I was fortunate to attend the Unleash HR Conference this week, where I gained valuable insights from various keynotes and discussions. Here are the top 10 takeaways and reflections from the event:
- Rapid AI Adoption by Employees: Many employees are adopting AI tools faster than their employers, using innovative models to streamline their tasks. This trend poses challenges for HR in managing and integrating these tools effectively.
- The “Jagged Frontier” of AI: The term refers to the inconsistent performance of AI across different tasks. While AI may excel in certain areas, it struggles in others that appear similarly complex. This uneven capability landscape complicates AI implementation and can lead to unexpected results.
- Importance of Statistical Skills: As HR becomes increasingly data-driven, statistical skills are becoming crucial for HR professionals to manage and interpret the growing volume of data effectively.
- HR as R&D: HR departments should see themselves as research and development units, designing and implementing strategic talent initiatives that align with broader business goals.
- Quality Over Quantity in Talent Sourcing: The success of companies increasingly depends not just on closing the supply-demand gap in workforce planning but also on the quality of talent they recruit.
- Consideration of Technological Advances: Despite significant advancements in technology, some innovations like autonomous driving have yet to fully take off. HR strategies for blue-collar jobs need to consider these factors.
- Convergence of Technologies: We are witnessing a convergence of technologies with AI at the core. HR needs to align closely with enterprise priorities and deepen their understanding of technological developments.
- Hybrid Work Is Here to Stay: Although some companies are starting to take a stricter stance, the reality is that hybrid work models are becoming a fixture. A lack of hybrid policies could limit talent acquisition across various job families.
- Categorizing Demand Creation: HR can categorize demand into three types: Humans Only, Humans with Assisted Bots, and Fully Automated AI Agents. Viewing workforce planning through these lenses can be beneficial.
- Experimentation Across Objectives: HR should focus on experimenting with various strategies to boost productivity, enhance retention, and drive innovation.
Post the conference, we returned to the drawing board to design some impactful KPIs for TA teams to consider. Here is an initial table of categories of KPIs. Still in initial stages but we hope this will be helpful
Summary: HR is entering an exciting phase with the integration of more innovative experiments and KPIs.
