know all the answers. Don't be reluctant to use
additional internal and external resources to locate the ideal automation or software.
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Priorities of the HR in current time

1. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging

The goal is to ensure that every employee feels a sense of value and belonging inside your
company. Focusing on building a work environment that benefits all employees, regardless of
gender, ethnic background, socioeconomic background, and mental and physical aptitude, is
the greatest method to accomplish this goal. Here, it's crucial to go beyond rhetoric and
actually put words into action rather than just talking the talk. For monitoring diversity,
equity, and inclusion at work, you must develop quantifiable KPIs. And you need trustworthy
data for this. Run statistics to determine the retention rates of historically underrepresented
populations.

2. Remote / Hybrid Workplace Culture

It might be challenging to foster an atmosphere where all employees feel connected and a part
of the team in light of the fact that many businesses still provide temporary or permanent
remote or hybrid working options. If every person works remotely, how can you foster a
sense of cohesion and belonging? If there are no in-person events, team-building activities, or
talks in the break room, how can you make individuals feel a part of the organizational
culture? The secret is to change how you view workplace culture and find various strategies
to facilitate team communication so that everyone feels unified, regardless of where they are
working. Create as many online communication channels as you can, organize regular online
meetings, and support personal development and freedom for all employees. Additionally,
encourage engagement and support personal freedom and development. And most
importantly, let everyone on staff know they can count on you to be there for them anytime
they need assistance.

3. Change Management

Improving change management is one of HR leaders' top priorities for the upcoming time. HR
managers need to be aware of how organizational changes affect staff members. For starters,
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it has resulted in some stress, exhaustion, and burnout. It is crucial that you, as a leader, do
everything in your power to assist your team in adjusting to a new style of working. The idea
of positive change is maybe the foundation for the most successful approach to this. Put your
attention on what's working well and how changing your workplace environment might help
each employee individually. Create a compelling vision of the wonderful future that awaits
everyone who accepts these changes. Make a change that is positive. And, most importantly,
put your attention on fostering team cohesion and trust.

Conclusion

All the of the professionals belong to very different backgrounds as Ms. Shibani Patel has the
greatest number of reporting people so she was more focused on change management and
diversity and inclusion, Dr Pankaj Kothari has a doctorate in psychology so he was more
inclined towards the soft skills and emotional intelligence whereas Mr. Ravindra Bhandari
who comes from a technical background and now he is an owner of his own startup was more
focused on technological changes, so by integrating everything altogether we can conclude
that

You must enhance both your hard and soft skills if you want to succeed in your career. It is
important to learn how to utilise your HR system's capabilities and related modules to the best
extent possible. Developing your technical abilities can help you establish credibility with
people in your organization. Focus on building a work environment that benefits all
employees, regardless of gender, ethnic background, socioeconomic background, and mental
and physical aptitude.

Don't be reluctant to use additional internal and external resources to locate the ideal
automation or software. It might be challenging to foster an atmosphere where all employees
feel connected and a part of the team. HR managers need to be aware of how organizational

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changes affect staff members. It is crucial that you, as a leader, do everything in your power
to assist your team in adjusting to a new style of working.

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