Publications

FOCUS 75: Optimising leadership through people analytics

Sébastien Corominas, Head of HR Advisory Practice at HR Path, discusses why human resources should go back to basics to deliver value for businesses. 

What are some new ways that organizations are rethinking their approach to long-standing management practices for their workforces? 

The pandemic has certainly been a wake-up call and an opportunity to reset and refocus on the core principles of any working relationship such as Trust - Do I feel the urge to have my team be always “connected” online or at the office to know they are working; Respect - Do I contact my team regardless of boundaries and without considering their personal agendas; Open communication - Am I truly listening to understand or do I choose to hear what suits my agenda; Inclusion: Am I the only one talking during meetings or do I encourage my team to freely express their opinions and perspectives, and Self-Awareness: As we are facing unprecedented times filled with many uncertainties, how can my team and I continue to encourage each other in spite of potential negative emotions that may arise from time to time.

Successful leaders invest their time in company culture and people, focusing on vision for the company, purpose for their employees and identifying future leaders so they can develop them. These are top 4 items to consider in having a good HR strategy — Company goals must be clearly communicated and cascaded; Critical soft skills should be taught to all managers; People data should be accurate and available from anywhere; Managers should be able to get the pulse of their teams via engagement surveys and continuous conversations and be empowered to manage wellbeing of their teams.

How does HR Path influence HR to capture and centralize people data?

HR Path has been helping businesses to digitalise their Human Resources since its inception back in 2001. The key is to focus on WHY companies need to capture and centralise people data — not only for HR but rather, each stakeholder, i.e., employees, managers, departments, all the way to the top management. Our teams organise workshops to share leading practices and experiences, and co-build future processes and policies which offer the organisation a solid foundation in terms of compliance (e.g., regulatory, payroll, security) while providing a bespoke talent management framework (e.g., recruiting, performance, learning, succession) paired with an enhanced employee experience (e.g., availability anytime, anywhere, from any device).

We have created a pre-packaged solution called NUBO, with the right mix of advisory, technology and outsourcing services. This helps our clients become more compliant, data-driven, efficient, ambitious, resilient, trusted and socially/environmentally responsible - in record time.

How do you see the evolving role of HR in a pre- and post-COVID world?

Pre-COVID, HR was already in the midst of a significant transformation, mainly supported by digital initiatives. The focus was around automating repetitive tasks with artificial intelligence and outsourcing activities that do not create value (e.g., Payroll) in order to allow HR teams to focus on more strategic projects i.e. Employee Value Proposition, Workforce Planning and Talent Management. During the pandemic, the onus was on HR teams to endorse the safety and wellbeing of employees, facilitating remote working and adapting policies for new ways of working, and supporting the business to re-organise itself through upskilling and succession planning.

At HR Path, we support our clients to adapt to the "new normal" with shifted priorities: 

• Digital enablement for recruiting / onboarding / learning  

• Employee engagement, wellness and diversity & inclusion initiatives 

• Succession planning and leadership programs 

• Continuous feedback for performance 

• Compensation planning including non-monetary benefits 

I am confident that business leaders, supported by their HR function, will deploy solutions to reboot the economy and offer a better value proposition to their internal and external stakeholders. 

 

^{Interview with Sébastien Corominas, Head of HR Advisory Practice at HR Path, for FOCUS #75. To read more articles from this issue, download your digital copy here}