What Future for HR – Surviving in a Fast Changing Workplace
The current status and possible future for the HR function came under close examination at a webinar hosted by The HR World and sponsored by Cezanne. At a time of great change and turbulence in the workplace – disruption and change brought about through technology, legal and compliance issue and more – this seems to be a moment when HR has the opportunity to surge ahead and become a strategic and critical part of senior business leadership. However, making this step forward requires focus and commitment from HR professionals themselves.
The webinar’s panel – Simon Mounsey, Interim Chief People Officer & HR Transformation Specialist; Erica Farmer, Professional Speaker, Trainer, Author & Podcast Host. Quantum Rise Talent Group & EricaFarmer.ai and Caroline Gleeson, Chief Transformation Officer at Cezanne discussed the topic from diverse viewpoints.
While the need to adopt and adapt to technology and AI in particular is unavoidable the panel made clear it was important that HR should remain a ‘human first’ function. Despite the need for efficiency and cost effectiveness in the business, organisations still need to be human centred and appreciate the value of being so. Erica Farmer put forward the idea of HR professionals as being change architects – the people who would design and manage the workforces of the future – it’s a task which many HR professionals are well placed to take up, but need to take the initiative to realise.
The use of data and analytics can also play an important part in securing a clear future for HR. Simon Mounsey and Caroline Gleeson both highlighted how data and metrics can not only demonstrate the impact of HR’s work but become predictive in areas such as recruitment and employee engagement. Through this the function can have a marked impact on efficiency and productivity.
Overall, the webinar clearly shows that HR does have the potential to reach and succeed at C-suite level within businesses without having to redefine itself. HR certainly has a critical part to play in the future, but it will not come automatically and HR leaders need to be bold and confident and demonstrate the impact they can have within the companies they serve.
As such the webinar is vital viewing for anyone who wants to realise their full potential in the profession and who wants to ensure HR takes a leading role in the future of the workplace.
Today at Cezanne, Caroline focuses on Strategic Leadership, Corporate Development, and People. She works closely with the executive team to develop and execute business and product strategies that align with ambitious growth objectives.
With a background spanning recruitment, HR leadership, project management, journalism, and sales, Caroline is passionate about innovation in HR technology, building high-impact teams, and delivering strategies that create measurable business value.
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AI is advancing fast, but people’s confidence and capability to use it productively haven’t kept up — and that gap is hurting businesses. This happens because organisations are not engaging people as people; they are engaging them as technology users.
It’s time to book a talk that actually changes behaviour. Erica is a keynote speaker on AI and future skills who believes the real AI advantage isn’t productivity – it’s happier, more resilient people who know how to partner with it.
Erica helps HR, L&D and business leaders move from feeling exposed, overwhelmed and behind on AI to feeling confident, courageous and ready to lead meaningful AI adoption. She does this through the AI Dividend™ Approach, which starts with hearts and minds and helps people use AI in ways that benefit both their work and their lives, not just organisational efficiency.
After seeing leaders go AI-first instead of people-first, Erica realised that resistance to AI is really about confidence and capability. People need support to identify their own AI Dividend. This increases AI adoption and innovation across organisations while supporting people, change and profitability.
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Simon is an experienced and commercially-focused HR professional with strategic, C-suite and Board level expertise developed over 23 years across the Blenheim Chalcot Venture Builder portfolio of businesses.
His background as Chief People Officer at Agilisys, the digital transformation partner for the public sector, and the support he has provided across the BC portfolio gives extensive insight into generalist HR and business leadership, TUPE, M&A, carve-outs, divestment, separation and integration, business development, reward, organisation design, restructuring, offshoring and learning whilst building AI and automation solutions to improve quality, efficiency and cost.
Simon has experience with TUPE Regulations, Collective Consultation, Redundancy Management, Target Operating Model (TOM), BPO (Business Process Outsourcing), and Service Readiness and have implemented various vehicles and instruments over my careers such as Employee Ownership Trusts, EBTs, Joint Ventures and LLPs.
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