Chitra Narayan, Director HR, A. O. Smith India
A company’s vision can best be realised by a productive and united workforce. In these evolving times, companies must continuously evaluate priorities in line with their mission and the needs of multiple stakeholders. It is imperative to align practices with a moral compass and foster an inclusive culture that allows a motivated workforce with varied mindsets to come together and work towards a common goal. Hence it is necessary to understand why human resource (HR) is important in the growth of an organization.
Builds a sense of belonging
Every employee seeks a sense of belonging, wants to feel included, and perform to their maximum potential. That is why there is need for a work culture that encompasses these values. Programs are designed by HR to enable collaboration among employees themselves and between employees and senior leadership. A free and informal engaging culture goes a long way in building and maintaining an environment where a culture of belonging can thrive.
Enhances work-life balance
Another important aspect of the work culture is to enable a comfortable work-life balance for employees. This should be the cornerstone of the HR policy of any company and as a good work-life balance has the capability to enrich work life and improve employee performance. Efforts to create optimal balance at work can significantly change the quality of job satisfaction and employee productivity. Employees want to be part of a positive culture that appreciates their work and enables them to have a healthy work-life balance.
Fosters diversity and inclusion
The diversity and inclusion dialogue has picked up pace in recent years and companies are making serious efforts to translate boardroom conversations into office dialogues. Companies are doubling down on making diversity, equity, and inclusion essential to their vision. Human resource professionals are taking cognizance of this view and ensuring they attract the right talent based on merit from all social backgrounds to ensure fair and equal representation and a diverse workplace.
Ensures productive employee performance
Employee experience has significant importance in the post-pandemic workspace and companies are attracting top priority to employees by staying highly focused on their productivity, flexibility and wellbeing. An optimal employee experience is imperative for HR, as engaged employees become bearers of change in a dynamic organization.
Adheres to a hybrid & flexible environment
HR professionals are carefully studying the outcomes of hybrid & flexible work models as a way to build and evolve the best hybrid model for their organizations. HR undertakes rigorous data collection and focuses also on purpose, value and culture to better understand the prospects of redesigning work, workforces and workplaces. This information plays a key role in determining what works best for every employee in the company who wishes to be part of a hybrid work culture.
Helps in foraying into metaverse
Metaverse is set to create ripples in the HR industry. It will be fun to see more intuitive interactions with remote applicants, engagements in virtual events, employee onboarding, and career meetings on Metaverse. As per a Gartner study last year, 25% of people will spend at least one hour per day in the metaverse by 2026 and HR is already utilizing metaverse for workplace learning and training. It will enable the HR function to reimagine a more productive, collaborative, and creative work environment to drive better business performance and employee experience.
In conclusion, HR ensures a motivated workforce is united behind a singular vision and leaders must be willing to push the envelope in creating a vibrant work ambience. HR professionals and leaders work in tandem to attract positive energy and develop work processes that make employees feel valued for their experiences in this new era of work. Ultimately, HR must encourage a culture of open-mindedness, inclusiveness, and compassion to create a productive workplace where employees can thrive, grow and innovate.