Long term: Consider new structures to enhance OD agility

Because talent is a priority consideration, CHROs' early involvement in strategic planning and technology road mapping is critical to ensuring their workforce is protected against unanticipated talent risks. CHROs should consider three long-term actions to ensure transparent career-pathing and prevent attrition:

Flatten hierarchies without eliminating people: When technology reduces talent demand, CHROs should streamline hierarchies and focus on reskilling and redeploying employees. This strategy reassures employees that the organization is committed to their careers and will fulfill that commitment by forming collaborative human-technology teams. Short-term investments in talent processes are now crucial to support future reskilling and redeployment, preventing attrition and maintaining a skilled workforce.
Embrace technology democratization by piloting fusion teams: Fusion teams—multidisciplinary teams in which business and technology experts work together and share accountability—drive a democratized digital model. CHROs should partner with CIOs to shift from IT-led to business-led digital leadership, empowering business functions to form fusion teams. CHROs can facilitate this by orchestrating communities of practice for consistent skills development, shifting from episodic to embedded, agile learning within fusion teams.
Boost agility with self-nominated team rotations: CHROs should offer rotational, on-the-job learning to encourage participation in fusion teams and digital skill development. One organization successfully implemented a draft system where employees self-nominated for team rotations over 18 months, allowing them to learn new digital skills they would have otherwise not learned in their existing roles. Key strategies included allowing staff to choose their top three preferences for rotations and keep consistency among teams with the same product owners and team members paired together.

As technology rapidly changes, CEOs are depending on CHROs to redesign how employees work to realize the ROI of technology investments. HR leaders who adapt their OD to improve the adoption and integration of technology will be better positioned to realize its full benefit and positively impact their organization's growth and competitiveness.

Instant Insights /

Harnessing gen AI: Why CHROs must lead organizational redesign to drive growth

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