Reflecting on 2023, Workforce Solutions Review has dealt with politics, global conflict, the economy, and workforce destabilization, all of which have been dominant themes this year. Our thoughtful and timely articles also introduced more than 30 new authors to WSR! This last 2023 issue follows this trend, with most of our contributing authors being first-time journalists. I am sure you will find the following topics and commentary engaging.
What topic is better to engage your attention than an article on communications by Rhonda Marcucci from Gallagher? Rhonda highlights how a well-developed and implemented communications strategy will support positive employee experience and drive talent retention. Her observations about how purposeful communications are integral to our culture for multiple reasons were very intriguing.
If communications establish a cultural tone for companies, diverse teams energize organizations to achieve new performance levels. By uniting diverse expertise from varied backgrounds, departments, and specializations, project teams have a broader skill set and capability to adjust to unplanned changes. Tirtha Chavan from Salesforce illustrates the benefits of cross-functional leadership to corporate transformation.
AI is a hot topic, and Scott Marcotte illustrates the value looming for those who embrace AI as a creation, collaboration, and communication tool. With statistics showing that 50 percent of professionals have used AI in some capacity, this is more than a wave of adoption vs. a tsunami of revised business practice.
Recent strikes by the UAW and the Writers’ Guild have heightened awareness of how disruptive strikes can be and how powerful their potential is for creating change. For centuries, strikes have been the catalyst to enhance employee and employer negotiation with significant gains and substantial losses. Trevor Fandale brings decades of expertise to this area, and this is a topic you will not want to miss.
Zoe Chen provides the outcomes of COVID and the remote work environment as a preface to the future workplace. The power of the employee to dictate the workplace environment has never been stronger. Hence, it is sound reasoning to ensure that whatever the ingredients of tomorrow’s workplace setting may be, it will not be boring!
Roja Boino explores the far-reaching impact of wearable technologies. Positive outcomes for health, safety, sleep, fitness, communications, and personal management provide great motivation to employ personal wearables for individual and team impact. This article will expand your assessment of the diverse value that can be achieved by using these devices.
“An Exploration of AI’s Role to Address Bias in the Workplace” article by Vijay Balasubramanian addresses the reality that bias in the workplace is still prevalent, if not growing, despite significant efforts by companies to address it. Desire, training, and mandates for DEI aren’t enough, even when we rely on the unbiased perspective of AI.
Although disaster planning may not be a popular consideration, ensuring a plan is in place regardless of the circumstance is mandatory. Anirudh Khanna provides an outstanding guide in “Disaster Planning for HR Applications.” The importance and critical components of disaster planning lay the basis for making this a priority.
The notion that talent management isn’t performing optimally might be tough to acknowledge with the plethora of technology tools, successful track record, and broad recognition of value. Today’s talent management reality, observed and discussed by four noted experts in this field, highlights significant gaps. David Ulrich, Allan Church, Bob Eichinger, and Roger Pearman cite compelling reasons for new approaches to talent management in “Why Talent Management and Succession Bench Building Aren’t Working Today: At Least Not as Well as They Could!’.
“Deductive Reasoning Proves To Be The Most Effective Tool For Evaluating People Analytics” by Michael Lieberman reflects his expertise as the founder and president of Multivariate Solutions. Michael contends that deductive reasoning is a much better tool in various Human Resource measurement contexts, including performance appraisals, talent acquisition, and talent development, since it has the flexibility to enable Human Resource professionals to tailor their assessments to meet their organizations’ unique needs and objectives.
Rather than pointing out the disappointing outcomes from DEI efforts, Anthony Santa Maria highlights the conditions that led to lackluster results and provides detailed suggestions to make it work in “What’s Next for DEI?” Santa Maria heralds the start of a new DEI era by focusing on real-world circumstances that help learners uncover implicit biases among themselves and colleagues in a safe, judgment-free environment.
Our Q4 issue closes with two consistent features. First is our quarterly Letter from the Chair, where Dennis Hill provides an excellent summary of the 2023 HR Tech Conference in Las Vegas, where both IHRIM and WSR were prominent. Hill’s synopsis of the past year is entertaining and enlightening. Lastly, “The Back Story” by Katherine Jones, “ESG: Environmental, Social, and Governance Accountability – The Elephant that Cannot be Ignored” is a timely and relevant article speaking to the post-pandemic business priorities that created pressure to address ESG issues, not just from consumers and investors but from employees and applicants. ESG will continue to stretch the capabilities of HR technology itself, so take some time to catch up on a topic many of us often ignore.
We would be remiss without wishing you all a Happy Holiday season in the days ahead. 2024 will bring you many new topics, authors, and features as Workforce Solutions Review presents the best in HR Technology! See you next year!
Dan Vander Hey (Associate Director in Enterprise Process Consulting at Cognizant) has contributed to the HCM consulting world for over three decades. As WSR Managing Editor, he occasionally opines on things near and dear to his own work experiences. Dan actively contributes to IHRIM and the HR community as a consultant, champion, coach, and consistent catalyst of innovative ideas to maximize human performance. Vander Hey has galvanized multi-disciplinary teams aligning resources and processes to unfailingly deliver expected results on time and within budget. He has worked in virtually every work environment globally but brings candor and practical focus to achieve remarkable results and develop strong people relationships wherever he goes. For all things Workforce Solutions Review – He can be reached at wsrmanagingeditor@ihrim.org
