How should we prepare for 2023 strategically?

Ana Ruth Vargas Martinez, Head of Human Resources, Innovasport

2023 is around the corner,  and the analysts anticipate  it will be a challenging year  for the HR department. HR  will continue to experience pressure  from establishing as the strategic  partner that organizations require and  from showing results in supporting  and development of post-pandemic  organizations. 

We must deal with at least three  realities that add more challenge to  this difficulty: 

First, a recession and an increase in  inflation are imminent, and they don’t  just apply to one or two countries—  this is the case globally. In reaction  to economic considerations, major  layoffs were made by international  firms in the months of November  and December. It is expected that  additional organizations will fall into  line in the month of January. 

Second, a significant change  brought above by the pandemic was  the evolution of the job standards  required of our workforce. Employees  want to be regarded as people, to  have more time for their families  and personal life, and to have access  to development opportunities and  flexible scheduling policies that enable  them to achieve their own goals.  Group resignations have also been  seen in response to circumstances  and working conditions that  people find unacceptable, just as  we have seen corporations fire  large numbers of employees.

 The third is to ensure the organization’s  survival and success in the coming and  succeeding years while juggling conflicts  between restraint and spending, investment  and entrenchment, and working toward the  best organizational strategic plans that make  it clear where to invest and where to restrict  funds. 

“In reaction to economic considerations, major layoffs were made by international firms in the months of November and December. It is expected that additional organizations will fall into line in the month of January”

How can the human resources  department participate in light of these  facts and circumstances to deliver on the  promise of this strategic partner and produce  outcomes for these organizational changes?  To accomplish the aforementioned, three  crucial factors unquestionably play a role: 

1. Enhance and strengthen leadership.  One of the primary tasks as human resources  is to have the best management team to  handle the challenges of 2023 and the years  to come. Making sure you have the best team  to lead the organization requires using talent  assessments, 360-degree feedback, culture  engaged leadership, development, and  succession planning. 

2. Strategically enable the business.  To use the world cup as an analogy, you  can’t just play “goalkeeper” all the time,  trying to prevent goals from being scored  and controlling spending; you also need  to accompany the organization and let it  know when investments in human resources  processes have a greater, more glaring return  on investment and when they don’t. 

3. Never forget that people come first.  People make the difference in companies.  An organization with focused and  happy people makes the outcomes  happen. Also, keep in mind that trust  requires a commitment. As long  as our employees feel valued and  trusted, their performance will  improve. 

Finally, 2023 has arrived, and  this is a great chance to show that  we have taken all necessary steps  to guarantee that Human  Resources plays a significant role in  the success of enterprises throughout  this year.