2020 has been a watershed year for everyone across the globe. For many industries, businesses, and talent, it meant the end of an era. For others, it meant the start of another era. For many, it is the dividing line between the transformation that could never be realized and the ability to transition to new ways of working overnight. 

Overall, business and talent had to pivot and adapt quickly to survive. Enterprises, traditional businesses, startups, and Fortune 500 organizations were all catapulted into the adapt and survive mode. And backing them up through this period of immense pain and change was the HR function.

The pandemic placed HR in the seat to drive the technological shift and long-term digital transformation that was required to be adaptable and relevant in 2020. But the story does not end with being adaptable in 2020. As a year that has redefined what long term and the short term means for organizations, it has also brought to the forefront why adaptability is critical in the world beyond 2020. So the question that arises is: How can organizations embed adaptability into their core for the long term? 

And that’s what Alight Solutions’ State of HR Transformation Study 2021 will focus on, the Next-Gen Adaptability.

Building on our previous edition which delved into the desired adaptability quotient within the HR teams of organizations, People Matters with Alight is conducting a study to explore how  HR function takes adaptability to the next level. 

The survey will offer insightful findings around:

• How  HR adapts to the changing business expectations and business environment
• How HR takes  its adaptability to the next level and emerge stronger
• How HR can  effectively adopt robotics, cognitive technologies, and data science to drive your digital strategy

The survey State of HR Transformation Study 2021 is now live. Over 800 unique companies spanning across Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, India, Vietnam, Australia, and New Zealand will be participating in the survey.   Take the survey now to review your current HR strategy and assess how you can craft a holistic approach to take HR’s adaptability to the next level and emerge stronger in 2021.

Key Findings from Alight Solutions’ State of HR Transformation study 2019

The 2019 edition of Alight Solutions’ State of HR Transformation study, in partnership with People Matters, saw over 2,200 respondents from across the region. The study revealed that adaptability is consistently demonstrated by the HR function of organizations that have a clearly defined HR Operating Model, complementing HR Technology Strategy and are disciplined in the new ways of working with business & among HR leaders (business to HR and HR to HR governance).

The study highlighted that there are three Anchors of Adaptability: Commitment to Outcomes, Adoption at Heart, and Navigating to the Future.

Commitment to outcomes

Outcomes are closely aligned with what the organization, leaders, and individuals value. Typically, these break across the traditional Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that are HR functional and domain-driven. For HR to deliver the stakeholders’ desired value, there needs to be a joint commitment between Business and HR to agree on the outcomes and deliver them.

Adoption at heart

Most organizations neglect the adoption and focus more on the implementation of programs. An adoption-driven view to programs ensures completeness of design both on domain and customer-centricity. As HR puts on the adoption lens, this should not be a one-time effort. Instead, it is an ongoing effort and HR should constantly seek feedback on the programs.

Navigating to the future

This aspect addresses the most critical question: how can HR shape the future rather than react to it? Program adoption yields actionable insights on program outcomes and effectiveness. This presents an opportunity for HR to use these insights for the ongoing discussions and reviews with Business on HR’s performance and how they are delivering on the expectations of the business.

And these three anchors are held together by our way of working. Ways of working in HR form an important bridge between the anchors of adaptability, namely Design, Experience, and Governance, and Outcome. These three elements act as bridges as one moves from one anchor to the other. By focusing on the Three Adaptability Anchors and by making changes in internal ways of working (Design, Experience, and Governance), the HR function can become more adaptable and enable the success of Business Initiatives as organizations navigate to the future.

The study clearly showed that organizations with Adaptable HR have better readiness for future risks, focus on strategic outcomes, and adapt to new technology well to drive outcomes.

The State of HR Transformation Study 2021: What’s in it for you?

Wondering why you should participate? Here are a few more takeaways for survey participants:

Get first-hand insights-Alight will share the exclusive benchmarking report with you, only available for participants. The comprehensive report will help you assess yourself and see how you fare with your peers in this transformation journey.

A ready Adaptability toolkit-You also get exclusive access to a microsite with readiness assessment tool kits, articles, and an online community of peers to discuss, share insights and find out if HR leaders have been able to find answers in 2020.

Learn from the best in business-Get access to the best practices of some of the leading organizations on how they are leading their transformation journeys.

Taking adaptability to the next level starts with taking things a step further. Participate in the survey now!