Talent Edge Weekly - Issue #274

i4cp 2025 priorities and predictions report, identifying and mitigating ineffective work practices, reevaluating HR practices, scenario and workforce planning, and working parents and childcare.

Author

Brian Heger
December 08, 2024

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Welcome to this issue of Talent Edge Weekly!

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THIS WEEK'S CONTENT

Below are links and descriptions of the topics covered in this issue. If you're interested in my deep dive, you can read the full newsletter.

📉 Also, check out my job cuts tracker & Chief HR Officer move of the week.

Let’s dive in! ⬇️

THIS WEEK'S EDGE 

WORK PREDICTIONS & PRIORITIES

i4cp provides this ungated 50-page report for Talent Edge Weekly readers on 2025 workforce and talent priorities.

As HR leaders and their teams set objectives for 2025, gaining insights from HR practitioners across various organizations is helpful. i4cp has just released its new 50-page report on 2025 priorities and predictions, now made ungated for Talent Edge Weekly readers. The report offers actionable insights across key HR areas, featuring input from CHROs and senior leaders in HR, talent acquisition, talent management, learning, DEI, total rewards, and people analytics. Among its many insights, the section on the Future of Work (p.27) explores skills-based talent practices and how organizations are utilizing internal talent marketplace technology to drive mobility. While technology is a critical enabler, the report emphasizes that cultural barriers, such as talent hoarding—where managers retain top performers instead of supporting their movement—can hinder internal mobility efforts. This underscores the importance of addressing non-tech components that enable internal mobility (see my template on six non-tech barriers to internal mobility). Many other insights are provided in this robust and practical report. If you find it to be of value, you can join a free webinar on December 17 at 1 PM ET, where i4cp CEO Kevin Oakes and Chief Research Officer Kevin Martin expand on the report’s findings. Thanks to i4cp for making the report accessible to Talent Edge Weekly readers! (Click ‘access the report now’ after clicking the link below).

ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS

My template that can be used to proactively identify and address ineffective work practices that detract from goal achievement.

Many organizations are currently drafting, finalizing, and refining their objectives and goals for the upcoming year. A critical part of this process is establishing a few clear, vital goals with explicit accountability and measurable success metrics. An often overlooked yet valuable addition to goal-setting is identifying workplace practices or behaviors that may detract from achieving these goals. Ineffective work practices, even when goals are well-aligned with strategy and accountability, can hinder goal attainment. To address this, I’ve created a one-page template to help organizations—whether at the organizational, team, or individual level—identify and mitigate practices that could impede the execution of 2025 goals. For example, excessive or inefficient meetings, such as those involving unnecessary participants or frequently running over time, can be mitigated by limiting invitations to essential attendees and setting strict time limits (e.g., 30 minutes) to encourage concise discussions and decision-making. The template provides space to document ineffective work practices, outline tactics for improvement, and track progress. By proactively addressing these factors, organizations can increase the likelihood of achieving (or exceeding) their 2025 goals and objectives. 

HR EFFECTIVENESS

Shares perspectives from three veteran Chief HR Officers on the power of eliminating HR concepts that are no longer purpose-built for this era.

With workplace and talent topics becoming more complex, HR organizations are managing an ever-expanding portfolio of work. While taking on more initiatives may seem like a way to demonstrate value, this new article— Less is More—highlights insights from three veteran CHROs—Kevin Cox (25-year CHRO at Pepsi Bottling Group, American Express, and GE), Susan Podlogar (MetLife CHRO, 2017–2024), and Katie Burke (former Chief People Officer at HubSpot)—on how HR leaders can focus on the vital few priorities that drive the greatest impact. One insight comes from Susan Podlogar, who emphasizes that HR should be transformative and not incremental. “There is no room or time in HR’s portfolio anymore for incremental, customized programs for specific groups, such as a recognition program for legal affairs or a new diversity program for IT. Leveraging the scale of the enterprise now is paramount.” She adds, “It means applying a broader lens to the organizational construct, preparing talent, defining skills, integrating new technology, and energizing the culture—all in service of realizing the potential of the organization.” Podlogar urges HR leaders to pressure-test every practice and process by asking, “Are they ultimately the value drivers of the collective organization?” As teams reflect on this question for 2025, I am resharing the article, What Makes an Effective HR Function, by Dave Ulrich and his colleagues at The RBL Group, which explores various ways in which HR delivers value to organizational stakeholders.

WORKFORCE PLANNING

My one-page worksheet for thinking through workforce planning responses to different scenarios.

According to Gartner’s 2025 Top Priorities for HR Leaders Report, only 15% of surveyed organizations practice strategic workforce planning, with 66% limiting their efforts to basic headcount planning. In my view, one reason for this gap is that workforce plans often focus on a single expected scenario, overlooking other possible scenarios the organization may face; this is where scenario planning (SP) can make a difference. While SP can range from simple discussions to sophisticated, technology-enabled processes, starting with basic questions can yield significant benefits. My worksheet helps guide these discussions and provides space to document: Base Scenario. What scenario will likely occur? (e.g., FDA approval of drug X). What are the key elements of the workforce plan for this scenario? (e.g., a 19% increase in sales reps in regions A, C, & F). Alternative Scenarios. What are two other possible scenarios? Triggers. What indicators (e.g., economic shifts, increased competition, etc.) would serve as a signal that the alternate scenario is more likely to occur? Action. If an alternate scenario occurs, how will our workforce plan adjust? There is more to SP than outlined here. It’s also helpful to have technology and analytics enabling scenario and workforce planning. However, start where you are and evolve as you go. Lastly, business scenarios should align with the strategic planning process to ensure workforce plans are grounded in realistic business scenarios.

WORKING PARENTS

Shares data on how childcare challenges impact working parents and highlights organizational opportunities to better support them.

Childcare challenges remain a significant barrier for working parents, with new data from the U.S. Census Bureau shedding light on their growing impact. According to the report, "there are about 60 million adults in the United States between the ages of 25 and 54 who live with at least one child under 18 years old. Roughly 50 million of these parents are in the labor force—either employed or actively seeking work—and they represent about 30% of the total U.S. labor force and nearly half of the labor force between the ages 25 to 54." While there are several findings from this report, one is that childcare issues disproportionately affect mothers of young children, who are more than twice as likely to cite these barriers as fathers or mothers of older children. Post-pandemic, the number of childcare-affected parents increased by 19%, with nearly 80% of lost work hours stemming from part-time parents unable to transition to full-time roles. One implication for organizations is the opportunity to offer flexible schedules, childcare support, and tailored roles to help working parents balance their responsibilities and contribute effectively to the workforce. Additional strategies to address these challenges are explored.

MOST POPULAR FROM LAST WEEK

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT

My infographic with sample questions to help managers evaluate performance.

Here’s my infographic featuring 10 example questions that managers can reflect on as they evaluate their employees’ year-end performance. While not exhaustive or tailored to every organization, these questions serve as a starting point and can be adapted to align with an organization’s performance management philosophy and program. Employees can also use these questions to reflect on their contributions and performance throughout 2024. You can also view my post on LinkedIn about this resource. Join the discussion and/or share with your network!

JOB CUTS AND LAYOFF TRACKER

Check out my tracker of announcements from a segment of organizations that have conducted job cuts and layoffs since the start of 2023.

Partial view of tracker on brianheger.com

A few job cuts announced this past week:

  • Airbus (OTC: EADSY). The European aircraft manufacturer disclosed plans to lay off 2,000 employees worldwide, representing a 5% reduction in its workforce.

  • Cargill. The agricultural giant announced plans to reduce its global workforce by 5%, impacting approximately 8,000 employees. The layoffs are a response to declining crop prices, which have reduced the company’s revenue.

  • Ingram Micro. (NYSE: INGM). The IT distribution company announced plans to lay off approximately 850 employees as part of a restructuring effort aimed at streamlining operations and reducing costs.

 Click here to access all listed announcements.

CHIEF HR OFFICER MOVE OF THE WEEK

This past week, 18 new Chief HR Officer announcements were posted on CHROs on the Go, my subscription-based platform tracking movement in and out of the CHRO role. This week’s CHRO move of the week is:

  • Amentum (CHANTILLY, VIRGINIA) [NYSE: AMTM]—a global leader in advanced engineering and innovative technology solutions—announced the appointment of Darren Burton as Chief People Officer, effective immediately. Burton will lead Amentum’s talent strategy and management for its diverse workforce of 53,000 employees across 80 countries. Previously, Burton served as Chief People Officer at Eightfold AI—an AI-based talent intelligence platform provider—and held leadership roles at KPMG and Raytheon. ​

Darren Burton

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THE BEST OF NOVEMBER 2024

Did you miss the “Best of November ” issue of Talent Edge Weekly? If so, check out issue #273, which includes 19 of the most popular resources from the month.

Thank you to Gloat for sponsoring this Best of November issue! You can download Gloat’s comprehensive 25-page guide, The Ultimate Guide to Becoming a Skills-Based Organization.

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RESOURCE LINEUP

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​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 Circle. A new, exclusive, vetted, invitation-only digital community for internal HR practitioners to be launched in early 2025. If you are an internal HR practitioner interested in this paid community, indicate your interest here.

Talent Edge Weekly is written by Brian Heger, a human resources practitioner. You can connect with Brian on Linkedin, X, and brianheger.com