The Next Generation of Workplace Thinking

A friend of mine in the recruiting profession called me about a job opening he was working on. No, not to recruit me but to see if I knew anyone who would be a good fit for the job. As we were chatting, he said something that stuck with me.

He said his clients were asking where they could find the next group of human resources thought-leadership. They wanted a list of the players in the industry. They want to know the names of the people who will shape the workplaces of the future.

Right after having this conversation, I saw two articles about two senior level human resources executives getting ready to retire. One from AK Steel and the other from Hanes Brands. Now I could be really wrong, but something tells me that steel and underwear aren’t on the endangered species list. These companies have been around a long time and their products will continue to be around. Announcing their retirement in the news must have been a big deal.

I wonder what these CHROs have done to prepare the company for their retirement.

Organizations need to identify their next group of leaders. This isn’t a plea for companies to create succession planning programs. It’s a business intelligence issue. Smart companies realize they need to find and hire the next wave of thought-leadership. The movers and shakers. Those people will take the business to the next level. It’s a very strategic business move.

And please keep in mind – that next level is often a moving target.

Even if we’re not the soon-to-be-retired CHRO of a major corporation, we’re all faced with the same challenge. What are we doing to prepare ourselves and our companies for the future? Because the answer isn’t about policies, procedures or age. It’s about mindset.

Image courtesy of HR Bartender

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