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This month, the annual HR Technology Conference returned to full strength in Las Vegas. It was wonderful to see so many people in person, to walk the Expo floor, and to bring so much of the industry’s band back together. There was a striking and palpable desire to be together as an HR family, with old and new friends alike embracing, conversing, supporting, and encouraging one another.
While it was good to re-enter the conference world again, I was surprised – and a bit disappointed, if I’m honest – to see how little we’ve changed as an industry during the time we’ve been apart. While incremental advancements were present, most keynotes and panels tended to mask the general apathy/stagnation/ennui that seems to have permeated the way we think about work and technology. Instead, the same 2019 issues facing the industry were often repeated – challenges with system integration, the struggle to manage change effectively, the need to upskill employees, the search for hyper-personalized experiences, and the ever-present survey results suggesting businesses are planning to undertake transformation soon.
We might have put a new acronym or moniker in the air, but those who I spoke with wondered aloud, “What’s new or next given all we’ve been through?” Rather than pushing to solve the issues we see year over year, most speakers focused on the status quo, looking at where we ARE rather than where we should be going. And with corporate PR departments truly upping their game, the messages were tight, crisp, and in line with approved talking points.
The pandemic accelerated existing work trends significantly, meaning demand has outpaced offerings in many cases. Few speakers acknowledged this, focusing instead on funding rounds and earnings. And while this is important information, practitioners in the audience were yearning for actionable information. As an industry, we are failing our customers in helping them operationalize what they’re learning from data. Consultants are rightfully called out for focusing more on defining what’s wrong without providing guidance on what that means to the way people work. Over and over again, I heard people say, “Now what?”
It’s not all doom and gloom. We are just starting to scratch the surface of the potential of AI, machine learning, and true omni-channel employee experiences. Organizations – particularly smaller and new ones – are demanding the ability to better manage a dynamic workforce, which will push providers to innovate faster (click here to download a report). It was exciting to see how some of the smaller providers are pushing to rethink traditional models of work and I’m hopeful this trend will emerge within the larger providers as well.
The path to innovation is equal parts challenge and inspiration. The challenge stems from our current inability to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving world. The inspiration comes from thinking differently about our assumptions, listening to what workers and businesses are struggling with, and placing some big bets in presenting solutions.
I, for one, am willing to bet on our employees if we have the wherewithal to truly listen. Are you?
With warm regards,
— Mark Stelzner
Founder/Managing Principal/HR Gambler, IA
Formula for Transformation
New Webinar! Fixing the RFP: How to Find Your Best-Fit Provider
The RFP is, at best, an imperfect engine for identifying and driving sustainable relationships between external service providers and employers. So how do you follow procurement standards while evaluating HR service providers in a deeply authentic and collaborative way?
Having supported hundreds of selections across every HR domain, vertical market, and geography, team members from IA will present an alternative approach to the tired old selection process – Fixing the RFP: How to Find Your Best-Fit Provider on Wednesday, October 12. Register today (and tell your friends, too)!
Where You Can Find Us
As we bid adieu to summer, we’re all focusing on getting to year-end and closing out Q4 strong! In the meantime, we are excited to be part of the following events:
November 7-9, 2022: Mary Faulkner will be moderating a panel at ERE’s in-person Fall Recruiting Conference, focusing on the role that hiring managers play in ensuring recruiting is successful.
November 17, 2022: IA is pleased to support the upcoming Scalefest ONE – the virtual transformation event that follows the sun. Planning is still underway with more details coming soon!
On Our Radar
September is a transitional month – the last gasp of summer giving way to autumn, with temperatures ranging from blazing hot to snow. You just never know what you’re going to get! This month’s highlighted content mirrors that variety:
- Increased focus on equal pay for equal work, coupled with ongoing worker reexamination of what they are willing to accept in work expectations, makes the recent chatter around “quiet quitting” interesting. What if, as this article from Raw Story suggests, it’s less about workers “quitting” and more about companies taking advantage of those same workers?
- It’s one thing to use your data to run experiments about outcomes, but it’s another to do it a) without consent, and b) in a way that negatively impacts those who are simply trying to find a job. But that’s exactly what LinkedIn did. It will be interesting to follow this story as AI and machine learning continue to come under increased scrutiny and end-users demand to know how algorithms are affecting their lives.
- At some point, we lose the excitement we once felt when grown-ups asked us, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Dreams of the corner office often fade to wanting to win the lottery, and since that isn’t the best approach for career planning, Forbes offers hope for those of us who struggle to think about that next career stage.
About IA
As trusted advisors to senior leaders, IA supports strategic initiatives that transform the way organizations work.
Our seasoned team of professionals apply a revolutionary eye, deep domain experience, and flexible tools to accelerate the achievement of even the most ambitious goals. With a cross-functional, strategic perspective, we thrive on big, messy problems. Whether large or small, public or private, domestic or international, it’s our job to support leaders and their teams in achieving outcomes that are truly unique to their culture and objectives.
Every organization has a catalyst for change – learn more at ia-hr.com.
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