© Fizkes | Dreamstime.com
Changing Talent Strategies for 2023

Changing Talent Strategies for 2023

Oct. 27, 2022
“The new dynamic is not simply a leader-to-employee relationship, but a human-to-human one,” a Gartner report says.

Looking toward next year, what are talent leaders thinking about? Well, according to a survey from Gartner, it's the effectiveness of managers and leaders at 60%. 

The survey of 860 HR leaders in July 2022 found the other top organizational priorities for HR leaders next year are:

  • organizational and change management (53%)
  • employee experience (47%)
  • recruiting (46%) 
  • the future of work (42%).

“Rising inflation, scarce expensive talent, and global supply constraints represent a new combination of variables for HR leaders to understand as they consider their 2023 strategies,” said Mark Whittle,  vice president of advisory in the  Gartner HR practice, in a statement.

These are the issues that leaders need to move their organizations forward and gain competitive advantage by actioning, says Gartner.

A New Approach to Leadership

Social and political turbulence, work-life fusion, and flexible work arrangements are redefining the leader-employee dynamic, yet 24% of HR leaders say their leadership development approach does not prepare leaders for the future of work. As today’s work environment changes, leaders must embrace human-centric leadership, defined by three traits:

  • Authenticity: Enable true self-expression for themselves and their teams
  • Empathy: Show genuine care, respect, and concern for employee well-being
  • Adaptivity: Enable flexibility and support that fits the unique needs of team members

“These shifts are not creating entirely new responsibilities, but they require leaders to achieve their core responsibilities in different ways,” said Whittle. “The new dynamic is not simply a leader-to-employee relationship, but a human-to-human one.”

Adopt an Open-Source Change Strategy

Forty-five percent of HR leaders say their employees are fatigued from the continuous disruption of the last several years. High employee change fatigue and increased work friction are correlated with a lower intent to stay with the organization. Gartner research shows only 43% of employees who experience above-average change fatigue intend to stay with their organization, compared with 74% of employees with low levels of fatigue.

HR leaders can decrease change fatigue and support employees through periods of uncertainty with an open-source change strategy that is less prescriptive than top-down approaches and more collaborative. Organizations that utilize open-source change strategies – involving employees throughout the process – can decrease the risk of change fatigue in their employees by 29 percentage points and increase employee intent to stay by as much as 19 percentage points.

Compelling Careers Are Critical for Retention

A Gartner survey of more than 3,300 employees conducted in March 2022 found that just one in four employees is confident about their career at their organization. The survey also revealed that three in four employees looking for a new role are looking externally first, not internally.

Progressive HR functions are changing how they approach career growth. Creating career paths in today’s environment includes providing employees with the ability to experience other career options, sharing diverse colleague examples to show many routes to career progression and offering channels for employees to create best-fit careers.

“HR leaders must design careers and mobility more like navigation systems, which dynamically inform drivers of new preferred routes, obstacles to avoid, and choices between fastest- and most fuel-efficient routes,” added Whittle.

Recruiting in a Volatile Labor Market

Even with the current slowdown in many companies hiring, sourcing for critical, scarce talent remains a must-have priority. Thirty-six percent of HR leaders report that their sourcing strategies are insufficient for dinging the skills they need.

To recruit in today’s labor market more effectively, organizations should pursue three strategies:

  • Leverage hiring managers earlier in the process as they are the most trusted source by candidates
  • Build an equitable internal labor market
  • Develop onboarding programs that promote new hire engagement in today’s hybrid environment

Workforce Planning Doesn’t Match Today’s Reality

Fifty-one percent of HR leaders reported that their workforce planning is limited to headcount alone. Employers are also confronting the reality that their workforce planning assumptions no longer hold in today’s environment. For instance, employers are finding it increasingly difficult to predict future skills or to fill future talent gaps primarily through buying and building talent.

HR needs a new approach to solve for today’s evolving workplace. To address shifting skills needs, HR should lead their organization to anticipate near-term shifts in critical work by evaluating tasks and workflows. When met with talent scarcity, HR should collaborate with leaders to redeploy tasks flexibly across the organization to increase resilience.

About the Author

EHS Today Staff

EHS Today's editorial staff includes:

Dave Blanchard, Editor-in-Chief: During his career Dave has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeekEHS Today, Material Handling & LogisticsLogistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. In addition, he serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.

Adrienne Selko, Senior Editor: In addition to her roles with EHS Today and the Safety Leadership Conference, Adrienne is also a senior editor at IndustryWeek and has written about many topics, with her current focus on workforce development strategies. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics. Previously she was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck?, which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list.

Nicole Stempak, Managing Editor:  Nicole Stempak is managing editor of EHS Today and conference content manager of the Safety Leadership Conference.

Sponsored Recommendations

Avetta Named a Leader in The Verdantix Green Quadrant: Supply Chain Sustainability Software 2024

Nov. 26, 2024
Avetta was named a leader by Verdantix in a 2024 sustainability software report for our ability to help clients and suppliers build sustainable supply chains.

Avetta is a Leader in Supply Chain Sustainability Software

Nov. 26, 2024
Verdantix has named Avetta a leader in its 2024 Green Quadrant for Supply Chain Sustainability Software. Download the report for independent insights into market trends and top...

The Power of Benchmarking in Procurement: Driving Success and Strategic Planning

Nov. 26, 2024
Explore the strategic impact of benchmarking in procurement to drive success and plan effectively.

The Five Eras of Safety Maturity

Nov. 26, 2024
Discover the 5 Eras of Safety Maturity, from reactive measures to data-driven assurance, and how organizations can evolve toward proactive safety cultures.

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of EHS Today, create an account today!