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Redefining Your HR Strategy for the Modern Workforce
In recent years, the role of HR has evolved dramatically from administrative functions to a strategic partner at the leadership table. As companies grapple with a drastically changed labor market and employee expectations, HR professionals like Alex Genetti, head of people at Enable, are leading the charge in redefining HR to transform workplace practices and meet these new challenges.
Transition to a Hybrid Work Environment
The shift to a hybrid work model represents one of the most significant reasons for redefining HR. As Alex Genetti describes, the post-COVID world has altered what employees expect from their work environment. No longer is the traditional 9-5 model sufficient for many. Employees have grown accustomed to the flexibility of working from home, which has presented new challenges for HR departments regarding engagement, performance management, and company culture.
Finding a balance is pivotal. The company must ensure that remote and in-office arrangements are conducive to meeting business objectives and attractive to employees. This challenge requires HR professionals to rethink how to support company goals and employee needs in this new normal.
Strategic HR: Using Data to Drive Decisions
Recent developments within the field have focused on transitioning from operational to strategic HR practices. Genetti highlights the importance of data in achieving this. At Enable, data-driven strategies are central to managing the employee lifecycle efficiently—from hiring to retention. Metrics such as employee net promoter scores and onboarding velocity are just some of the indicators that Enable tracks to gauge employee engagement and speed to productivity.
This approach helps in advocating for HR’s role at the leadership table and in shaping viable business strategies that align with employee expectations and needs. The ability to present data-backed arguments and insights allows HR departments to position themselves as central contributors to organizational success.
Developing and Sustaining Company Culture Across Borders
As Enable has expanded internationally, maintaining and enhancing company culture has been imperative. Genetti shared that after a rapid growth phase, the company reevaluated and redesigned its values to represent its current goals and demographics better. This set of core values—stay curious, do whatever it takes, care about the details, and succeed together—guides how employees interact and fulfill their roles.
This values-led approach helps unify diverse teams across various geographies and ensures that the company sustains an inclusive, performance-driven, and supportive culture despite growth. The challenge for HR is to instill these values consistently across all levels of the organization, regardless of physical location, ensuring that every employee, regardless of where they are in the world, feels connected to the company’s core mission and culture.
The Future of HR Development and Learning
Professional development remains a high priority for employees, and as HR professionals, addressing this need creatively becomes crucial, especially when budgets are tight. At Enable, Genetti spearheaded an initiative to leverage internal resources for learning and development, which allowed for the sharing of expertise among employees across various functions. This provided growth opportunities and fostered a sense of community and shared purpose.
Looking ahead, Genetti posits that companies must continue to seek innovative ways to fulfill employee aspirations for advancement and learning, particularly as the economic landscape grows more complex and resources may become more constrained.
Redefining HR for the Modern Workforce
The role of HR is becoming more dynamic and essential than ever. Leaders like Alex Genetti are at the forefront of this transformation, proving that with adaptive strategies and a focus on data and development, HR can respond to and anticipate the changes shaping the future of work.
As businesses continue to navigate these shifts, the strategic importance of human resources only stands to increase, positioning HR professionals as key drivers of organizational success.