HR 2030: what skills will HR Director need tomorrow?

Changes in Kazakhstan 's talent management landscape are taking place rapidly, and this is more noticeable than ever. Today, I want to look a little further than the horizon – into 2030. What will be the HR director of the future? What skills will become his main asset?

Forget about the stereotypical image of a personnel officer drowning in paperwork. HR 2030 is already about strategic partnership, deep understanding of business and the ability to anticipate the needs of tomorrow. Let's look at real pains and analyze the necessary skills.

Pain #1: How to keep up with the speed of change? Technology is advancing by leaps and bounds, the labor market is becoming global, and Generation Z is dictating the rules of the game. How can an HR director avoid being left out in this ocean of change?

Skill #1: D ata D riven HR or the art of seeing people behind numbers.

In 2030, intuition is likely to give way to analytics. The HR director will have the tools to collect and analyze data about employees: from the effectiveness of hiring to the reasons for layoffs, from the level of engagement to forecasting training needs.

"Companies that start using analytics in HR are doing absolutely the right thing. For example, KEDO is just the tip of the iceberg. The real value is the data that this system collects, allowing HR leaders should make informed decisions rather than act blindly," says Timur Marusiak, Executive Director of E-COM PRIME Company LLP.

Netflix is a vivid confirmation of this. Their approach to talent management is based on the continuous analysis of employee performance data and decision-making based on this data. But they don't have an HR department in our usual understanding: everything is based on the principle of "person-to– person" or People Team, and creativity and talent are at the head of the table.

Pain #2: How to attract and retain the best talent in a highly competitive environment? The world has become "flat", and companies from literally all over the world are fighting for valuable specialists.

Skill number 2: Talent Ecosystem Architect or creator of an attractive environment.

The HR director of the future is the architect of the talent ecosystem, who knows how to create an attractive environment where employees not only work, but grow, develop and feel their value. This includes flexible working conditions, opportunities for continuous learning, a well-developed corporate culture and a transparent career development system.

For example, according to LinkedIn 2024 Global Talent Trends, 69% of recruiters prefer candidates with advanced soft skills. By the way, AI skills are also a priority. An HR specialist should be able not only to see a future employee as a professional, but also to enable him to develop, which will lead to increased efficiency and progress in general.

Pain #3: How to ensure employee well-being and engagement in an era of uncertainty? Pandemics, economic crises, and geopolitical instability all directly affect the emotional state of employees, and hence productivity.

Skill #3: Wellbeing & Engagement Guru or Workplace Comfort Expert.

HR Director 2030 is a true guru in matters of well-being and engagement. He understands that happy and engaged employees are the foundation of a successful business. His arsenal includes mental and physical health support programs, tools for measuring and increasing engagement, as well as the ability to create an atmosphere of psychological security and stability.

Interesting fact: Gallup research shows that companies with a high level of employee engagement demonstrate 21% higher profitability.

Pain #4: How to effectively manage change and implement new technologies? The speed of technological progress requires the HR director to be flexible and ready for constant transformation.

Skill number 4: the conductor of change.

The HRD of the future should not only understand new techniques and techniques, but also be able to effectively implement them, manage resistance to change, and train the team in new approaches. As a kind of conductor or educator who leads the company through the transformation of people.

"Until now, many people look at the HR director as a person who does nothing but sort through papers and control regulations. But this is the last century! Today, HRD is no longer just the director's right hand, but rather the left hand of the entire business, which literally feels the pulse of the market, dives into the data with its head. And most importantly, he builds a strategy in a place where most people see only continuous, uncontrollable chaos. Without this combination of technology, humanity, and transformation, the HR director position risks becoming closed. Therefore, skill development is one of the priorities for HRD," adds Timur Marusiak.

By reassembling the puzzle of competencies today, companies are laying the foundation for their success tomorrow. Are you and your company ready for the HR transformation and the acquisition of new skills?