The future starts today – also for the HR function!
The graphic shows the change in the age structure and associated with this will also go hand in hand with a change in values in companies. This change will change HR work. First examples of possible consequences due to the changes:
– The working life is extended
– Competition for qualified resources is increasing
– The average length of service decreases
– Knowledge and experience of employees are becoming more valuable
– Employee loyalty to the company is becoming more important
– Flexibility becomes a success factor
What do HR functions have to do now?
There are four core topics that can counteract these symptoms in the future. Firstly, procurement, secondly, empowerment, thirdly, commitment, and fourthly, the care of employees is becoming increasingly important and intensive.
Procurement is no longer about optimizing the selection process, but rather about finding a sufficiently large number of applicants. Active sourcing can be a solution. This process begins with the search procedure and runs through the social networks to companies where the young professionals can be found. Active addressing and poaching cannot be prevented by monetary incentives alone.
The empowerment of the employees includes ensuring the employability beyond the age of 60. To do this, both the workplaces and the employees must be put in a position through health measures. Qualification also means technical training, qualification and training. In particular, it also means active knowledge transfer. This transfer must be organized. The topic of knowledge management is largely neglected today, since many failed to implement it. This is because the introduction of a database for storing documents was mainly understood to mean this. The media are just a building block in a sustainable knowledge organization. In addition to appropriate media, other components are individual incentives, the ability of employees to prepare and impart knowledge for the transfer of knowledge, as well as structures that organize the transfer, check target achievement from the incentive systems and ensure quality.
The concept of employee retention is most affected by the change in values. The management of the employees becomes an essential binding instrument. This can partially counteract the emergence of a pay contest, since monetary commitment generally only has an effect in the very short term. Cafeteria systems can be used to create individual options and thus incentive systems that, due to their individuality and flexibility, lead to sustainability. Finally, the care of employees is the central task of human resources work. The topic of “care” only appears traditional at first glance. In the course of virtualization, individualization and decentralization, mobility needs to be increased. Mobility in personnel work runs through almost all processes and begins with mobile recruiters and ends with the care of the employee during maternity leave. From the HR perspective, one can only hope that the economy will not be too good in the next few years, because then there is still some time to prepare for the challenges. Until then, the future-oriented restructuring of HR functions should be addressed.
