Organizational Transformation, Employee Experience, HR Jobs of the Future, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in HR

(includes research by Dovetail Software, Gartner, Deloitte, Oracle and McKinsey)

The yin and yang of life and work has changed forever. The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically changed the way we work, rest and play, which is unlikely to be reversed in the short to medium term. Mask wearing, remote working and virtual learning are our new daily habits. 

That’s why in this month’s Dovetail HR News Roundup we highlight the transformational effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on organizations,  their employees and HR. Employee Experience design thinking, new workforce environments, Employee Vaccination Tracking, and AI technology for HR, are just some of the ideas and concepts you'll find in this month's issue.

2021: A New Beginning

In this month’s Dovetail Monthly News Roundup, we would like to start by wishing you a very Happy New Year, and look forward to a new beginning in 2021!

This issue takes a look at:

• the do's and don’ts of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) strategic planning
• the Sapient Insights 2020 - 2021 HR Systems Survey whitepaper
• the emergence of “Superteams”, a trend identified by Deloitte in their 2021 Human Capital Trends Report, and the use of AI Chabots as HR virtual assistants for employees
• Brian Kropp’s (Gartner) predictions for HR in 2021

The Times They Are A-Changin'

Society is changing and businesses will have to too. That was one of the key messages at Gartner's virtual IT Symposium/Xpo EMEA held in November.

Speaking on Gartner’s Top Strategic Predictions for 2021 and Beyond, Daryl Plummer, Distinguished VP Analyst at Gartner, said that by 2024, 30% of major organizations will use a new 'voice of society' metric to act on societal issues and assess the impacts to their business performance. “Being tone deaf to societal issues can hurt, and a brand can go away overnight”, Daryl added, before mentioning the almost overnight demise of the Uncle Ben's brand, directly resulting from societal pressure.

"You better start swimming or you'll sink like a stone"
Bob Dylan

Recent dramatic changes in public (and employee) opinion around issues such as Public Health, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, and Climate Change, as well as large scale social and political unrest, are accelerating transformation within organizations, as businesses respond to the pressures for change.

In this month's issue of Dovetail's HR News Roundup, we take a closer look at the latest research and insight about the 'big' external pressures that are driving change within organizations today:

In this month’s Dovetail News Roundup, we've selected a range of topics that are at the top of mind for HR professionals today. From the new 'employment deal' and answers to common coronavirus questions, to the latest evidence on diversity in the workplace and the distractions of employees talking politics in the workplace, you'll discover a plethora of new and original content, that will keep you up-to-date with what's happening in the world of HR and beyond.

In this month’s Dovetail News Roundup, we shine a light on several prominent, newsworthy topics that are currently having impact in the HR world, including: 

It's in Your Hands:

A Workforce That Is as Diverse as the Hands That Built It

Do you want to fight inequality in the workplace? Is building a diverse workforce at the top of your organization's agenda? In this month's News Roundup we lead with the Society for Human Resource Management's (SHRM) Together Forward @Work campaign, which aims to fight racial inequality in the workplace. SHRM believe its members, and the wider HR and business community, can bring their unique professional talents together to stand against all forms of social injustice. Citing new and original research, they claim the answer is "in your hands". 

Of course, the coronavirus is never far from the top of our minds. And recovering from its effects is the focus of the authors of the Deloitte report, Workforce Strategies for Post-COVID-19 Recovery.

The authors believe the biggest challenge facing organizations during the recovery is the tension between preparing for a return to work and rethinking work. Read their report to discover how your organization can move beyond crisis response, towards strategies that accelerate recovery. 

Jason Averbook (CEO and Co-founder at Leapgen, a global digital transformation consultancy) outlines 5 radical resets for our new world of work, in his Human Resource Executive article, which have been caused by the radical disruption that occurred this year. Read his article to find out more about these 'resets' and the 'rewiring' of the organization to empower the individual in the workplace. Or join his 5 Radical Resets Webinar on Tuesday September 8, 9:00 am PT / 12:00 ET.

In the HR Director, a UK based magazine for HR professionals, discover 50 Tips to Find Work/Life Balance When Working Remotely. Don’t be embarrassed about interruptions says author, Michelle Duval - dogs, kids or shirtless husbands will eventually make an entrance on a video call, no matter what you do! Michelle's answer is 'to just laugh it off and don’t get stressed'. 

In this month's Book Corner you'll find 6 books that will help you progress in your career. Our choice is HR From the Outside In: Six Competencies for the Future of Human Resources, by Dave Ulrich, Jon Younger, Wayne Brockbank and Mike Ulrich because it helps HR professionals get the skills they need to be successful in the future.

Dave Ulrich came to prominence when his model that explains how to drive efficiency in HR operations (which became known as the Ulrich Model) was adopted among corporations throughout the world. In his, and his coauthors', latest book, six core competencies (that the successful HR professional needs today) are identified. They include 1) Strategic Positioner, 2) Credible Activist, 3) Change Champion, 4) HR Innovator & Integrator, 5) Capability Builder and 6) Technology Proponent. It's an interesting and thought-provoking read throughout. Why not pick up a book today, and get started on gaining a new competency, or two, before the end of year? 

Fun for all the family is Bupa's aim with their Fun Activities to Do with Your Children During COVID-19 article. It's a perfect read for those racking their brains for ideas on how to keep the little ones entertained during COVID-19. Our favorite's cooling off with a water fight!

And finally, a couple of articles by Dovetail:

• 5 Reasons Why HR Technology Helps Your Remote Working Teams Perform Better
• and The Ultimate Guide to COVID-19 Contact Tracing

Read these posts for insights on how to improve the performance of remote working teams, and to understand how health screening and contact tracing technology can help your organization protect its employees as they return to work.

Contact Tracing is a solution for investigating, tracing and preventing the spread of infectious diseases. It involves combining the expertise and capabilities of human Contact Tracers, who are accomplished communicators and skilled in contact tracing techniques and ethical standards, privacy laws and confidentiality regulations, with the latest in advanced contact tracing technology.

Introducing the all new Dovetail Monthly News Roundup for 'on the go' HR professionals.

Containing the latest thought-provoking research, articles and blog posts, on topics as diverse as rethinking the employee experience (McKinsey), accelerated digital transformation, and the future of work, as well as industry insights, you'll be able to stay up to speed with the latest thinking in HR. 

Continuing education is also a theme, with recommendations for HR-related books and courses. Check out the most recent HR books to hit the shelves.

And don't miss our Culture & Entertainment section. This week why not take a virtual Essentials Tour of the Art Institute Chicago, and experience, from a new angle, some of the finest artworks by Chagall, Seurat and Hopper.  

Workflow Automation refers to software technology that automates the series of actions through which a piece of work passes from initiation to completion, eliminating manual steps that are often time-consuming, error-prone and duplicated.

"Dovetail was an instrumental tool during the switch to remote working, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. During COVID-19 when HR staff went remote, Dovetail was utilized much heavier (than before), and even became a main tool that we used for the unfortunate reduction in force process we had. It helped get those employees who were impacted their answers quickly and documented."

Tina Aquilini-Batten, HR Operations Manager at Tower Health

Are you developing strategies to protect and communicate with your employees as they return to the workplace? Has your HR Services team recently become a remote working team? Do they have the right tools in place to carry out their activities effectively? And, as an HR leader, do you have the Reporting & Analytics technology in place to ensure you can manage your team’s performance?

If you’re managing HR services using outdated technology, such as spreadsheet trackers and a shared inbox, it’s likely the transition to remote work has not been smooth sailing. All the usual pain points, such as losing track of employee cases, lack of workload visibility, and the time-consuming collation of data for reporting, are all exacerbated when taking your team remote, that is, unless you have the right Cloud-based tools in place.

Tools like HR Case Management, Employee Portal, HR Knowledge Management and HR Reporting & Analytics include features and benefits that enable HR teams to effortlessly make the transition to home working.

Read below to discover 5 reasons why HR Services technology can help your teams perform better in a remote working environment: