To lead organizations toward success, strategy and planning are two key concepts for human resources departments, especially as they face unexpected challenges year after year. What steps should HR managers take, and what solutions can address the issues in the labor market? We can find answers in a survey conducted by Gartner on a sample of over 500 HR leaders across most major industries in 40 countries.

According to the Gartner survey, here are the five most important priorities for HR leaders this year:

1. Development of leaders and managers
2. Organizational culture
3. HR technology
4. Change management
5. Career management and internal mobility

Additionally, the Gartner study discussed several factors that led to the establishment of these priorities, including:

– The unstable relationship between employees and employers, which can be attributed to the controversy surrounding workplace flexibility, a lack of employee trust in their organizations, and concerns about their productivity.
– The persistent skills gap among employees.
– The increasing impact of AI at both organizational and labor market levels.
– The pressure for operational efficiency in organizations.

Returning to the priorities of HR leaders, it is important to note that each of the five priorities can truly change both the trajectory of the HR department and that of the entire organization. Therefore, HR specialists must prioritize actions that cannot be delayed without neglecting the others.

Development of Leaders and Managers

Despite the fact that more organizations are trying to support their managers by implementing various programs aimed at improving and developing skills, the Gartner study shows that 75% of HR leaders believe that managers are still overwhelmed by their responsibilities.

At the same time, 73% confirm that the leaders and managers in their organizations are unprepared for change.

Moreover, 50% of employees remain skeptical about their managers’ ability to lead their teams to success in the next two years.

What should be done next? Top companies have realized that investing in traditional professional development programs for managers is not enough and have identified four critical actions that must be taken at the organizational level:

– Resetting expectations regarding the manager’s role.
– Encouraging managers to discover early on whether they are suited for the role.
– Establishing managerial habits at the organizational level.
– Allowing the removal of value-less rules that only burden employees.

Organizational Culture

According to the Gartner study, hybrid work has shaken the process of employees identifying with the organizational culture at their workplace, which can be attributed to fewer in-person interactions over the last three years and the decreasing time spent in the office.

Currently, 41% of HR leaders believe that hybrid work undermines employees’ ability to connect with the organizational culture.

At the same time, 47% of HR managers do not know what changes should be made to help employees adopt the organization’s values and beliefs in a hybrid working system.

HR Technology

Adopting new technologies remains one of the most significant challenges for HR departments. Thus, 60% of HR leaders express uncertainty regarding the impact of new trends in AI and HR technology on their organizations.

56% of the interviewed HR leaders confirmed that their HR solution does not fit their current and future business needs. At the same time, they are unsure about which technology they should adopt.

A staggering 76% of HR managers believe that their organizations will fall behind if they do not adopt and implement generative artificial intelligence solutions within the next two years. Uncertain working and economic conditions are among the factors urging companies to adopt HR technology.

Change Management

82% of HR leaders believe that managers in their organizations do not have the necessary tools to enact change within the teams they lead.

On the other hand, 77% of HR managers believe that their employees feel exhausted. The volume and pace of changes appear to become overwhelming for employees who are already facing uncertainty regarding their productivity at work, and the risk that this fatigue will negatively impact key organizational outcomes is quite high.

In the future, organizations should carefully weigh the risks associated with employee fatigue in relation to the changes occurring in the company and implement a well-defined plan that ultimately leads to successful organizational transformation.

According to Gartner, managers who want to implement successful organizational transformation must focus not only on increasing productivity but on making it sustainable. This is only possible through a detailed analysis of work processes and the tools provided to employees to maintain a balance between professional and personal life.

Career Management and Internal Mobility

Alongside a relatively high turnover rate and a hyper-competitive job market, a new challenge for HR leaders is discovering how to support their employees in achieving professional success within the organization.

Regarding career management, according to the Gartner study, 89% of HR leaders believe that the steps employees need to follow within the organization to progress in their careers are unclear.

Additionally, 66% believe that career opportunities, where they exist, are not compelling for employees.

According to Gartner, the key to supporting employee career advancement may lie in developing a culture that aligns the company’s goals with the aspirations and interests of employees and facilitates development opportunities for employees through internal mobility.

However, HR leaders must be very careful about the decisions they make, as these can impact the organization for many years to come. Although the challenges are numerous, needs are increasing year by year, and time and results are pressing, they must analyze, plan, identify advantages and disadvantages, and closely monitor any actions they take.