Talent Edge Weekly - Issue #152

Covers 4 resources on employee preferences, leadership in a hybrid environment, human capital reporting, 12 resources for CHROs, and teamwork in a hybrid world.

Author

Brian Heger
December 18, 2022

Welcome to this week’s issue of Talent Edge Weekly — a weekly newsletter that curates the best insights about work, the workplace, and the workforce. Read by human resources professionals, talent strategists, and others interested in the world of work

If you find value in this issue or any of its resources, please share them with your network by using the social media icons at the top of the newsletter.

Have a great week, and I look forward to sharing more ideas in next week’s Edge!

Brian 

Brian Heger is a human resources practitioner with a Fortune 150 organization and has responsibilities for Strategic Talent and Workforce Planning. To connect with Brian on Linkedin, click here.

THIS WEEK'S CONTENT

  • 4 Resources on Employee Preferences | Brian Heger | Provides a one-page summary of what four sources say about how worker preferences and expectations are shifting.

  • Work 3.0: Reimagining Leadership in a Hybrid World | Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) | A 74-page report that provides ideas on leadership behaviors and mindsets that enable effective hybrid work environments.

  • How Financial Accounting Screws Up HR | Harvard Business Review | An article by Peter Cappelli that provides suggestions for more meaningful human capital reporting requirements.

  • Talent Edge Rewind: 12 Resources for Chief Human Resources Officers | Brian Heger | I reshare a one-page summary with 12 resources for CHROs—such as transitioning to a new CHRO role, to HR operating models.

  • Teamwork Reinvented: How to Orchestrate Successful Teams in the New World of Work | Special Issue with MIT Sloan Management Review and Deloitte | A 24-page issue with 5 articles on topics such as fostering collaboration in hybrid work, and supporting employees through periods of high uncertainty.

THIS WEEK'S EDGE

Worker preferences, expectations, and values continue to shift. And while there have been many reports describing how employee preferences are changing, tracking this information across various sources is challenging. This one-page summary includes four resources that provide insights into employee values, preferences, and expectations. Each resource addresses the topic from a different angle and question: 1)LinkedIn Talent Solutions answers: What are job candidates placing value on?2) Bain & Company explores: How are workers prioritizing each job attribute? 3) Mercer dives into the question: What are workers most concerned about? 4) McKinsey & Company answers: What are workers’ top reasons for quitting? While there are various topics on these lists, I highlighted in green those related to pay and compensation since there has been much discussion about how workers place increased importance on these aspects of the employee value proposition. Keep in mind that this one-page summary only includes four resources. You can use it as a jump-off point for conducting additional research. To access the detailed reports of any of the four sources, click on their logo in the PDF.

As many organizations shift to hybrid work models, managers and leaders must develop the skills and mindsets to lead in this environment. According to a recent 27-page Microsoft Work Trend Index Pulse report on hybrid work, one mindset shift leaders must make is: moving from worrying about whether their people are visible and working enough to focusing on the value and outcomes each employee delivers. To help leaders make the various shifts that enable effectiveness in a hybrid work environment, this new 74-page paper by the Center for Creative Leadership provides several ideas, such as: what leaders must know about the hybrid world, separating myths from reality; how leaders must frame the “tensions” and polarities in the new work environment. Page 23 includes a worksheet that leaders and teams can use to assess the group on seven factors that can affect its success in embracing and operating in a hybrid work environment. These factors include: Industry:Are we a services or a highly operations-oriented industry?Role/nature of work: Is there sensitivity around data and information my team handles, or does my team’s work involve handling physical machines/tools at the workplace? Both reports provide insights to help leaders and their organizations speed up the shift to effective hybrid work.

For years, we have heard the mantra, “people are an organization’s most important asset.” But as pointed out by Peter Cappelli in this new article, current U.S. financial reporting standards are counterproductive since they treat employees and investments in them as expenses or liabilities, which makes companies look less valuable to investors.This issue becomes more critical given the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rule—which went into effect on November 9, 2020—that requires public firms governed by the SEC 60-90 days after their fiscal year to include human capital information in their annual report. The rule is intended to help investors understand aspects of a firm’s human capital. However, since the rule leaves it up to companies to determine what measures to disclose, there is much variation in what has been reported—rendering the information less useful for investors who want to compare different organizations. The new HBR article provides a few human capital reporting requirements suggestions to take a step in the right direction, such as answering: “What percentage of vacancies are filled from within? Answering this question reveals the extent to which a company is growing its own talent or having to buy it from outside. Other ideas are discussed.

As CHROs continue to drive personal, team, and organizational effectiveness, I wanted to reshare this one-page PDF that includes 12 resources from which CHROs can draw. I have organized the 12 resources into four broader topics: 1) Transitioning to a New CHRO Role. Provides resources that can help CHROs speed up their transition into a new head of HR role. For example, one resource by Spencer Stuart helps CHROs gain momentum in their new role through an eight-point transition plan spanning 114 days. 2) HR Strategy and Operating Models. Offers ideas for capturing aspects of HR strategy and design. One resource from Gartner offers ideas for separating operational and strategic HR work. 3)CHROs and the Board of Directors. Shares a few resources on talent and workforce questions Boards are asking about. A resource by the HR Policy Association provides insights into how the role of the Compensation Committee continues to expand beyond its traditional charter. 4) CHRO Effectiveness and Other. Includes resources on determining if the CHRO has an all-star HR team, attributes of effective HR leaders, and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) best practices from CHROs at various organizations. All resources in this document include a direct link to the source article or report.

Many leaders continue to find ways to drive collaboration and teamwork across their organizations. This Winter issue of MIT Sloan Management Review— which Deloitte sponsors— includes five articles focused on teams. Topics range from organizing project teams, fostering collaboration in hybrid work arrangements, and supporting employees through periods of high uncertainty. Page 9 provides a chart showing six themes that reflect employees’ reported needs and ways managers could provide support in times of uncertainty. Each theme includes a few evidence-based strategies that managers can use to address employees’ needs. For example, the top two themes mentioned by surveyed employees when asked, “What is one thing your supervisor could do (or do more of) to help alleviate the uncertainty that arose from the pandemic?,“ were: Information: 38% requested more information on a specific topic, such as the likelihood of layoffs, return-to office plans, and performance expectations. Support: 35% requested general support, including job assurance, care for health and safety, career support, and empathy. Other ideas are discussed.

MOST VIEWED RESOURCE FROM LAST WEEK

Includes a one-page cheat sheet for understanding the 2023 HR and talent trends from 7 different sources.

CHRO HIRE OF THE WEEK

This past week,32 new Chief Human Resources Officer announcements were posted on CHROs on the Go – a subscription that provides the easiest way to stay informed about CHRO hires, promotions, and resignations. This week’s CHRO highlight is:

  • Shoals Technologies Group, Inc. (PORTLAND, TN.) [NASDAQ: SHLS]— a leading provider of electrical balance of system solutions for solar, battery storage, and electric vehicle charging infrastructure—promotes Jessica Uecker to Chief Human Resources Officer.

To learn how to gain access to all 32 detailed Chief Human Resources Officer announcements from this past week and +1800 archived announcements, visit CHROs on the Go .

If you are already a member of CHROs on the Go, you can log in to access all announcements and site functionality.

TWEET OF THE WEEK

BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS

Partial View of Recommendations. Click Image to See All Books

OUR RESOURCE LINEUP

​brianheger.com provides free access to +1,000 curated articles, research reports, podcasts, etc. that help practitioners drive better business results through strategic human resources and talent management.

CHROS on the Go is a subscription that provides the easiest and most convenient way to stay informed about Chief Human Resources Officer hires, promotions, and resignations in organizations of all sizes and industries.

​Talent Edge Weekly is a free weekly newsletter that brings together the best talent and strategic human resources insights from various sources. It is published every Sunday at 6PM EST.