Exponential HR

The human resources function as we know it will hit a wall—if it hasn't already. The Future of Enterprise, Workforce, and How Work Gets Done have rapidly shaped a new Future of HR. A digital mind-set, relentless focus on the customer, advanced enabling technologies, and simplified, nimble ways of working are musts to achieve positive business outcomes.

HR operating models have evolved over decades with a trajectory of increasing business impact marked by changing brands from "personnel department" to "human resources" to "people function" and "employee experience." The function has advanced from necessary administrator to a supporting function with a seat at the table, to business partner, and—in some cases—to trusted adviser.

HR's evolution has generally progressed at the pace of business and largely met the needs of enterprises along the way—or has been close enough for organizations across industries to thrive. Yet, the future demands something different from enterprises—and their HR teams—with tremendous urgency.

Today, enterprises are swimming through nearly constant change. Disruption is simultaneously affecting the enterprise and its workforce with increasing demands from customers, constant productivity pressure from competitors, and threats from unexpected entrants to their markets. Digitization and personalization of our daily lives coupled with the introduction of enabling technologies in the workplace at an unprecedented pace and scale create wholesale changes in the landscape of business.

Top takeaways:

	Revolutionary change is a must for HR to drive tangible work outcomes
	Reimagining the work of HR is paramount and demands dynamic and digital ways of working, HR superjobs, and new capabilities
	Traditional HR operating models are inadequate for the future
	Exponential HR professionals and the enterprises they are part of will be adaptable, agile, architecting, and augmented

Our research and pragmatic experience with the world's leading enterprises create a window to the rapidly unfolding imperatives that every HR team should explore as part of navigating the route to the Future of HR and we share those key insights here.