Talent Edge Weekly - Issue #199

GenAI's integration into the workplace, HR's role in enabling GenAI, two talent metrics that matter most, team-based performance management, and the ROI of leadership development.

Author

Brian Heger
September 24, 2023

SPONSORED BY

Welcome to Talent Edge Weekly!

First, a shout-out to Shawn Zimmerman, Chief People Officer, Beauty Industry Group, for referring new subscribers to Talent Edge Weekly. Thank you, Shawn, for your support of this newsletter!

Not subscribed? Subscribe here!  

SPONSORED BY MeetGeek

Maximize the Value of Your Team Meetings & Hiring Interviews

Are you looking for a more efficient and automated way to organize notes and insights from interviews and calls with teams or customers? MeetGeek— an AI-powered virtual assistant— records, transcribes, summarizes, and extracts key points from meetings.

With MeetGeek, you can get a quick candidate profile right after the interview, capture key decisions and tasks from your company meetings, and keep your team in the loop while sharing meeting summaries with them.

Get this free AI Meeting Assistant for you or your company.

Become a sponsor of Talent Edge Weekly!

THIS WEEK'S CONTENT

Here’s a glance at this week’s content. A deep dive is in the section that follows.

Also, check out the 2023 job cuts tracker & Chief HR Officer hire of the week.

Let’s dive in.

THIS WEEK'S EDGE 

As business leaders seek to tap Gen AI's potential in the workplace while mitigating risks, this new McKinsey article offers valuable insights. It urges leaders to take a comprehensive view of how Gen AI integration can impact daily business operations and the workforce by asking questions, such as: What are the organizational implications of Gen AI? (e.g., use cases, necessary changes for enablement, and effects on ways of working). Does the organization have the appropriate technical talent and risk infrastructure in place? How can corporate culture facilitate or hinder the adoption and usage of Gen AI? How should organizations modify their talent management approaches due to Gen AI?  Regarding use cases, the authors recommend: a) identifying two or three high-impact use cases for Gen AI implementation, b) starting with these selected use cases to initiate Gen AI pilots, c) thoroughly evaluating and investing in Gen AI pilots with the potential for scalability and long-term value, and d) going big on the most promising cases. For additional insights, check out McKinsey's article, Four Essential Questions for Boards to Ask About Generative AI, and The Conference Board's, A Simplified Guide to How AI Works, which provides insights into AI's fundamental components.

New research from i4cp examining AI's impact on HR shows that the majority of organizations are still in the early stages of experimenting with AI tools, adopting a 'watch and wait' approach. This group of organizations, termed AI Enquirers (one of three archetypes), primarily focuses on researching Gen AI while waiting for other organizations—known as AI Innovators—to implement, test, and share their Gen AI learnings and practices. As HR teams unlock Gen AI's potential through innovative ideas and solutions, Josh Bersin's new article highlights ideas for how HR can embrace this challenge. Josh mentions: “HR professionals have the opportunity to take the lead in this new era, but only if they step up to the challenge. HR leaders must learn about these AI tools and prepare to integrate them with their experience in organization design, training, rewards, and leadership. They will have to be willing to experiment and develop a deeper armory of skills.” He adds: “Sound like a lot to handle? To me, our field has no choice. The AI wave has arrived. If we all lean in and learn, we can thrive in the new AI-powered era.” As we 'lean in and learn,' check out Josh’s other new article on how organizations are utilizing hackathon-like competitions to ideate and test AI use cases (e.g., CocaCola's "promptathon," where 20 different functional groups experimented with ChatGPT to develop winning use cases).

This new article by Marc Effron discusses two crucial questions for evaluating an organization's ability to create value through talent: 1) Is your organization able to sustain individual high performance? 2) Do you have appropriate talent depth in your most important roles? Regarding the first question, Marc highlights three scientifically validated enablers of performance: 1) effective goal setting involving clear cascades, concise objectives, and ambitious goals; 2) transparent coaching; and 3) establishing accountability for performance-driving behaviors. Concerning talent depth— having "ready within 6 months" leaders for vital roles—strategies include identifying pivotal roles with significant strategic impact and accurately assessing individual potential based on cognitive abilities, personality traits, and motivation—criteria backed by research. Drawing on my role as an internal HR practitioner, a recurring challenge in identifying critical roles is when assessors attempt to evaluate roles using less valid criteria, such as 1) job level (e.g., executive); role criticality is agnostic of level. 2) how difficult a role is to recruit for (a role can be challenging to fill but may not be critical); 3) the incumbent rather than the role's impact on organizational value. Also, assessors need to be reminded that a role deemed critical may not maintain its criticality, as criticality can shift with evolving business strategies. As Marc states, "You can use the critical role definition that works best for your organization, but it should cover any role where an unplanned departure would cause meaningful financial, operational, or reputational challenges."

As organizations shift increasingly towards team-based work, harnessing the potential of team-based performance management (PM) is paramount. While not a new concept, team-based PM is garnering increasing attention, especially considering the emphasis that many senior executives have placed on teamwork and collaboration when articulating the narrative of the "return to the office." However, many organizations still prioritize individual contributions in their PM approach, as evidenced by a recent Deloitte Global Human Capital Trends study revealing that only 28% of organizations base performance incentives on measurable team metrics. This article sheds light on eight PM strategies to promote team-based performance, such as identifying the required shifts in organizational culture that bridge the gap between individual and team success. The article also emphasizes measuring team performance at four levels: organization, stakeholders, the team, and individual team members—a practice that can be enabled by HR technology that helps gather and analyze performance feedback. Is your organization transitioning increasingly toward team-based PM? If so, are you able to articulate the shifts it needs to make across the eight PM levers—from culture to feedback delivery and rewards? In case you missed it, check out my Performance Management Playlist, which includes five PM resources.

This article discusses the growing trend of organizations investing in leadership development despite implementing cost-cutting measures in other areas. The authors emphasize the necessity for companies to understand the return on their investment in leadership development and present five key success factors for an evidence-based approach to measuring its impact: 1) Embedding Measurement Throughout the Learning Journey, 2) Defining Success in Tangible Terms, 3) Diagnosing Baseline Data, 4) Developing a Data-Informed Learning Experience, and 5) Determining Early Indicators and Adapting Incrementally. Regarding point #2 (defining success in tangible terms), the focus is on aligning business stakeholders and the L&D team on metrics that will signify the journey's success. Questions aimed at driving this alignment include: What business problem(s) are we trying to address? How can learning assist? What business outcome(s) are we seeking to achieve? Which business key performance indicators (KPIs) should we target? When can we expect to see significant movement in these KPIs? The table on p.4 illustrates a practical example of how these questions might be answered using three business imperatives. While isolating the impact of leadership development on organizational outcomes is difficult to do, these five steps can take organizations one step closer to demonstrating the ways in which leadership development enables business performance.

Page 4

MOST POPULAR FROM LAST WEEK

Here is my one-page PDF with 15 resources on five topics: employee wellbeing, remote work, succession, workforce planning, and internal mobility. The PDF has a description of each resource and hyperlinks to the source. You can also view this resource in a related post on LinkedIn.

2023 JOB CUTS AND LAYOFF TRACKER

Here is my tracker, which includes announcements from a segment of organizations that have announced job cuts and layoffs since the start of 2023.

A few firms that announced job cuts this past week include:

  • Aramark (NYSE: ARMK). The food service, facilities, and uniform services provider announced hundreds of layoffs across Texas this week after losing several contracts at important locations.

  • Roblox (NYSE: RBLX). The community-focused gaming platform cut 30 jobs on its talent acquisition team as hiring slows.

  • Sage Therapeutics. (NASDAQ: SAGE). The biotech is laying off 95 people in its Cambridge location and 290 people in total in the wake of a rejection from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Click here or the image below to access all listed announcements from 2023.

Partial view of the tracker

CHIEF HR OFFICER HIRE OF THE WEEK

​​Phillips 66 (HOUSTON, TEXAS) [NYSE: PSX]— a multinational manufacturer of energy products —has appointed Andrez Carberry as Chief HR Officer. Andrez will report to CEO Mark Lashier and help the organization achieve its strategic goals as the company starts a new chapter in its journey to be a uniquely positioned NGL, Chemicals and Renewable Fuels business with a robust and competitive Refining, Marketing and Transportation portfolio. Prior to joining Phillips 66, Andrez served as Head of Global Human Resources at John Deere. READ MORE

Andrez Carberry

  • If you want access to +3000 (and growing) detailed announcements of CHROs hired, promoted, and resigning, join CHROs on the Go.

  • CHROs on the GO is a digital platform that offers a 3-month and annual subscription. It’s a one-stop shop for CHRO announcements.

  • If you are already a subscriber to CHROs on the Go, log in here.

FROM TWITTER

TALENT EDGE WEEKLY REWIND

According to Gartner, only 54% of candidates state they trust organizations to be honest with them during the hiring process—particularly regarding role requirements and company culture. This article provides ideas on how recruiters, hiring managers, and employees with whom candidates come in contact during the hiring process can improve the candidate experience and build trust.

NEW BOOK: Giveaway for the first 10!

Wrong Fit, Right Fit: Why How We Work Matters More Than Ever | By Andre Martin

For the first 10 subscribers who recommend Talent Edge Weekly to their LinkedIn network, you will receive this book as a FREE gift! LEARN MORE

published 9-12-23

How do we make work, less work? We are in the midst of a crisis of commitment in the workplace—organizations are searching for engaged employees (“talent”) and employees are looking for a place to thrive.

In his new book, Wrong Fit, Right Fit, Andre Martin shares how both talent and companies can build more energy and commitment in the day-to-day.

THE “BEST OF AUGUST”

Did you miss the “Best of August” issue of Talent Edge Weekly? If so, check out issue #195, which includes 15 of the most popular resources from August. 

If you are not already signed up to receive Talent Edge Weekly,  subscribe here to receive future issues. It’s FREE!

OUR RESOURCE LINEUP

​brianheger.com provides free access to +1,000 curated articles, research reports, podcasts, and more 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 6 PM EST.

Talent Edge Weekly is written by Brian Heger, an internal human resources practitioner with a Fortune 150 organization. Brian holds responsibilities for Strategic Talent and Workforce Planning. You can connect with Brian on Linkedin, Twitter, and brianheger.com