Accenture is currently undertaking a multi-year research initiative designed to examine the new mission, mandate, skills, capabilities, roles, and organisational structures that may emerge for the HR function in the future. The research assesses important new developments in technology, changing employee expectations, continued market volatility, and more. Through this initiative, Accenture is exploring how key business trends will fundamentally reshape HR as the future workplace continues to evolve. Accenture's research also provides actionable insights to enable HR and business executives to address future trends and help their people and organisations become more robust.
Based on the research conducted to date, Accenture has identified the most likely directions that the HR function of the future is likely to take. Accenture research of this topic includes in-depth original research taking a multi-pronged approach. Research channels include:
- A comprehensive literature review;
- Interviews with Chief Human Resource Officers (CHROs) or their direct reports; and
- Evidence from subject matter experts in a variety of industries and geographies.
- In addition, the research includes workshops with CHROs and their direct reports, and quantitative surveys of HR professionals, business executives and workers.
The Accenture study indicates an inclination towards the following ten outcomes in HR in the coming 5 - 10 years.
1. Tapping Skills Anywhere, Anytime
Skills gaps are widening, and HR will be increasingly hard pressed to ensure their organisations have the right talent. To do this, HR will need to quickly tap skills when they’re needed—and where. HR Professionals will be best placed to do this by securing passive talent pools.
2. Managing Your People as a Workforce of One
Customisation is poised to revolutionise the way organisations manage their people. They will no longer treat their workforce as a single entity but instead, treat each employee as a 'workforce of one,' offering customised HR and talent management solutions.
3. The Rise of the Extended Workforce
Organisations will begin to leverage the new extended workforce: a global network of outside contractors, outsourcing partners, vendors, and other nontraditional employees. HR will redefine its mission and mandate to maximise the strategic value ot this type of extended workforce.
4. HR Drives the Agile Organisation
As the world becomes increasingly unpredictable, organisations that can adapt to changing business conditions will outperform the competition. HR will reshape itself so that the function becomes the critical driver of agility.
5. Talent Management Meets the Science of Human Behavior
As new insights into brain science and human behavior emerge – and as analytics finally enable organisations to test hypotheses and form conclusions by analysing a newly available treasure trove of data – HR will begin to arm itself with the tools and insights of a scientist to drive better performance from their employees.
6. Reconfiguring the Global Talent Landscape
HR will transform to adapt to a more global world, including adopting new talent sourcing strategies to match talent with tasks all over the globe. THis will necessitate the adoption of new management methods, such as supporting mobile workforces across geographic barriers.
7. Digital Continues To Radically Disrupt HR
Technology, including social, gamification, cloud, mobile, big data and consumer applications, is transforming how people carry out their work—and how HR supports them in that effort.
8. Social Drives the Democratisation of Work
Instead of relying on solutions dictated from the top of the organisation, businesses will be populated with knowledge workers who harness social media to create solutions in conjunction with each other, thereby radically disrupting organisational structures, hierarchy, and job titles.
9. HR Must Navigate Risk and Privacy in a More Complex World
HR will adopt risk management strategies covering everything from protecting confidential information and data, to risks associated with weak hiring or turnover of talent.
10. HR Expands Its Reach to Deliver Seamless Employee Experiences
HR will evolve from being a clearly defined, stand-alone function that administers HR and talent management processes, to one that spans disciplines and crosses boundaries to deliver cross-functional, holistic employee experiences.
Accenture's research casts a different light on future change compared to some of the trend research we shared earlier in the year. Of course, the workplace status quo is currently in such a state of flux, that it is difficult to predict the future with 100% accuracy. However, if there's one thing you can be sure of its that things will change. The important question is: will you be well prepared and agile enough to ride the wave of change when it is your organisation's turn to evolve?
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