By Ashley Dugger and Amber Quarles
As we hear frequently, the world of work is shifting – thus, HR must also shift to proactively prepare for new employer and employee needs and demands in the workplace. Even since the start of the pandemic we have seen a tangible shift in the call for more flexible, remote, or hybrid HR based positions but also for these types of working arrangements in almost all industries, meaning HR must not only look at how they create flex working opportunities for HR professionals but also for the employees in their workplaces to meet employee demand. HR can expect to continuously see a stronger need for strategic, critical, and design thinking for solutions to problems; the flexibility and resiliency to adapt and iterate will be needed for all HR positions. A confidence level working with data and using that data to tell compelling stories to influence leaders, resource allocation, and HR to business strategy alignment will be critical for HR success.
Employees are (rightfully) demanding supportive, healthy, balanced organizational cultures more so than ever, and this may mean a rise in HR positions solely dedicated to employee experience, cultural change management, and retention. HR technology and L&D positions will also continue to evolve as AI and virtual reality become staples in the employee experience in the future. Working with leaders to bridge generational gaps in the workforce and better understand how employees from different generations and backgrounds are motivated to perform will also be crucial for workplace success. As noted by recent SHRM research, looking forward to 2030 HR can anticipate more roles in fields like digital training, HR apps for employees, growing people experience departments, org culture/teamwork specialists, data scientists and remote/flex work specialists are all areas and positions primed to see growth and stronger involvement in the workplace.
With artificial intelligence (AI) becoming increasingly prevalent in our daily lives, from chat bots while we are shopping online, to navigating websites, among other things, there could be many benefits to providing high quality candidates paired with greater efficiencies and fairness within our recruiting departments and processes. To start with, AI could make an immediate positive impact, increasing the volume of applicant screening in a competitive workforce. This would allow HR professionals to screen all applicants as opposed to cutting off application acceptance due to workforce constraints and limitations. Additionally, AI would eliminate the possibility of bias and/or discrimination within the initial phases of the recruiting process which could lead to a more diverse workforce, focusing on the knowledge, skills, abilities, and experience of candidates without consideration of any information regarding protected classes under title VII. In other words, AI could help recruiters attain the highest quality candidates in the job market and filter them to recruiters for initial interviews, leaving more time for recruiters to focus on top candidates from the start!
With the vast amount of change and growth that the human resource profession has seen over the past decade, it is critical for HR professionals to upskill and/or reskill as a regular part of their professional development. Sometimes it can be difficult to know where to focus ones efforts. The best way to navigate how to get the most out of the upskilling process is to ask yourself key questions like:
- What are my career goals?
- Do I want to focus on specific areas of HR or be skilled in a variety of different HR functions?
- Do my new skills need to be industry specific?
- Do I have a timeline for certain aspects of the upskilling process?
Answering some of these questions can help lead to a path where you are not only developing relevant and up-to-date skills but also taking the path that is the best fit for your professional growth and aspirations. Some tips to get started can be finding a mentor that has done what you want to do, follow the latest HR news and trends, check out profiles of the most influential people in the industry to see where their current focus is, certifications they hold, and regularly review job posting requirements for career paths you are interested in following.
HR professionals must have a continuous plan in place for ongoing upskilling and reskilling and lean into the new world of HR as it evolves. Easily accessible resources such as LinkedIn Learning, SHRM webinars, certifications and specialty credentials, and skill-based workshops versus more traditional conferences are all tools that HR professionals should be planning to engage with to ensure their skillsets are meeting company and hiring demands for HR success!
Visit WGU at the SHRM Annual Conference and Expo, June 11-14 in Las Vegas, at booth #4010 to learn more about our new MSHRM degree launching in November!
Dr. Ashley W. Dugger began her career in higher education leadership and has since focused on operational leadership and human resource management. Ashley holds an earned Doctor of Business Administration degree with a focus in Management, MBA in International Business, BS in Business with a focus in Marketing, and the SHRM-CP certification. She serves in the role of Associate Dean and Director of HR and Organizational Psychology programs in the College of Business at Western Governors University. Her areas of expertise include strategic human resource management, higher education administration, organizational culture, change management, leadership, adult education, learning and development, and online/blended faculty effectiveness. Ashley has presented for organizations such as ACBSP, Online Learning Consortium, SHRM, and CUPA-HR. Her work has been published and featured with HR Professionals Magazine, Talent Management, Chief Learning Officer, and Higher Ed HR Magazine. She volunteers regularly with local animal rescues in the central Virginia region where she lives with her husband, Danny and their Australian Shepherd, Dexter.
Dr. Amber Quarles is originally from the mountains of Northwest Georgia, however her husband’s Navy career landed her in sunny southern California. She attended undergraduate school in southeastern Pennsylvania at Gwynedd Mercy University, where she simultaneously began her career in Human Resource Management. Quarles worked her way through the ranks of corporate human resources from HR Coordinator to HR Director, giving her a great deal of experience to utilize in the classroom and with faculty. Following the completion of her Master’s degree in Human Resource Management, Quarles was inspired to embark on a career in higher education, which eventually led her to pursue her Doctorate in Organizational Leadership. While Quarles spent years working in various corporate human resource environments, she has enjoyed her transition to academia and service leadership roles. Quarles attributes her passion for service, to great professors and service leaders in her past, and the support of her husband and two children.