IES Perspectives on HR 2014

HR responding to threats and opportunities

This edition of our annual perspective report considers the threats and opportunities currently faced by HR departments; some are familiar hardy perennials, others are newer kids on the block.

Considered from the perspectives of the organisation, the employee and of externally-driven factors, these articles will stimulate and provoke, yet also offer some more practical ideas.

The HR meta themes of personal development, organisational efficiency, organisational values and culture, leadership, etc remain constant. The environment within which they present themselves varies.

Change offers mostly opportunity but some threat; it tests the function’s capability to deliver. This is the stuff of business strategy, and this report can help move HR in that direction in two ways.

Firstly, it underlines the importance of the external context in which HR operates. Secondly, the report should encourage HR to understand their work in a holistic business-centred way rather than pursuing functional interests.

Topics covered in IES Perspectives on HR 2014, include:

• Big data and HR analytics
• Outsourcing decision making: Can we make it more considered?
• Crowdsourced leadership
• Zero-hour contracts: the continued debate in 2014
• Understanding resilience
• Diversity at senior team and board level
• Talent for what? Reconnecting talent management with business needs
• Top employers for flexible working
• Establishing a culture of openness