Human Resources Analytics

White Paper: The Ready

Why HR Desperately Needs a Rethink Organizations are like a human body. The brains—a.k.a. the strategy-focused C-Suite—reign over internal systems and plan. The legs are the teams executing daily operations, like production, sales, and accounting. The immune system prevents the body from getting sick or growing sluggish; IT secures data, legal protects against liabilities, and R&D finds ways to preserve long-term health. Humming alongside these functions is the nervous system, better known as human resources. Its branches include critical functions and activities like compensation and benefits, training and development, hiring and onboarding, conflict resolution, and risk management. But things don’t always go smoothly. The brain gets stuck in indecision. When the unexpected occurs (and it always does), the legs struggle to change course. Each part focuses so rigidly on its own tasks that coordination becomes a challenge, hindering forward movement. And despite—or perhaps because of—its centralized role, HR’s nervous system is often among the body’s greatest vulnerabilities. Tasked with both delivering strategic partnership to internal clients and operational support for employees, despite these directives requiring very different (if not downright conflicting) ways of working, HR finds itself overloaded without the infrastructure needed to meet its multipronged mandate. The net result: A body lacking the ability to clear obstacles—one that relies so heavily on muscle memory that innovation or improvement is hard to achieve. (Ever watched your organization repeat an annual process that doesn’t work? Us, too.) This stuckness invariably leads to missteps, and even the occasional faceplant. But HR also holds the possibility of a new operational model, one that embraces mission-driven, cross-functional coordination with an emphasis on experimentation, adaptivity, data literacy, and automation—and can nimbly shift its approach as it’s fed new insights. It starts with reimagining the role HR plays, then spreading the transformation across other internal functions. HR’s diversity of directives may be the Achilles heel of the familiar body-like model of operations, but it’s also its superpower. HR is uniquely positioned to usher in real change—the kind that increases efficiency, strengthens agility, creates value, and fosters a way of working that feels human and meaningful.

White Paper: Mentessa

What is learning in the flow of work? The term “learning in the flow of work” was coined in 2018 by analyst and author Josh Bersin. It refers to a learning experience which is not separated from work or the workplace in the way that formal classroom training is. Instead, learning is available on demand as employees go about their daily work tasks. This new paradigm in corporate L&D recognizes that for learning to really happen, it must fit around and align itself to working practices. For example, imagine a software engineer who has a specific question about a programming language they have just started using, or a compliance officer who needs to recall a step in a recently-introduced procedure. Or perhaps, a junior employee who is working on a stretch assignment and needs help with a task they have never done before. In all three cases, learning in the flow of work is just the kind of help needed. With the right kind of support, each employee can access a short piece of learning content that delivers the required information. The on-demand assistance means employees can quickly gain valuable new skills and solve problems without having to take time away from their roles. As already mentioned, two defining features of LIFOW experiences are their on-demand availability and relatively short duration. Another third common factor is technology. Learning in the flow of work will not be possible without the modern advances in computing, mobile technologies and AI. Finally, some may assume that LIFOW makes employees so self-sufficient that they no longer need to rely on their peers or managers for help. Such an assumption is wrong. People learn more effectively3 when interacting with others. In addition, employee-generated content is proving very useful in corporate training. This is why learning in the flow of work and a connected learning culture go hand-in-hand.   

White Paper: Synegry Health

INTRODUCTION There seems to be an influx of online workplace wellbeing initiatives coming into the marketplace. This has been driven by organisations wanting to take a proactive approach in response to COVID-19. Organisations understand that employees’ wellbeing is being compromised as they have become more isolated, had to adapt to new ways of working / living, and in some instances, coping with new financial pressures. Proactive organisations understand that their employees are likely to become increasingly sedentary, their eating habits are likely to change, and their sleep could become compromised due to the increase in stress and anxiety. With an influx of online wellbeing offerings, it is important for organisations to know that not all wellbeing platforms are the same. To truly have an impact on behaviour, organisations must treat wellbeing like any other behaviour change initiative. A more strategic, long term approach must be taken rather than ad hoc one-off programs. With the increasing rate of technological development, platforms are becoming more sophisticated, easier to implement and are achieving better outcomes in the short term and long term, for both organisations and their employees. Before signing up to an online wellbeing initiative, ask the following questions to help ensure you are getting a platform that is going to meet your organisations current and future