More organisations empowering HR leaders to do more

With the role of HR having expanded quickly and greatly in the last three years, HR leaders are now expected to do much more than before and are getting more opportunities to do so. These are just some of the findings that have emerged from a July 2023 Gartner survey of 287 HR leaders, with 83% of HR leaders saying that they are currently expected to do more compared to three years ago. 

70% of the HR leaders have also agreed that they have more opportunities to create impact in the work they do, and over half of the respondents (58%) report having more authority to push major decisions and strategic priorities. 

“After drastically changing the way we work, HR leaders are now grappling with whether or not to stay bold and continue to challenge convention when external circumstances, such as the pandemic, are no longer forcing their hand,” said Brent Cassell, Vice-President, Advisory in the Gartner HR practice. “In this new normal, organisations need to be ‘Everyday Bold’, choosing every day to not just take action, but prepare for whatever could be ahead.”

According to Gartner research, employees who befit the phrase, ‘Everyday Bold’ are six times more likely to be top performers, and the firm has identified three key facets HR leaders need to embody ‘Everyday Bold’.

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These include building stability for their employees so as to build confidence and engagement; initiating trust between employees and leaders in order to build a two-way communication space that actively encourages optimism during interaction; and being able to forge ahead and adapt to the future to make room for the next opportunity, which includes dropping old-fashioned mindsets that no longer work for their organisation