TALENT INTELLIGENCE!

I will always start with simple question: " what is the greatest challenge you face in your job today?" Inevitably, the answers are around things such as building credibility with line managers, managing the flow of talent (bringing in new people, matching people to jobs, or removing people), handling employee grievances, managing HR costs efficiently and so forth.

My sense is that many of these responses are now dated and need to be updated. My research suggests that up to this point the HR profession have been through four general waves - also known as HR evolution.

Many of the replies i get to my query "what is your biggest challenges". Talent professionals are concerned about the hurdles they immediately face in doing the HR work itself. These are legitimate and relevant concerns. A number of senior HR executives have recently said that HR has forgotten these basics and without doing the basics well, the aspirations of business contribution remain unrealised dreams.

I advocate a simple easy word question that moves HR forward, the challenge is to build credibility with line managers so we can make better investments that helps the business reach its goal. Defining value with an outside in approach starts when HR professionals understand their business context and key stakeholders.

In line with the new outside/in focus, HR can now also be aligned to external stakeholders and investments in HR should aim to increase customer expectations, such as practices increase customer connection to the organisation.

Mostly importantly, investment in HR also increases organisation's reputation within the community. HR can participate in social responsibility agendas by helping manage the company's philanthropic and community services, by being disciplined and creating positive work - life balance.