Editor’s note: This article is the first in a two-part series sharing insight from Employers Council professionals on the past year and the year ahead. Look for part two next week.
As a human resources professional at an Employers Council member organization, your interactions with our HR consultants make an impact. Your requests for help challenge our HR consultants to provide useful guidance. In a mutually beneficial, virtuous cycle, we learn from you as you learn from us. This unique relationship provides our team with a broad array of insights across industries and employer types as to what is impacting HR professionals in the communities we serve.
Recently, we convened a roundtable of our HR consultants in hopes of gleaning helpful insights to share with you. We asked them to offer reflections on supporting HR professionals in 2023 and their projections for 2024.
As advocates for the HR profession, we hope to help build a deeper sense of community among HR professionals as we move toward a new year.
The roundtable agreed that 2023 was an exhausting year for HR professionals.
The adrenaline rush that helped HR professionals through the pandemic had worn off and was replaced with an unrelenting grind of change and challenges: labor shortages, vacant positions, and new expectations from employees for flexibility and compensation, to name a few. A deluge of new legislation for Colorado employers was overwhelming. Leaders and employees alike looked to HR for answers to macroeconomic forces and new socio-demographic trends that far exceeded the control of any one person or one profession.
Takeaway: Many HR professionals feel pressure to know it all. The sheer volume of new demands on HR makes this impossible. Be vulnerable and admit to not knowing all the answers. Asking for help and seeking expertise and diverse perspectives are strengths in times of disruption.
Compounding this, some HR professionals feel undervalued, unsupported, and even ignored by leaders who are uninterested in compliance. Facing demands from all directions, many HR professionals are burned out.
Takeaway: You cannot help others or your organization if your energies are spent. Make time for self-care to be the most effective HR professional possible – consider it an investment in professional effectiveness.
Self-reflection was also a part of our roundtable. Our HR consultants shared what gaps they struggled with and what skills served them well in 2023 to serve our members. You may find their thoughts helpful.
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Staying on top of new compliance issues was difficult. Evolving legislation and subsequent rulemaking by administrative agencies required vigilance for actions made at the federal and state levels.
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Empathizing with others and carefully listening to them deepens understanding of needs. A sense of humor helps mitigate stress and lifts energies when exhaustion threatens.
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Flexibility and quick responses were needed to effectively manage labor market changes, such as compensation adjustments to address employee demands due to inflation.
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Networking and relationship-building supported learning, connection, and emotional balance. Loneliness and isolation, especially in remote work arrangements, are dangers that require acknowledgment and concerted action.
Member needs evolved rapidly in 2023. To stay on top of issues and support members, here is how our HR consultants took action in 2023:
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Increased reading from a variety of sources. Multiple resources are valued to validate and verify accuracy and ensure a diverse array of perspectives are considered when it comes to identifying options to address emergent and ongoing challenges. Our staff are provided access to top-notch news sources to stay on top of evolving issues that impact employers. We leverage our resources to generate the guidance provided to you when you call, read our Weekly Digest articles, and access our resources.