An On Demand CHRO Will Revolutionise Your Talent Acquisition & Retention

It’s a common misconception that only larger organisations require a dedicated Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO). In fact, most companies with more than 15 staff members would benefit greatly from a senior leader with expertise in recruitment, culture and employee satisfaction. Learn more as Pam McDonald, one of our top on demand CHROs  explains why it’s important for every company to have a solid HR foundation from the start and how a part-time CHRO is a viable and effective solution.

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The Current And Future Challenges For Human Capital Employees

The current, shifting workforce - which is slowly pushing towards an on demand economy - will be a challenge for human capital (HC) employees everywhere. However, HC executives are willing to seize the opportunities which are presented by modern workforce and are looking to pursue the challenge of planning for the workforce of the future, which in some cases may consist of up to 40% freelancers. For HC executives, anticipating the influx of highly connected millennials and the proliferation of the 'virtual office' have become major challenges, according to a McKinsey study. These executives see huge opportunity to rethink organisational design and workplace flexibility in order to redevelop existing roles into more contemporary versions of their current format. The major current and future concerns of these HC executives are outlined in figure 1.1, with leadership and succession management as well as talent acquisition sitting at the top of both lists. This figure, courtesy of the aforementioned McKinsey study, highlights the growing need for companies to innovate in their own HR departments in order to deal with these future workforce challenges head on. 

Why Your Business Needs An On Demand CHRO

An on demand CHRO will allow your HR department to take on the future challenges of the workforce. They will do so by:

1. Ensuring that you bring the right people in at the right time in a way that blends them into your team, ethics, culture and values. Every business owner has tales of woe about hiring mistakes and an on demand CHRO can help you avoid the worst ones.
2. Addressing technology shifts and adapting your HR department to suit contemporary, technological needs.
3. Creating a data-driven approach as to how new, top-tier talent is identified.
4. Recognising new resources beyond the existing, familiar resources in order to acquire talent.
5. Shifting the roles of current employees and modernising these roles. These shifts aim to improve the wellbeing of employees as well as putting a contemporary spin on your workplace. The future of work is changing and your business must adjust in order to survive.
6. Choosing the best way to engage staff (contractors, casuals, sub-contractors or employees) must be done right in order to avoid legal turmoil. An on demand CHRO can guide you safely through these sometimes difficult waters.

How An On Demand CHRO Operates

A Chief Human Resources Officer provides strategic planning advice, guidance and information to the leadership team. An on-demand CHRO does this without you having to engage a dedicated resource on a full-time basis. Typically, an on demand CHRO will provide you with a blend of regular (perhaps monthly) face to face meeting and planning time with ongoing email and telephone contact and support.  

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Engaging The On Demand CHRO That Is Right For You

• Connection and Trust

You and any other leaders and key people in your business must feel a sense of trust and rapport with your on demand CHRO in order for you to ask whatever question you need, including the awkward ones.

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• Executive Level Experience

To have truly strategic conversations about plans and events, you need an on demand CHRO who is accustomed to operating at an executive level in an HR context.

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• Clarity of task and scope

Your on demand CHRO should outline and agree with you the ways in which you can work together in advance, such as a blend of periodic attendance on-site, with email and phone support.

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• Broad experience

An on-demand CHRO ought to have an understanding of broader business issues and have connections to other industries so that the advice you gain is specific to the field of HR and also reflects the impacts on other areas of your business.

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When Should You Engage An On Demand CHRO?

You can engage one as soon as you’ve created the business or existing business can engage an on demand CHRO in order to provide a fresh perspective on the challenges facing contemporary workplaces. The nature of what you need from them will grow and change alongside your business. By starting out with a on demand CHRO, you can build the ideal working environment for  your business from the beginning, rather having to fix mistakes later. There will come a time when your business has the need, scale and cash flow to engage a full-time senior HR resource, at which time your on demand CHRO will fondly wish you well. For an already existing business, from small to enterprise businesses, an on-demand CHRO will change the way your hiring functions and will allow you to have a revolutionary perspective on the modern workforce. 

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How An On Demand CHRO Can Deal With Future Workplace Challenges

An on demand CHRO allows you to quickly and efficiently tackle the potential future challenges that your HR department might face. The on demand CHRO will allow for fresh perspective and encourage the organisation to take risks in the pursuit of innovation. By hunting for new resources outside of the familiar sources, they will be able to strategically revolutionise the hiring process. Your HR team has many requirements for success, but most of all it needs daring and an ability to expand its reach. An on demand CHRO will be able to do this by taking on the challenges presented by shifting employee attitudes towards the workplace, addressing technology shifts and adapting your business, as well as a data-driven approach as to how top-tier talent is identified and engaged.   If you would like to speak with Pam or find out more about our on demand CHROs and the service they provide, contact us as info@expert360.com.