Session Focus: Future-proofing HR: Exploring critical skills and capabilities to support the workforce of tomorrow.
Pre-read is on the Idea Exchange, where you collaborate online with your peers. Recommendations: HR Skills To Support The Future Of Work - Member: Amanda Mickelson, Head of Talent at Oshkosh Corporation
In this insightful session, Dr. Dieter Veldsman shared research on the future skills and capabilities needed for HR professionals to remain relevant and drive impact. Here are three key takeaways for learning leaders we wanted to highlight:
- HR professionals need to build confidence, pride and clarity in communicating their strategic value beyond just HR tools/techniques.
- HR careers should purposefully include rotations and experiences outside of the HR function to develop broader business acumen.
- HR must reframe how it describes and develops skillsets to align with organizational needs for more strategic capabilities like data literacy, digital acumen, and business consulting.
Source: AIHR
As Dr. Veldsman emphasized, "The ability to be able to operate across the broad HR value chain is going to become crucially crucially important."
To meet evolving workforce needs, the HR skills blueprint is being redrawn. Core capabilities like business acumen, data storytelling, digital agility, and execution excellence will be critical. But even more vital is developing a future-minded professional identity - being curious, embracing paradox, having clarity of purpose, and the courage to drive change.
The world of work is being reshaped by AI, employer branding wars, and malleable career horizons. HR's new challenge is reskilling and repositioning to serve as a key business strategist. This requires expanding professional horizons, seeking new experiences, and confidently articulating HR's operational AND advisory role in driving organizational success.
