The Future Of HR Education Comes With A Surprising Twist

Traditional education for HR professionals has shifted

HR professionals are taking note, and they are taking it seriously. Employees have more choices than ever, so a good impression starts with the first contact with an HR representative of the company. According to research, 53 percent of employees, who applied for a new job in 2021, rated their experience as good with 33 percent attributing that to a streamlined process. Twenty percent said it was because HR kept in contact with them throughout the process. (HRT). Personal contact clearly matters.

And that’s where traditional education for HR professionals has shifted. In the past, a class, a seminar, or further education might have seemed sufficient, but in today’s world employees expect more.

Emotional Intelligence Shines Like Gold

In a post-pandemic world, people are more emotionally transparent and expect more from not only the companies they work and are applying to, but also from the representatives they have first contact with. Leading with emotional vulnerability and honesty may just be a skill that needs a bit of honing for HR reps that are used to leadership meaning leading with the appropriate, albeit insincere emotions, instead of genuine emotions. These “softer” skills may usurp traditional education in the future.

Commit to DEI&B as a Skill

Everyone appreciates a genuine effort to be better. Companies know that their efforts to give back to the world, protect the environment and be more inclusive, do not go unnoticed. Making a genuine commitment to hiring a more diverse workforce, striving toward pay, employment and job equity and being more inclusive matter to the satisfaction of employees and ultimately customers and the bottom line. HR representatives can take this on as their personal and work goals.

Education resources in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (DEI&B) are abound and there is no shortage of ways to not only take classes, seminars, and similar opportunities, but to also be immersed in the surrounding culture to know what people are really doing and what they want.

However, it can be taken one step further by going out and joining an organization, and volunteering with an ethnic or gender-diverse group that is outside of the HR representatives’ own group. Opportunities exist in the community and HR reps can make the effort to attend and learn.

Conquer Digital Data

HR representatives no longer have to lean on educated guesses or spend time trying to figure out what the best moves are for the company. Contemporary HR has people analytics at their fingertips. HR representatives do not need to feel like this requires a skillset that they are not equipped with, or that it will take extensive training. The fear of needing to become a data analyst is not something that will be required of them. But being flexible and willing to learn how people analytics can guide decision-making, is advantageous in and of itself.

Taking on a More Strategic Role

These skills will help to transition from an administrative role to a more strategic position for HR representatives. In the past, HR may have been thought of as administrative, keeping track of paperwork, staying on target with laws and compliance issues, dealing with the hassle of hiring and firing and other seemingly clerical tasks. But organizations are beginning to realize that HR is the heartbeat of an organization.

They know what is going on and with the help of people analytics data, they have concrete evidence to back it up. Learning how to incorporate data to make more strategic business decisions is the education of the future of HR.

Learning More from People

Lastly, there is no substitute for being a life-long learner and truly listening to people. HR representatives have the advantage of working in a living classroom every day.  Observing people, being part of their lives and inferring work, leave, stress and mental health trends is an invaluable asset that most people inside organizations will never get the chance to see.

Who is better equipped to know what employees want, where they struggle and what makes them succeed than the very people they depend on day in and day out to navigate those channels for them: HR.

Author Bio

Dustin Stipanovich is VP of Engagement and Talent Acquisition at isolved.