52 HR leaders share their top 5 concerns, from hybrid work to cyber-attacks.

52 HR leaders share their top 5 concerns, from hybrid work to cyber-attacks.

Exploring the Top Concerns of HR Leaders: Insights and Reflections

As we approach the one-year mark of CHRO Daily and after conducting nearly 52 interviews with top HR leaders from around the globe, it’s time to look back on an intriguing question that we consistently posed to them: What keeps you up at night? When I launched this newsletter last August, I had one goal in mind: to understand the top concerns of the world’s preeminent HR heads. Fortunately, many leaders were willing to shed light on their deepest motivations and frustrations in the job.

Today, I want to highlight some of the most impactful and thought-provoking answers I received regarding their most significant concerns and preoccupations in the HR space. It’s a full-circle moment for me, as today marks my last day steering the CHRO Daily ship and exploring how the function has changed in the wake of the pandemic, amid economic constraints, and as CEOs emphasize the talent strategy role. In the coming weeks, my esteemed colleague Paige McGlauflin will take the helm. Please direct your best work-related pitches to [email protected].

Allison Rutledge-Parisi: Navigating the Hybrid Work World

Allison Rutledge-Parisi, senior vice president of people at Justworks, highlights the challenge of adapting to the hybrid work model. She says, “We have not yet figured out how to live comfortably in the hybrid work world. We’ve spent so much time debating things like return-to-office [policies] and what number of days and all that jazz. Now that it’s settled down a bit, we’re asking how we can make this [arrangement] awesome because hybrid work is a great opportunity. Still, we haven’t learned enough yet about how to ensure that when we’re doing the kind of work optimized by in-person presence, it actually happens. We’re still learning and experimenting. That keeps me up at night—I don’t think we have mastery yet.”

The hybrid work model has become a significant topic of discussion in recent times, but Rutledge-Parisi reminds us that there is still much to learn and optimize. Finding the right balance between in-person and remote work is crucial to harnessing the benefits of hybrid work effectively.

Lauren Valente: Balancing Cybersecurity and Talent Acquisition

Lauren Valente, chief human resources officer at Vanguard, reveals two of her concerns: cybersecurity and talent acquisition. She mentions, “Because of my role as a member of the exec team and years outside of the HR people space, probably what keeps me up most at night is in the cyber realm. We talk about risk, cyber-attacks, and the sophistication of those breaches. As a team, we also discuss ensuring that our information security and security and fraud division is top-notch. The space is evolving all the time, and it’s sophisticated.”

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Valente emphasizes the ever-evolving nature of cybersecurity threats and the need to continuously strengthen defenses. In addition to cybersecurity, she also mentions the focus on ensuring a strong understanding of Vanguard’s mission and culture among newly recruited members.

Ben Gaunt: Managing Change Effectively

Ben Gaunt, chief talent officer at BP, highlights the importance of effective change management. He explains, “What keeps me up at night is that so much of what we’re focusing on now is change [management]. We’re trying to affect change for those driving the business, and we have to be careful that that person, whether it’s a line manager or someone else that receives all this change, is not the integrator of change. We have to do that work way before we get to that person. And we have to be really clear on how we will help them.”

Gaunt recognizes the challenges faced when implementing organizational changes. He emphasizes the need for a proactive approach to change management that empowers employees and provides them with the necessary support.

Jacqui Canney: Creating a Strong Culture in a Tight Labor Market

Jacqui Canney, chief people officer at ServiceNow, takes on the responsibility of stewarding her organization’s culture and people strategy. She shares, “I feel very responsible for the stewardship of our culture and people strategy—even before this tight labor market. And now it’s amped up even more. When I say every hire matters, I really mean every hire matters. But what makes me able to sleep is that I have a great people analytics function. That is like the warning signs or the positive signals of when we’re on the right path.”

Canney highlights the critical importance of a strong organizational culture, especially in the current competitive labor market. By leveraging data and analytics, leaders can gain valuable insights into their organization’s health and make informed decisions to nurture and enhance their culture.

Marjorie Powell: Navigating Disruption and Building Talent

Marjorie Powell, chief human resources officer at AARP, discusses the challenges of talent management amidst disruption. She explains, “We’re all working on talent: keeping our talent engaged and keeping them well. I’ve found people are worried about the economy, everything that’s going on in the world, [and] keeping that balance. So the engagement piece of that is the well-being of our workforce and the competing priorities for talent. We’re in disruption, and the skills, abilities, and capabilities we need today were not necessarily the ones we needed yesterday. So how do we get those things quickly? And how do we help the labor force develop after being reskilled? It’s those kinds of questions that keep me up at night.”

Powell acknowledges the multifaceted nature of talent management, encompassing engagement, well-being, and reskilling. As organizations navigate disruptive environments, the ability to adapt quickly and upskill the workforce becomes critical in maintaining a competitive edge.

Reporter’s Notebook: Insights and Headlines

Throughout our interviews, we came across compelling data, quotes, and insights from the field. One finding worth noting is that workplace inflexibility is a key factor contributing to the skills gap. Harvard Business School researchers suggest that companies under-utilize skilled part-time workers who would be willing to log more hours. By relaxing stringent definitions and being more inclusive in their hiring practices, companies can address the skills shortage.

In the “Around the Table” section, we provide a concise summary of notable HR headlines. Some highlights include Amazon’s inadequate accommodations for workers with disabilities or recovering from injuries, the debate on workplace communication styles (with some employees preferring directness over apathy), startup companies adopting an “efficiency” approach through layoffs and salary reductions, and President Biden’s measures to improve heat protection for American employees.

Watercooler: Trends and Interesting Tidbits

Lastly, in the Watercooler section, we delve into intriguing stories and trends from ANBLE. For instance, we explore how employees’ hesitancy toward business travel has increased due to factors such as pandemic anxiety, geopolitical conflicts, and an unreliable travel industry. We also discover that some employers are opting for “recovery-ready” workplaces to support employees with a history of substance abuse. Additionally, we highlight Netflix’s willingness to pay significant compensation for an AI product manager, which has raised concerns among striking writers and actors who fear the impact of artificial intelligence on their pay.

In conclusion, as we bid farewell to this chapter of CHRO Daily, we reflect on the valuable insights provided by HR leaders about their concerns and focus areas. The dynamic landscape of work, cybersecurity, change management, culture-building, and talent management all demand continuous attention and innovation from HR professionals. We look forward to the future of HR and the valuable contributions that practitioners like you will make in shaping the world of work.

Amber Burton [email protected] @amberbburton