What should HR focus on in 2014

That time of the year has come when we all make resolutions. Every New Year is a pilgrimage for something that we want to become better at, improve and set a higher standard for all the things that we do. We are in a state of flux where change is the only constant. In order to make sense of all the chaos around us, it is important to focus on the one thing – the one thing if done properly and with all earnestness will solve several problems at one go and help the team to focus on a particular task.

So, while we were mulling ideas for the January Cover Story, we thought why not focus on “The ONE Thing” that HR would want to focus on in 2014. After all, with talent becoming the No. 1 priority for CEOs in the present day, the spotlight is on Human Resources.

The idea for this month’s theme came from the book “The ONE Thing” by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan. The New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller explained the surprising simple truth behind extraordinary results. They identified that behind every successful person is their ONE Thing. It doesn’t matter how success, be it personal or professional, is measured. The only thing between you and your goals is the ability to dismiss distractions and concentrate on The ONE Thing. The ONE Thing is about getting extraordinary results in every situation.

Armed with this idea, we asked several thought leaders in the HR space to contribute their ideas to what is The ONE Thing that HR should focus on in the New Year so that it sets the tempo for the rest of the year. HR, as we know it, will undergo a paradigm shift if it takes into account the 14 different “ONE Things”.

Some of the HR professionals wanted the function to brush up their basics – Focus on employee relations and employee engagement and become strategic partners of business. It is time that HR took the lead in defining some of the changes as businesses seek to drive more productivity and try to do more with less. Anuranjita Kumar, Country Human Resources Officer at Citi, talks about how it is time for HR to look at employee relations differently. Since we are dealing with people in an uncertain and ambiguous time, HR will need to bring out creative solutions to deal with the change. Explaining why employee engagement is the No. 1 priority, R. Krishnan, Director-HR at BHEL, says that in order to achieve business targets in a highly volatile environment, it is important that employees are motivated and engaged.

There is also a lot of emphasis on talent. China Gorman, CEO at Great Place to Work Institute, says that it is time to shift to a people-centered culture and that has to start at the top. As talent wars become more intense, finding and developing talent is not enough; it is important to retain them in order to have that competitive edge in the economy. Affirming China’s point, Ed Lawler, Distinguished Professor of Business at the University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business, says that allowing the HR function and talent management to contribute to the overall effectiveness and financial performance of the organization is the best way the HR function can add value to the corporation.

The biggest drivers of strategic impact today are HR’s ability to create a “talent machine” in your company, according to Josh Bersin, who is the founder of Bersin by Deloitte. In other words, your biggest levers are your ability to help the business select and hire the right people, develop great managers and leaders, onboard and develop capabilities, and create a high level of engagement and career mobility through performance management, coaching, compensation and other programs.

Under talent management, contract labour should also be made a strategic business process, according to Rajeev Dubey, President of Group HR, the Aftermarket sector, and Corporate Services for Mahindra & Mahindra. “The one thing that we need to get sorted for non-permanent employees is terms and conditions. Of course, we need to look at fair wages, “hygiene” issues like safety, canteen, social security etc, but also look at training/skilling, engagement and motivation to make sure that this group contributes to innovation and productivity of the business,” he said.

However, Costas Markides, Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship and holds the Robert P. Bauman Chair of Strategic Leadership at the London Business School, underlines the importance of strategy as well. He says, “Today more than ever, strategy has to involve people — both at a rational and an emotional level. Unless companies find ways to engage their people’s energies in developing new strategic ideas as well as putting these ideas into action, their strategy, however brilliant, will fail.” Robin Speculand, chief executive of Bridges Business Consultancy, also believes that HR must acquire business acumen and become strategic partners of business.

HR will be tested on the grounds of its ability to create and visualize the workforce of the future, says Mark Driscoll, India Human Capital Leader, PwC. “Workforce of the future” will come into our picture. It will not wait to get the requirements from the customer and then begin working on the solutions. It will create solutions like the one mentioned above. It will go to the customer, will figure out the challenge and provide a solution

Productivity will also take centre-stage, with businesses aiming to look leaner and fitter in these uncertain times. Along with productivity, re-skilling of the manpower will also be in focus, says Prabir Jha, President-HR at Reliance Industries.

However, Prithvi Shergill, Chief Human Resources Officer, HCL Technologies, believes that HR is the perfect catalyst for innovation in the organization. They should enable, engage and empower employees to become better innovators and better creators to add more value to the clients. Finally to sum up, Dr T.V. Rao, Father of modern HRD in India, and an Adjunct Professor at IIM-Ahmedabad, says it is necessary to understand GenY and GenX and their concerns and identify factors that are likely to get them to contribute their best. Apart from all the factors mentioned above, R. Sankar, management consultant and advisor, says that HR will also have to focus on making CSR work and ensuring that the funds earmarked are deployed effectively.