Every year we bring together key thinkers in the HR Profession for the Ochre House HR Directors Annual Symposium, and this they year certainly didn’t fail to impress. The subject for the day was Redefining Business Value Through a Talent Centric Approach and it wasn’t long before the room was buzzing with conversation.

One thing which really stood out to me was the overall consensus about the increasing need to connect the business and HR functions. It was widely agreed by the HR experts in attendance R experts in attendanceR experts in attendancethat these two important functions had become disconnected, with some suggesting the Ulrich model may be responsible as it has disrupted the link between the basic processes and the more strategic elements of corporate development. And it doesn’t help that HR is under growing pressure to enable growth whilst making operations leaner, faster and more cost effective to run, pressure which shows no signs of fading.

A few of the speakers at the event and those taking part in the breakout groups shared their insights into what lies in store for the HR profession.

The key thoughts I took away from this event were:

·  HR needs to present its case in a more structured and well-researched way to be able to create the more nimble and responsive HR strategies needed in today’s economic climate

·  Strategies need to include an analysis of both the more common elements impacting the organisation, such as demographics, as well as the variances in less tangible areas such as engagement and motivation across countries

·  A “one-size-fits-all” approach will not work, instead we should be looking to develop a ‘road map’ for the investment of scarce corporate resources

·  Forecasting, attracting and retaining the people an organisation will need for an uncertain future is a huge challenge for HR, but the solution could at least partly lie in the employment of people who thrive on ambiguity, complexity and uncertainty

·  A more relaxed attitude towards retention which involves taking a few risks on people who don’t necessarily fit with the organisation in its current form is needed to attract and retain these people

It is clear to me that that the HR function is changing and will continue to do so over the coming years. It is my view that HR and line managers alike will need to take more risks in recruitment and talent management to stay ahead in business, but to do so effectively the two functions need to combine their efforts and support each other as strategic partners should.

The full analysis of the HR Directors Symposium is available in the Ochre House White Paper Redefining business value through a talent centric approach. For a copy of the report please contact Prashanie Dharmadasa: prashanie.dharmadasa@ochrehouse.com