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How HR Shapes the CEOs of Tomorrow: Proven Strategies for Leadership Growth 🚀

Inside: Practical Strategies to Eliminate Redundant HR Tasks

Hey there, HR trailblazers! 🌟

In this edition, we’re spotlighting HR’s transformative role in shaping the future of leadership, streamlining redundant tasks, and creating flexible workforce strategies. 

From PepsiCo’s blueprint for nurturing Fortune 500 CEOs to actionable frameworks for operational resilience, these stories demonstrate HR’s pivotal role in driving organizational success. 

Plus, catch Shane Koller’s expert take on connecting HR metrics to tangible business impact.

📰 Upcoming in this issue

  • Developing Future CEOs Starts with HR Leadership 🚀

  • Unlocking HR's Potential: Say Goodbye to Redundant Tasks 🛠️

  • Building Resilience: Flexible Workforce Operations Planning 📄

  • Cracking the Code of HR Metrics with Shane Koller 🏢

Gartner's 2025 HR Priorities report reveals that 55% of HR leaders say their current tech solutions fall short of meeting business needs.

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Developing Future CEOs Starts with HR Leadership 🚀 read the full 804-word article here

Fortune highlights HR’s vital role in shaping future CEOs, using PepsiCo as a standout example for developing 16 Fortune 500 leaders. Key strategies include internal promotions, diverse roles, mentorship, and experiential learning. HR leaders must build systems to identify and equip high-potential talent with operational and strategic expertise for leadership success.

Key Takeaways

  • 🧑‍💼 Internal hires dominate CEO promotions: Nearly 75% of CEOs are chosen internally to avoid risks of culture misalignment and knowledge gaps.

  • 🌍 Broader experience wins: PepsiCo’s leadership program highlights diverse roles and coaching to develop holistic, well-rounded leaders.

  • 🔎 Specialization risks blind spots: Overly specialized leaders may resist innovation, thinking they’ve “mastered” their domain.

  • 💡 Horizontal moves are critical: Leadership growth thrives on early cross-departmental experience, from finance to product roles, building a wide organizational perspective.

Unlocking HR's Potential: Say Goodbye to Redundant Tasks 🛠️ read the full 1,540-word article here

HR Executive’s "6 Ways to Make Redundant HR Tasks a Thing of the Past" reveals HR teams lose 20% of their week to repetitive tasks. The article offers practical strategies, like process mapping and AI, to free HR for strategic work. It combines data, tips, and a call for transformation.

Key Takeaways:

  • 📉 HR loses 20% of its week on repetitive tasks: That’s an entire day wasted, shrinking time for strategic initiatives like workforce planning.

  • 🛠️ Fix broken processes first before tech: Technology won’t help if inefficient workflows stay untouched. Process mapping is the foundation of improvement.

  • 🤝 Governance clarifies accountability: Without clear roles, redundant tasks creep back in. Strong governance keeps inefficiency at bay.

  • 🤖 AI & automation = HR’s future: From applicant screening to self-service tools, automation can free up HR’s time for complex decision-making.

Building Resilience: Flexible Workforce Operations Planning 📄 read the full 1,382-word article here

Insperity’s "How to Make Workforce Operations Planning More Flexible and Resilient" emphasizes adaptability as key to navigating disruptions. The three-step framework—evaluate needs, assess possibilities, and consider management dynamics—guides leaders to balance productivity, well-being, and continuity. Practical tips like team charters and overcommunication focus on thriving, not just surviving, unpredictable times.

Key Takeaways

  • 🌪️ Embrace Change Management: Acknowledge employees’ lived experiences of disruption to prevent fatigue and foster smoother transitions.

  • 📊 Align Business Needs: Evaluate how changing customer expectations align with your operational goals to future-proof your strategy.

  • 🏡 Optimize Workforce Models: Find balance between in-person, remote, and hybrid work environments to enhance productivity and compliance.

  • 🗣️ Overcommunicate with Intent: Use two-way communication to clarify evolving strategies and ensure alignment across teams and leadership.

Cracking the Code of HR Metrics with Shane Koller 🏢 watch the full 40-min video here

Video published: Dec 17, 2024

Shane Koller, Chief People Officer at Ancestry, outlines how HR leaders can connect metrics to business impact. Key insights include focusing on meaningful data like a "Purpose Score," adapting metrics as organizations evolve, and using storytelling to inspire action. The video highlights HR’s role in driving engagement and tangible results.

Key Takeaways

  • 📊 📉 Cut Through Data Noise: Organizations waste time on irrelevant metrics. Focusing on outcomes directly tied to business goals prevents analysis paralysis.

  • 🌟 Find Meaning in Work: Employee "Purpose Scores" predict satisfaction and retention, offering a lens into the organization’s overall health.

  • 🏢 Adapt for the Moment: Metrics should shift with business priorities—growth phases call for retention metrics, while cost-cutting demands efficiency focus.

  • 🤖 AI as an Ally: AI should elevate the employee experience, ensuring productivity while safeguarding the human element in HR operations.

Why It Matters

HR leaders hold the key to shaping the future of work and driving organizational success. From fostering tomorrow’s CEOs to leveraging AI for streamlined operations and building resilient teams, your role is more impactful than ever. 

Use these insights to innovate, lead, and make a measurable difference in your strategies. Stay ahead, stay strategic, and keep driving change! 🚀

Sophia Bennett
Editor-in-Chief
HR Insights Today

PS - Do check out SSR’s free HR software matching service. As you know, buying HR software can be stressful and time-consuming. SSR helps you find the right HR software at the right price, saving you both time and money!

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