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Roundtable HR Interim Managers

HR Roundtable
worth sharing HR interim management
Recently, we brought together a group of HR freelancers again to discuss the topic of "Innovation."

It was an interesting evening with captivating insights, and we would like to provide an overview of some notable observations.

Success in HR Projects

From the start, a crucial question emerged: what makes an HR project successful?

The answer appears to lie in a combination of various factors:

  • The ability to work in a company culture that welcomes freelancers.
  • Alignment between the personal values of the involved freelancer and the company values.
  • The presence of a clear HR vision in the company you work for.
  • Maintaining a proper balance between visibility and "being one of them" versus focused work and "staying out of the daily grind." As a freelancer, you can work with more distance and are not bound by company politics, allowing you to fully leverage your capacity on your assignment.

HR Innovations and Challenges

Despite the availability of advanced tools, HR freelancers noted that the adoption of artificial intelligence and tools in companies often progresses slowly. An important observation from one of the HR freelancers is that, before working with AI, it is necessary to determine, optimize, and document the basic processes and systems.

Some obstacles encountered in current assignments related to AI and automation include:

  • Limited budgets for new technologies.
  • Fear of the rapid evolution and sustainability of new tools. Which tools will endure, and which are temporary fads?
  • Limited integration of AI in HR. While generative AI is used in some instances, the deployment of predictive AI appears extremely limited.
  • Some HR interim managers face resistance to a data-driven approach, especially from middle management.

What is the Role of HR in Innovation?

  • Creating a mindset that embraces new technologies proves to be essential. Action is required, not only from the Executive Committee but also from all leaders throughout the organization. HR can play a crucial role in this but must receive a clear and explicit mandate. No department can achieve this extremely important change alone.
  • Focus should be placed on future-oriented recruitment: not simply recruiting as you always have but with an emphasis on skills relevant for the future.
  • Training and retraining within the company will continue to gain importance.

The discussion also led to the role of education and the importance of "working with AI." It was highlighted that some teachers vehemently prohibit AI, while others encourage students to become proficient in using it. Around our table, everyone clearly favored the latter scenario. There is concern about a potential gap in the future between those who are technologically proficient and those who lag behind for various reasons. The way our children's teachers handle technological innovation is crucial for their future.

We concluded the evening with a discussion of trends in the HR freelance market.

The HR freelance market is perceived by everyone as highly volatile and strongly influenced by changing economic factors.

A new trend is the significant increase in new freelancers entering the interim field with high financial expectations.

Conclusion

Our Roundtable for HR freelancers has provided valuable insights into the current status and future direction of innovation within HR. These insights emphasize the unique and influential role that freelancers can play as inspirers and innovators in this field.

All participants unanimously agreed on the significant impact they can make in terms of innovation. It is precisely the unique combination of expertise, curiosity, and openness to innovation that positions them as crucial players for an exciting future. Clients can learn from the experiences and insights gained in their various projects, providing additional impetus to move forward together in terms of innovation.

Authored by Caroline Anseeuw - 18 Dec 2023

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