After a good hiatus from networking events, it was a pleasant surprise to attend the IOD Organisational Culture discussion with Fiona Mullan CPO Bloom and Wild. One of the skills which has may have been lost to a generation of COVID recruiters is the art of networking; I network therefore I am! In a world where you are often focused on the immediate task at hand, it can be a welcome relief to get out from behind your desk go and meet new people and listen to a fresh perspective in this instance a very eloquent and succinct CPO.
It was a lively presentation which covered topical HR and employment issues and my key takeaways were as follows:
Interesting new LinkedIn statistics are revealing that the number of fully remote roles is decreasing but in tandem Ireland has embraced a hybrid working scenario. It was emphasised that the office versus remote debate should not be binary. The personalised experience and understanding of work-life balance preferences will be crucial for attracting Gen Z talent.
This point struck a chord with me, especially since I had recently expressed my frustration with repetitive LinkedIn posts during a Fortis Recruitment workshop. Mullan's timely advice to leaders is that you must embrace social media and lead by example. Like many cultural changes, if leaders forge the path, employees will be inspired to follow suit.
Another key point is that your best individual contributors aren’t often your best managers and if size permits a structure whereby you can continue to grow in an individual contributor-focused channel rather than having to go down a management route can be a wise offering.
We discussed AI briefly given its pervasiveness in organizational discourse today. The key point here is to focus on skill sets for jobs of the future over and above anything else. Although we may not know the exact job titles that will emerge, it is crucial to prioritise the skills that will remain relevant in the evolving world of work.
Back at my desk a few hours after the event, I made my first stab at opening a chat GPT account and researching a new client of ours. I also decided to post a LinkedIn article about the event. Maybe there is something to be said about getting out from behind your screen!
