So, what exactly is Execution Excellence, why is it important, and how can you develop it? Let’s dive in.   

Contents
What is Execution Excellence in HR?
Execution Excellence within AIHR’s T-Shaped HR Competency Model
What does Execution Excellence look like in practice for HR professionals?
Why you need to develop Execution Excellence
How to develop Execution Excellence
How HR leaders can upskill their teams in Execution Excellence

What is Execution Excellence in HR?

Execution Excellence refers to ‘how HR gets the job done.’ It’s the ability to deliver consistent, high-quality results through disciplined planning, adaptive problem-solving, and cross-functional collaboration. Put simply, Execution Excellence guides HR professionals in executing strategies and tasks and in ensuring that HR drives meaningful impact for all stakeholders. 

The Execution Excellence competency is made up of four distinct dimensions that are crucial to every HR professional’s execution skill set. These are:

1. Agility & Responsiveness
2. Problem-Solving & Decision-Making
3. Cross-Functional Collaboration
4. Systems Thinking

Let’s explore each of these dimensions.

Agility & Responsiveness 

This dimension is all about creating the optimal framework for HR to act in an agile and responsive way. Planning and prioritizing work effectively, ensuring a timely and accurate delivery, adjusting plans where necessary, and allocating and managing resources efficiently are important elements here.

Problem-Solving & Decision-Making

An essential part of Execution Excellence in the workplace and HR revolves around effective problem-solving and decision-making. This includes critical thinking, managing competing priorities and conflicting viewpoints, making balanced decisions based on evidence, and reflecting on results.    

Cross-Functional Collaboration

HR professionals play a critical role in establishing stakeholder alignment and delivering collective results. They need to communicate in an audience-appropriate way, work effectively with diverse teams, build alignment and secure commitment for plans and initiatives, and shape productive partnerships across functions.     

Systems Thinking 

This dimension of Execution Excellence is about identifying how processes, teams, and systems interact to influence performance and results. For example, HR professionals must be able to detect patterns and feedback loops and anticipate the (unintended) impact of actions and decisions.

Execution Excellence within AIHR’s T-Shaped HR Competency Model

The Execution Excellence competency underpins the additional five core competencies of AIHR’s T-Shaped HR Competency Model. These are:

1. Business Acumen
2. Data Literacy
3. Digital Agility 
4. AI Fluency 
5. People Advocacy

The T-Shaped HR Competency Model defines the competencies HR practitioners need to perform effectively and create business impact, now and in the future. The model combines six core HR competencies that every HR professional should have with specialized knowledge in one or more functional areas.

What does Execution Excellence look like in practice for HR professionals? 

An HR professional with strong Execution Excellence combines agility, accountability, and operational discipline to translate strategy into measurable outcomes. Let’s have a look at some of the behaviors that reflect solid execution, as well as some examples of Execution Excellence in action:   

Balancing structure and flexibility, delivering results in changing contexts

HR practitioners with well-developed execution skills know how to plan and prioritize effectively. They take ownership of achieving objectives and follow through on their commitments.

When circumstances change or priorities shift, they respond positively to new directions and feedback and adjust to remain effective. These HR professionals also know how to allocate people, time, and resources efficiently, reallocating them as the organization’s needs evolve to sustain performance.

Solving problems with clear, evidence-based decisions

Excellent execution requires strong critical thinking. An HR professional who executes well uses evidence, logic, and experience to identify root causes and suggest solutions. They listen to different perspectives and balance short- and long-term considerations when resolving issues. 

These professionals use both data and input from others to make timely, evidence-based decisions. They reflect on the results and learn from outcomes to continuously improve processes, team (and personal) effectiveness, and enhance future execution.

Map your HR strengths and development areas

Curious how strong your Execution Excellence really is?

AIHR’s T-shaped assessment evaluates your strengths across six core HR competencies, including Execution Excellence, and shows where you can improve to drive stronger results. Thta way, you can focus your development where it will have the greatest impact.

TAKE THE ASSESSMENT

Building (cross-functional) alignment to move work forward

HR practitioners with robust Execution Excellence communicate clearly and appropriately with different audiences. They build positive relationships with different teams, fostering alignment, trust, and a shared accountability toward common goals.  

These professionals persuade and gain support among diverse stakeholders, using logic and empathy to secure commitment for plans and initiatives. They also establish productive, cross-functional partnerships to streamline collaboration and remove barriers to execution.

Understanding how decisions impact the bigger picture

HR professionals who execute well apply systems thinking to recognize dependencies between teams and processes. They anticipate how changes in one area affect outcomes elsewhere. 

They analyze recurring patterns and use feedback loops to design sustainable process and behavior improvements. Finally, these practitioners understand that decisions can affect other people or teams and consider these downstream effects before taking action.

Execution Excellence in action: An illustrative example

Betty, an HR manager, leads the implementation of a new HR service platform over 12 months. She starts by defining clear goals — improving service efficiency and user experience — and creates a structured rollout plan with defined milestones. She involves her team in selecting the platform and sets up regular check-ins with IT and the vendor to track progress and address issues early.

During the testing phase, technical issues emerge, and employees struggle to adopt the new system. Betty responds by reallocating resources to training and performance support, increasing hands-on guidance for users, and adjusting timelines where needed to maintain momentum.

In the final phase, she introduces ongoing user support and a structured review process to manage future updates. The project is delivered on time, within budget, and meets the objectives outlined in the business case.

Why you need to develop Execution Excellence

Today’s AI-enabled work environment demands that HR professionals become skillful problem-solvers, continually seeking innovative solutions and reallocating resources to meet the organization’s ever-changing needs.

Here’s why you should build Execution Excellence:

• Adopt an analytical and systemic mindset to understand the evolving world of work and guide your organization in the right direction
• Excel in building networks, (cross-functional) collaboration, and relationships
• Become action-oriented and drive initiatives from start to finish
• Find practical solutions to navigate and tackle obstacles
• Communicate and collaborate effectively across diverse backgrounds and perspectives
• Foster a (globally) connected and inclusive workplace
• Future-proof your HR career by growing competencies that stay relevant and make you stand out from the competition
• Enable the five other core competencies in the T-Shaped HR Competency Model. 

How to develop Execution Excellence

There are various ways to develop your Execution Excellence and strengthen the skills related to its different dimensions. Examples include: 

Build your ability to deliver in changing conditions

To become a more agile and resilient HR professional, you need to strengthen your ability to plan, prioritize, and deliver results in changing conditions. Focus on turning goals into structured action and adapting when things shift.

You can practice one or more of the following methods and techniques:

• Scenario planning: This entails anticipating various possible future situations and planning for them (to the extent possible). Scenario planning helps you become better prepared for changes and surprises.
• Project management methods: Methods like Agile, Scrum, or Waterfall can help improve the planning and execution of projects.
• RACI charts: Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed (or RACI) charts can help clarify who is responsible for what in a project and set clear deadlines. You can create these charts with dedicated software, as well as the free RACI template from AIHR to help you develop a RACI matrix for your projects.
• SMART goals: Using SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timebound) goals can help you turn vague goals into clear and achievable ones. Digital tools like Monday.com, ClickUp, and Asana (and numerous others) can help organize and keep track of your goals. 
• Change management: Developing your change management skills can help in becoming more adaptable when dealing with ambiguity. 

Learn to approach problems with structure and clarity

While solving problems is not new for HR practitioners, the challenges they face are becoming more complex and layered. You can adopt the following practices to develop in this direction:

• Consensus-building techniques: These can include tools like the Nominal Group Technique and the Six Thinking Hats Technique, but also the ability to listen actively and summarize well to ensure all voices are heard.
• Problem analysis techniques: Problem analysis methods provide a structured, step-by-step way to recognize issues, generate potential solutions, and choose the most suitable option to use. Well-known techniques include the:
  • Problem-tree analysis
  • Root cause analysis
  • CATWOE analysis
  • Kepner-Tregoe analysis
  • SCAMPER analysis.
• Decision-making frameworks: There are many decision-making frameworks available, such as the decision matrix or the RED model. These frameworks can help you make balanced and strategic decisions, even when things are complex. 

Enhance your interpersonal skills

As AI and technology continue to change our workplaces, good people skills become even more indispensable for a smooth cross-functional collaboration and execution. Here are some ways for you to enhance these skills:

• Regular check-ins with stakeholders: These can help to keep relationships strong and to understand other people’s ongoing needs and challenges. Being consistent, reliable, and open can help create and maintain trusting relationships. You can use a stakeholder management playbook as a starting point to understand your stakeholder requirements and create a communication plan.  
• Impactful communication: Apply specific techniques to adopt different communication styles and communicate with impact to diverse audiences. 
• Group problem-solving: Use tools like mind mapping, brainstorming, and group agreement techniques to help you set the stage for working well with others.

How HR leaders can upskill their teams in Execution Excellence

Since Execution Excellence underpins the other five core competencies of the T-Shaped HR Competency Model, HR leaders must build this competency across their teams. Here’s how you can develop your team’s execution skills right away:

• Implement project management techniques and tools: Use RACI charts and SMART goals, and try methods like Agile, Scrum, or Waterfall to streamline the team’s project planning and execution.
• Demonstrate critical thinking: As mentioned earlier, critical thinking is a key part of problem-solving and decision-making. As an HR leader, exercise critical thinking by, for example, challenging assumptions in meetings and encouraging your team to do so as well. 
• Practice problem analysis: Help your team get into the habit of problem analysis by, for instance, practicing it using the techniques mentioned in the previous section.
• Strengthen the team’s Business Acumen and People Advocacy. According to AIHR’s Future-Ready HR Skills Report, Execution links tightly with People Advocacy and Business Acumen. When HR understands the business and leads with trust, execution is strategic and effective. Get AIHR’s Team Licence to provide your HR team members with structured, targeted upskilling and on-demand support in both of these competencies.
• Embed Execution Excellence into your way of working: Treat Execution Excellence as a core part of how your team works on a daily basis. We already mentioned critical thinking and problem analysis. Other examples include anticipating the effects of decisions on other teams, communicating with impact to diverse audiences, reflecting on results, and learning from outcomes, etc. Make all these things second nature to the way your team operates.  

To wrap up

In today’s workplace, core HR competencies like Digital Agility, Business Acumen, Data Literacy, AI Fluency, and People Advocacy are non-negotiable. But it’s mastering Execution Excellence that helps operationalize these competencies and make a tangible difference in the organization.

Execution Excellence bridges the gap between strategy and results. Without it, even the strongest initiatives remain ideas rather than measurable impact.

The post Execution Excellence: Core HR Competency To Develop appeared first on AIHR.

For HR leaders, developing cultural fluency is key to attracting top talent and fostering inclusion. HR plays a critical role in integrating cultural fluency into hiring, leadership development, and employee engagement. This article outlines actionable strategies for HR to cultivate cultural fluency, ensuring that diversity translates into high-performing, inclusive workplaces.

Contents
What is cultural fluency?
Benefits of cultural fluency in the workplace
Cultural fluency examples
How to develop cultural fluency across your organization
Developing cultural fluency in your HR team

What is cultural fluency?

Cultural fluency refers to the ability to understand and effectively interact with people from different cultural backgrounds. This involves respecting different cultural norms and perspectives, recognizing contextual cues in communication, and responding in a way that fosters connection and mutual understanding. 

Cultural awareness involves recognizing and appreciating differences among cultures. This includes acknowledging biases and stereotypes and how these cultural differences impact our interactions with others. Cultural fluency expands on this awareness by actively applying knowledge of cultural differences in real-time interactions. It enables individuals to navigate these differences and build authentic, sensitive, and effective relationships.

In an increasingly interconnected world, cultural fluency represents a critical competency that enables professionals to navigate cultural differences effectively in several distinct ways:

• Cultural knowledge and awareness: Understanding the historical and social factors that shape cultural expressions and recognizing personal biases in interactions.
• Adaptive communication: Adjusting verbal and nonverbal communication styles to align with cultural context and expectations. 
• Culturally attuned emotional expression: Recognizing and responding sensitively to variations in how emotions are expressed in different cultures.
• Cultural agility: Prioritizing collaboration while adopting an open, optimistic attitude toward engaging with diverse cultures.
• Finding common ground: Identifying shared values and experiences to build connections and foster mutual understanding despite apparent differences. 

Cultural fluency enables professionals to move beyond simply recognizing cultural differences to effectively applying that knowledge in their interactions with others, building trust, and creating inclusive environments that bridge cultural divides.

Cultural fluency vs. cultural competence

While cultural competency and cultural fluency are often used interchangeably, they are not exactly the same. Understanding the difference is important to developing deeper, more effective cross-cultural interactions in the workplace. Here’s a breakdown:

While cultural competence enables employees to work together more effectively with people with different cultural backgrounds, it does not encompass the dynamic and adaptive capabilities and nuanced communication skills associated with cultural fluency. 

Culturally fluent professionals don’t just recognize and respect differences—they actively navigate and bridge them, fostering deeper collaboration and stronger working relationships. Understanding this distinction is key for those looking to thrive in diverse, high-performing environments.

Benefits of cultural fluency in the workplace

As organizations expand globally and their workforces become more multicultural, the ability to navigate cultural differences has become essential. Research shows that companies with strong cultural fluency achieve better financial performance, innovation, and employee retention, making it a key driver of success.

Business performance and financial impact

Diversity is vital for business success, but without cultural fluency, organizations may not tap into its full potential. Not only are ethically diverse companies more likely to outperform their competitors, but the Boston Consulting Group also found that diverse leadership teams generate 45% of their revenue from new products, significantly higher than their less diverse counterparts.

However, mere diversity is not enough; cultural fluency is what allows organizations to harness the true value of diverse perspectives and transform them into innovation and financial growth. Organizations that cultivate cultural fluency foster inclusive environments where diverse talent can thrive, resulting in stronger business outcomes.

Team performance and innovation

Cultural fluency enhances creativity, problem-solving, and collaboration. Research from BCG shows that companies prioritizing global diversity are 2.2 times more likely to be top innovators and 2.5 times more likely to experience rapid growth. However, only 5% of executives have successfully built globally diverse teams, with cultural shifts being a major concern for leaders.

Cultural fluency is crucial for creating environments that value diverse viewpoints in decision-making. When managed effectively, multicultural teams can leverage their perspectives to drive innovation and avoid the pitfalls of groupthink common in homogeneous groups.

Attracting and retaining talent

Cultural fluency is essential for talent acquisition and retention. A Glassdoor survey found that almost one-third of job seekers won’t apply to companies lacking diversity.

However, diversity alone won’t bring the desired benefits, and with a lack of focus on inclusion, employee disengagement can occur. In the same survey, it was also reported that nearly half of Black and Hispanic employees have left their jobs due to discrimination.

Organizations that embrace cultural fluency create inclusive environments where employees feel valued, leading to higher retention and engagement. This approach not only drives innovation and business success but also ensures that organizations move beyond mere intent to achieve real impact.

Cultural fluency examples

Cultural fluency is best understood through real-world application. The following examples showcase how companies and leaders have leveraged this competency to build trust, foster collaboration, and drive business success.

Campbel Soup: Adapting leadership for cultural sensitivity

While serving as CEO, Doug Conant learned a valuable lesson about cultural fluency during a visit to the company’s production facilities in Mexico. He held a large group meeting with staff members, aiming to foster a candid and open dialogue. Although this approach was successful in the United States, he soon realized that the Mexican employees found the meeting and his style uncomfortable and disrespectful.

Instead of dismissing their reactions, Conant acknowledged his lack of cultural understanding and apologized to the local management. By demonstrating humility and recognizing cultural differences, he was able to change his approach, thereby building trust with local employees rather than alienating them.

Siemens: Turning cultural differences into strengths

A project team at Siemens was struggling with cultural misunderstandings, hampering productivity. Recognizing the need for cultural fluency, they implemented exercises within their virtual workspace, which focused on fostering an environment of trust and respect across cultural differences.

Rather than avoiding sensitive topics, these meetings became a safe space for team members to share their cultural perspectives and learn from each other. By moving beyond cultural awareness and applying what they learned about their colleague’s cultures in how they engaged with each other, the team was able to create an environment where differences were seen as an advantage and not a barrier in collaboration. 

Ingersoll Rand: Developing leaders for a global workforce

At Ingersoll Rand, developing cultural fluency is an important aspect of leadership development. To prepare leaders for a global workforce, the company mandates a two-year international assignment before promotion to senior leadership.

For those who cannot relocate, the company simulates cross-cultural challenges by assigning leaders to unfamiliar projects and diverse teams. The impact is clear: a leadership development program spanning Latin America, Europe, and the U.S. led to cost-saving innovations while broadening senior leaders’ perspectives. Leaders who return from these experiences demonstrate greater cultural awareness, improving global team cohesion and business outcomes.

How to develop cultural fluency across your organization

HR professionals play a pivotal role in building cultural fluency in organizations. Here are key strategies HR teams can implement to cultivate cultural fluency across all levels of the organization.

1. Build cultural fluency in leadership

Leaders set the tone for cultural fluency. Make cultural fluency a core leadership competency by: 

• Integrating cultural intelligence and inclusive leadership into leadership training programs
• Hosting roundtables to share intercultural expertise and strategies for building inclusive teams
• Providing Immersive experiences, such as international assignments, cross-cultural projects, or virtual collaboration with global teams
• Holding leaders accountable by including cultural fluency in performance evaluations and promotions.

2. Integrate cultural fluency into employee development

Employees bring cultural fluency to life through daily interactions, collaboration, and decision-making. Ensure cultural fluency becomes a continuous journey, not a one-time training session. Support this by: 

• Providing ongoing training on topics like unconscious bias, cultural norms, and inclusive communication skills
• Encourage real-world application through reflective exercises, case studies, and role-play scenarios
• Implementing cross-cultural mentoring, pairing employees from different backgrounds for mutual learning and skill-building
• Supporting employee-led forums like employee resource groups (ERGs) to provide employees with authentic exposure to diverse perspectives.

3. Foster cross-cultural collaboration and interaction

Cultural fluency grows through authentic exposure and experience. Here’s what your HR team can do:

• Offer structured opportunities for employees to collaborate with diverse teams through cross-functional projects and global initiatives
• Encourage participation in cultural exchange programs and ERG events to promote deeper understanding
• Provide coaching and feedback mechanisms to help employees navigate cross-cultural interactions effectively.

4. Embed cultural fluency in talent acquisition and onboarding

Hiring and onboarding are critical moments to establish a culturally fluent workplace. Promote cultural fluency by: 

• Implementing hiring practices that aim to reduce bias, such as structured interviews, diverse hiring panels, and inclusive job descriptions
• Showcasing DEIB efforts in employer branding to attract diverse talent
• Incorporating cultural fluency into onboarding programs for new hires, for example, by adding a “Cultural Fluency at Work” session, where they learn about diverse communication styles and collaboration norms through real experiences of their new colleagues.

5. Align performance management and workplace policies with cultural fluency

To ensure cultural fluency becomes a standard expectation in the workplace, HR can:

• Implement evaluation criteria that reward leaders and employees who demonstrate inclusive behaviors
• Adapt workplace policies to reflect cultural inclusivity, such as floating holidays, religious accommodations, and clear anti-discrimination guidelines.

6. Foster a speak-up culture and accountability

Creating a safe space for employees to raise concerns and contribute to an inclusive environment at work requires: 

• Creating clear channels to report bias or discrimination with options like open-door policies, anonymous hotlines, or online feedback forums  
• Actively invite input on inclusivity by conducting pulse surveys and focus groups, allowing employees to share their experiences and suggest improvements
• Take action based on reports and feedback, and communicate the steps being taken in response
• Recognizing and rewarding inclusive behaviors by celebrating employees and leaders who contribute to a culturally fluent workplace.

Developing cultural fluency is not a one-time initiative but an ongoing organizational priority. By embedding it into leadership, employee development, hiring, performance management, and workplace culture, HR can create an inclusive, high-performing workforce that is well-equipped to leverage it as a competitive advantage.

Developing cultural fluency in your HR team

For HR to effectively lead cultural fluency, it is important to cultivate it internally in HR teams. When cultural fluency is deeply ingrained in HR, it empowers Human Resources professionals to advocate for employees, implement equitable HR strategies, and align people practices with business success.

HR leaders can embed cultural fluency in their teams by: 

• Developing T-shaped HR professionals: HR professionals should possess a mix of technical and interpersonal skills, including business acumen, change management capabilities, and the ability to unite people under a common vision. A key part of this is strengthening people advocacy, which ensures HR not only represents employees’ voices but actively fosters an inclusive and culturally fluent workplace. This means proactively addressing cultural barriers, championing equitable policies, and empowering leaders to create an environment where every employee feels valued and heard.
• Continuously upskilling: As cultural norms evolve, your HR team members should engage in continuous learning through formal training and immersive experiences, such as rotations in different departments or cross-functional projects.
• Encouraging relationship building and actively listening: Make it a point for HR team members to engage with different employees and learn from their experiences. This could be done in formal settings like ERGs or focus groups or more informally by attending cultural events or celebrations or engaging in organic conversations. 
• Actively seek feedback on inclusivity and cultural sensitivity: Use input from employees and external consultants to identify issues. By treating feedback as a learning opportunity, HR can better support the workforce and enhance its cultural fluency.

To sum up

Cultural fluency is a business imperative, not just a nice-to-have soft skill. It enables organizations to fully benefit from diversity, foster innovation, and create inclusive, high-performing teams. Without it, diversity efforts remain surface-level, limiting real impact.

Embedding cultural fluency into leadership, employee development, hiring, and HR practices helps companies navigate cultural differences with confidence, build stronger relationships, and gain a competitive edge in a global workforce. Prioritizing continuous learning and fostering an inclusive environment where cultural differences are strengths will future-proof success and drive long-term business growth.

The post How HR Leaders Can Develop Cultural Fluency in the Workplace appeared first on AIHR.

Organizations are now, more than ever, expecting HR to take more decisive action. Today, HR plays a key role in helping businesses use their human capital effectively, from routine processes like recruitment to complex decisions shaping organizational culture. Despite this, many HR professionals still feel unequipped to make these decisions confidently.

Contents
The importance of effective decision-making in HR
Complex decisions HR professionals face
The complete approach to HR decision-making: Think, empathize, act
The RED model explained
HR strategies for effective decision-making
FAQ

The importance of effective decision-making in HR

HR’s role has changed dramatically in recent years. Businesses are facing complex challenges like digital transformation and growing skills shortages. As a result, HR needs to take on a more active role in driving business outcomes. 

HR is now central to driving innovation, digital transformation, and business strategy. They shape organizational culture, anticipate workforce needs, and guide companies through growth and change. During significant transitions like mergers, acquisitions, or technological advancements, HR leads the way. Additionally, managing the employee experience—from onboarding to exit—has become a key responsibility.

This shift has also led to a need for HR practitioners to make intricate and high-stakes decisions. These complex decisions also demand a broader range of expertise than HR has needed before.

Complex decisions HR professionals face

HR is responsible for various decisions that majorly impact the business. This includes overseeing complex processes such as defining organizational values and culture and handling day-to-day tasks like recruiting, developing, and retaining employees.

All of these responsibilities play a crucial role in the company’s growth and success. For example, deciding to establish a culture that values continuous learning can lead to higher employee engagement and retention.

For instance, implementing data analytics in recruitment can help identify the best candidates, but it requires careful consideration to avoid biases and ensure fairness. 

Balancing conflicting priorities

HR professionals are involved in decisions that affect everything from working practices to relationships with employees, customers, and communities. A key challenge you may face is balancing conflicting priorities, such as aligning leadership goals with employee preferences and addressing immediate needs while planning for long-term success.

This can include managing the tension between leadership’s goals and employees’ preferences or addressing short-term needs while planning for long-term success.

For example, several companies, like Amazon and Goldman Sachs, have implemented top-down return-to-work mandates based on leadership’s belief that in-person collaboration is vital for productivity. However, many employees prefer flexible work arrangements. This places HR in the challenging position of reconciling these differing perspectives. 

Another example involves the challenge of balancing immediate hiring needs with strategic workforce planning. Addressing short-term staffing requirements while preparing future leaders through succession planning can cause conflict. It requires careful resource allocation to manage both without stretching budgets or talent pools too thin.

Quick fixes may resolve immediate issues but might not align with long-term goals, potentially hindering future growth. This balancing act needs strategic foresight to prevent talent gaps, especially in leadership roles.

Weighing multiple factors in decision-making

HR decision-making often involves weighing multiple factors beyond just the immediate stakeholders. Changes such as implementing new tools or restructuring departments can have far-reaching consequences across the entire organization.

For example, the dramatic restructuring at Twitter, where 50% of the workforce was laid off in just a few days, shows the complexity of these decisions. Though the goal was financial stability, the decision led to legal challenges, revenue loss, and lasting damage to the company’s culture. 

This case underscores the fact that HR decisions are rarely straightforward. Decisions need to align with business goals and adhere to legal requirements, adding another layer of complexity. Weighing strategic direction against legal, financial, and employee-related implications is crucial to making well-rounded decisions that avoid long-term negative impacts on the organization.

Incorporating data in decision-making

Another layer of complexity comes from effectively using data in decision-making. Data analytics has become a staple in business decision-making, but HR departments have not always been able to keep pace. Skills gaps, fragmented systems, and inconsistent data collection can make leveraging people’s data in decision-making difficult.

Even when data is available and shows certain patterns, the underlying reasons for those trends may not be immediately clear. Understanding the human factors involved—such as employee motivation, leadership styles, or team culture—requires subjective interpretation.  

Given the challenges, decision-making in HR requires a combination of core skills. These include:

1. Critical thinking: Essential for analyzing and evaluating information.
2. Empathy: Relates to considering the viewpoints of different stakeholders.
3. Considered action: Involves considering the potential impact and consequences before making decisions. 

The next section will explain how critical thinking, empathy, and considered action can help you make well-informed decisions that meet the organization’s goals and employees’ needs.

The complete approach to HR decision-making: Think, empathize, act

Critical thinking, empathy, and action are the most powerful tools HR decision-makers can use to solve challenges. These three involve evaluating available information, considering different perspectives, and considering long-term effects to make well-informed decisions.

Let’s consider policy implementation as a practical example of using critical thinking, empathy, and action. Imagine your organization is rolling out a new performance management policy. Without assessing how it affects different departments, a one-size-fits-all approach could leave some teams feeling stifled or demoralized by rigid metrics. 

A lack of consultation of employees or managers may raise concerns about fairness or transparency, increasing resistance. Overlooking ethical and legal implications could also expose the company to legal risks and reputational damage.

This example highlights how critical thinking leads to informed, well-rounded decisions. Let’s break it down into the key components: 

• Critical thinking: Start by gathering and analyzing all relevant data to avoid assumptions. In the example, this means collecting insights on work processes and outcomes to tailor the policy to departmental needs.
• Empathy: Understanding different perspectives ensures the human element is considered. Engaging employees through surveys or focus groups can uncover concerns about fairness, allowing you to make specific adjustments, like a clear appeals process.
• Considered action: Evaluating decisions for legal and ethical impact ensures they are responsible. In this case, ensuring fair treatment and addressing bias protects against compliance issues and promotes transparency.

Mastering this formula can help you solve workplace complexities, leading to better outcomes for both your employees and the organization. Following Pearson’s RED model can help you structure your approach in the decision-making process.

The RED model explained

Decision-making is a process you can refine. Pearson’s RED model offers a simple structure to guide your thinking. 

It breaks the process into three key steps:

1. R: Recognizing assumptions
2. E: Evaluating arguments
3. D: Drawing conclusions

By embedding critical thinking, empathy, and considered action into each step, you can approach HR challenges with greater clarity and confidence. Let’s explore how you can apply each component in your work.

1. Recognizing assumptions 

Recognizing assumptions helps us uncover gaps or biases in our thinking and gain a richer perspective on a topic. 

Consider the following scenario: You’re reviewing a promotion for an internal candidate, but some feedback suggests they’re not “leadership material.” Rather than accepting this at face value, you apply the critical thinking, empathy, and considered action formula. 

• Critical thinking: What information do I need to investigate this claim? This could include performance scores, 360 feedback, the current job description, and past performance trends. Additionally, peer or team feedback and the candidate’s participation in leadership training programs can offer further insight.
• Empathy: Who are the key stakeholders, and how does this decision affect them? Whose input should be considered to gain a fuller picture? This could include the candidate, their manager, direct report, and peers. 
• Considered action: What legal risks and ethical factors, like biases, are relevant in this situation? This could include ensuring compliance with anti-discrimination laws, maintaining fairness in the promotion process, and adhering to company policies. Now, it is also important to act by gathering and organizing the data needed to proceed. Initiate feedback discussions or request further performance metrics to verify claims.

At this stage, the focus is primarily on identifying and gathering all the information you need to consider. The next step is to evaluate the strength and relevance of the evidence supporting these assumptions

2. Evaluating arguments

Not all evidence is created equal. The second step in the RED model involves evaluating whether the data supporting an argument is credible, relevant, and sufficient. 

Let’s say the internal candidate has strong technical skills, but there is mixed feedback about their team management. One argument supports promoting based on technical expertise, while the other questions their leadership ability.

• Critical thinking: Examine the data you collected earlier. Does it reveal any patterns that validate or contradict the claim about the candidate’s leadership ability? What do the team feedback and participation in leadership programs tell you about their readiness for a management role?
• Empathy: Understand the different perspectives. How do team dynamics or external challenges help explain the mixed feedback? Talk to key stakeholders to understand their concerns or reasons for their feedback, making sure to consider all viewpoints.
• Considered action: After evaluating the arguments, weigh the evidence and feedback. Prioritize conversations with key team members to understand their concerns better. If necessary, conduct additional interviews or reviews to validate the input. 

At this stage, the focus is on evaluating arguments objectively and accurately. This involves examining the strengths and weaknesses of all the available evidence. It helps prevent biases and emotions from clouding your judgment and sets the stage for a well-rounded, informed decision in the next stage of the model

3. Drawing conclusions 

The final step involves combining all the information to make a final decision. The goal is to ensure that your conclusion is not only evidence-based but also considers the human impact and consequences.

Let’s apply it to our scenario: After evaluating the data and feedback, you find the candidate has strong technical skills but has areas for improvement in leadership. 

• Critical thinking: Use the insights from performance scores, feedback, and past trends to draw a data-driven conclusion. Assess how their strengths and leadership gaps affect their fit for the role. Do they have the potential for growth? And if so, how can it be supported? 
• Empathy: Reflect on how this decision will affect the candidate and their team. Would promoting them now, with room for leadership growth, set them up for success? Or could it risk creating tension within the team? Consider the impact on the candidate’s morale and motivation and how it could affect team dynamics.
• Considered action: Communicate your decision and explain the next steps. If you promote the candidate, share a leadership development plan to help them grow in line with team needs. Also, meet with the team to explain how this decision benefits both the individual’s career and the organization’s goals. This ensures transparency and addresses any concerns, showing that your decision is well thought out and aligned with long-term goals.

This approach makes sure the decision is thorough and benefits both the candidate’s growth and the organization’s goals. By considering all these elements, you ensure each decision is carefully made and takes into account both the data and the human side.

HR strategies for effective decision-making

Beyond using frameworks like the RED model to guide your thinking, there are practical strategies that can enhance your decision-making.

1. Leverage data-driven insights: Focus on improving data accuracy and integrating systems. Start with key metrics (e.g., turnover rates, engagement scores) and create simple dashboards to track trends and inform decisions.
2. Implement feedback mechanisms: Regularly gather employee feedback through pulse surveys and exit interviews. Use the insights to challenge assumptions, adjust policies, and communicate how feedback drives change.
3. Strengthen legal and ethical understanding: Attend legal and ethics training regularly to stay updated. Create a decision-making checklist for key decisions and consult with legal teams to catch potential risks early.
4. Continuously grow and develop: Focus on continuously expanding your skills and knowledge to make better decisions. Our HR Consulting Course equips professionals with essential skills for strategic decision-making, and our People Analytics Certificate Program will help you make better, data-driven people decisions.

To sum up

With the increasing complexity of modern HR roles, effective decision-making is a cornerstone of HR success. Using structured tools like the RED model helps you to take a thoughtful, critical approach to solving complex problems, while strategies such as leveraging data and fostering continuous feedback can help you ground your decisions in real insights.

To stay ahead, HR professionals must actively work on enhancing their decision-making capabilities. Whether through ongoing learning, data literacy, or ethical understanding, the more you refine these skills, the more confident you can become in your decisions. 

FAQ

The post Decision-Making in HR: How To Take the Right Approach in HR Decisions  appeared first on AIHR.

In this article, we will explain why influence is important. We will also unpack the sources of influence and discuss how you can develop influence skills to build your credibility across the organization.

Contents
Why influence is crucial for HR business partners (HRBPs)
How to establish credibility with influence
1. Personal motivation: Make the undesirable desirable
2. Personal ability: Equip the right skills to build confidence
3. Social motivation: Leverage peer influence
4. Social ability: Use social structures for support
5. Structural motivation: Rewarding change
4 tips on using the sources of influence

Why influence is crucial for HR business partners (HRBPs)

Often, HR isn’t in a position of power and relies on its ability to influence stakeholders to manage the People agenda and priorities. This is why influence is a critical behavior for HRBPs to master. 

Influence: 

• Enables you to guide stakeholder decision-making and set the strategic agenda with the business
• Is critical in an HRBP’s toolbox for bringing about organizational change
• Helps you gain support from different levels across the organization and secure essential resources, such as HR budget and technology, for impactful HR initiatives
• Helps you champion policies that improve employee experience and create a positive workplace environment.

Lack of influence

However, a lack of influence can create many challenges for HRBPs. 

• You may struggle to gain support from senior leadership, leading to unsuccessful change initiatives, low adoption rates, and doubts about HR’s effectiveness
• It can impede efforts to enhance the employee experience, promote Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEIB), improve working conditions, and boost engagement

Balancing different stakeholders’ diverse and sometimes conflicting interests can make it difficult for HRBPs to build influence. Based on findings from our HRBP Impact Assessment, 38% of HR Business Partners struggle to identify actions when faced with conflicting priorities. 

Building influence isn’t about using power but about earning trust, showing expertise, and communicating the value of HR initiatives. Using different strategies and understanding where influence comes from can help you position yourself as a strategic partner who drives essential organizational changes.

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How to establish credibility with influence

Understanding and using different sources of influence is crucial for driving behavior change. Researchers Joseph Grenny, David Maxfield, and Andrew Shimberg identified six critical sources of influence in this process.

 Sources of influence: 

1. Personal motivation 
2. Personal ability
3. Social motivation
4. Social ability
5. Structural motivation
6. Structural ability

In the context of the HRBP role, we will focus on the first five sources of influence and explain how you can use them to gain influence and build credibility. 

1. Personal motivation: Make the undesirable desirable

The first source of motivation involves creating an internal desire for change in individuals. This means connecting the changes or initiatives with the core values and personal goals of others, making them see the direct benefits and relevance to their own lives.

How HRBPs can use personal motivation: 

• Understand what’s important to your stakeholders and what they care about most: It’s essential to connect with the individuals’ personal values and priorities and show them how proposed initiatives align with or contribute to them. 
• Recognize that change can be challenging and uncomfortable: Addressing this from the beginning can alleviate concerns and minimize resistance. 
• Connect the change to the broader mission and organizational goals: This helps stakeholders see the bigger picture and how the changes will contribute to organizational success. 

2. Personal ability: Equip the right skills to build confidence

HRBPs can develop personal abilities to help stakeholders feel confident and take ownership. This reduces resistance to change and increases the likelihood of successful implementation. 

For example, HRBPs can build influence by providing employees, managers and senior leadership with the right tools, training, and practice opportunities. 

How HRBPs can use personal ability: 

• Take an incremental approach: Progressively build on previous knowledge to enhance stakeholders’ individual abilities. This will also prevent them from feeling overwhelmed, reinforce learning, and help them to retain skills over time. 
• Mirror real-life situations: Ensure that the learning experiences closely mirror real-life situations where the changes will be implemented, including potential challenges. Help them to practice as frequently as possible with activities like role-plays or interactive workshops. These will help them to receive immediate feedback and identify any challenges in the application.
• Enable autonomy and empowerment: Encourage stakeholders to take the initiative and make decisions to increase their sense of ownership and internal motivation.

3. Social motivation: Leverage peer influence

Using social motivation means using the influence of peers and social networks to encourage the adoption of new behaviors. 

When important individuals and groups start using and supporting these new behaviors, others are likelier to do the same. This approach helps changes to be accepted more quickly and by more people, and it also creates a supportive community around new initiatives, making them more likely to last.

How HRBPs can use social motivation: 

• Identify opinion leaders within the organization: These could be formal leaders, like managers and executives, or informal leaders, such as long-tenured employees or those with strong social connections. 
• Engage opinion leaders during the design and planning stages: This will help them feel committed to the initiative’s success and establish role models who support it based on their positive experiences. 
• Identify stakeholders most likely to raise concerns: By identifying these from the start, you can address their concerns upfront and turn potential resistance into support, making them advocates for the change.

4. Social ability: Use social structures for support

Social ability focuses on using the power of social interactions and networks to facilitate the adoption of new behaviors. 

Leveraging social ability as a source of influence is a powerful strategy to foster collective ownership and support for initiatives. When stakeholders feel connected and supported by their peers, they are more likely to embrace and lead changes. 

How HRBPs can use social ability:

• Establish formal and informal networks connecting stakeholders: These could include councils, cross-functional committees, and other networking events that encourage open dialogue and relationship-building.
• Create collaborative learning opportunities: These could include workshops, strategy sessions, and knowledge-sharing forums. Through interaction, discussion, and collective problem-solving, stakeholders can learn from each other and see the value of collective support. 
• Create safe ways for stakeholders to seek help without embarrassment: This could include peer coaching programs and confidential discussion groups. 

5. Structural motivation: Rewarding change

Structural motivation leverages tangible incentives and clear consequences to drive behavior change. 

People are more likely to adopt and maintain new behaviors if they see that their efforts are recognized and rewarded. On the other hand, clear expectations and consequences for not meeting standards help reinforce the importance of the desired behaviors.  

How HRBPs can use structured motivation: 

• Ensure rewards are tangible, meaningful, and directly linked to the desired behaviors: Different people value different rewards. Some might prefer financial incentives, while others might value public recognition or opportunities for professional development. The important thing is that these rewards should be something stakeholders can see or experience and care about.
• Take a balanced approach: Focus on positive reinforcement and create clear expectations for non-compliance. 
• Promote accountability and support rather than punishment: This will help people stay motivated and committed to changing their daily routines. 
• Implement clear and fair criteria for rewards and consequences: This will help everyone understand how their actions align with the desired behaviors, promote fairness, and motivate people to meet the set standards.

4 tips on using the sources of influence

When we look at the five sources of influence relevant to the HRBP role, it’s clear that to drive the changes and behaviors we want, having and using influence is not just about persuading others to follow orders. Here are some tips on how to effectively leverage different sources of influence for HRBPs:

• Tip 1. Use diverse sources of influence: Drive the desired changes and behaviors by leveraging personal, social, and structural influences.
• Tip 2. Don’t use all sources simultaneously: Implementing strategies aimed at all the different levels at once can lead to confusion, overwhelm, resistance, and strained resources. 
• Tip 3. Plan and execute carefully: Each strategy needs careful planning, execution, and monitoring to work effectively.
• Tip 4. Prioritize and sequence strategies: Rather, focus on one or two at a time to ensure effective implementation and allow employees to adjust gradually to changes. 

To sum up

Using these influence strategies effectively, you can motivate and engage stakeholders at all levels, gain support for HR initiatives, and promote a culture of continuous improvement and innovation. 

This influence transforms resistance into readiness and ensures that your HR efforts lead to ongoing organizational success. As HR’s role continues to expand, the ability to influence will remain a key aspect of effective HR leadership, allowing HRBPs to navigate complexities and shape the future of work.

The post HRBP Soft Skills: How To Successfully Influence Stakeholders appeared first on AIHR.

According to McKinsey, teams with a powerful sense of connection are more productive and complete tasks faster. Social capital builds trust between colleagues and managers, motivates employees to go beyond their job duties, improves retention, and makes staff more likely to recommend their company as a great place to work. And HR has a key role to play in fostering these interpersonal relationships.

In this article, we will further unpack why strong interpersonal skills are important – now more than ever – and provide you with steps on how to develop social capital in your organization.

Contents
The need for interpersonal skills in the workplace
What is social capital?
The benefits of social capital
How HR can foster social capital in the workplace
1. Build strong relationships
2. Promote employee engagement
3. Drive innovation and creativity
4. Support organizational resilience

The need for interpersonal skills in the workplace

The world has seen significant shifts in the last few years — fast advancements in technology, changing ways of work, and rapid development and uptake of AI tools, coupled with volatile political, social, and global economic changes. It’s impacted the skills we need to do our jobs and how we connect with others. 

The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs report indicates a significant change in the skills needed for the future workforce. Out of the top ten skills expected to be in high demand by 2025, eight focus on human qualities like emotional intelligence, creativity, leadership, and social influence.

However, as McKinsey’s survey reveals, we connect with others less frequently, have smaller networks, and spend less time and effort building relationships.

For those in HR, this shows an important point: it’s essential to invest in people’s social skills and foster a work environment where everyone can work well together, innovate, and deliver business results.

What is social capital?

Social capital is about the connections, relationships, and trust built within organizations. These networks help us communicate well, work together, and solve problems. By prioritizing social capital, HR creates a positive environment where individuals and the organization thrive.

This approach is key to increasing employee satisfaction and engagement, sparking innovation, and strengthening the company’s ability to adapt and grow.

Relationships marked by conflict and mistrust will have the opposite effect. Strained relationships lead to limited collaboration, low morale, and higher turnover rates. This can negatively affect both employee and organizational performance.

Social capital is helpful in many ways. As an employee, having a good relationship with a more experienced colleague can mean getting helpful advice on doing their job better. On a group level, social capital makes it easier for different departments to work together to achieve a shared goal. In the broader community, social capital helps unite people around a common cause, leading to action that benefits everyone.

The benefits of social capital 

Social capital in the workplace brings many benefits, including increased employee engagement, innovation, and organizational resilience. Strong relationships and networks provide access to expertise, information, and resources. 

This boosts innovation, problem-solving, and productivity by tapping into employees’ collective intelligence and creativity. The idea exchange, collaboration, and experimentation that social capital encourages are key for creating new products, services, and processes, giving companies a competitive advantage.

Simply put, social capital improves organizational performance and competitiveness.

For HR, social capital links HR practices to organizational success. In Talent Acquisition, for example, tapping into employees’ networks—a form of social capital—facilitates access to top talent. In talent management, promoting social capital helps to create an inclusive environment where individuals feel valued and purposeful, which is crucial for retaining talent. Likewise, social interactions and informal networks are vital for knowledge-sharing and organizational learning.

How HR can foster social capital in the workplace

1. Build strong relationships

At its core, social capital is all about relationships — nurturing those that exist and building new ones. 

Stronger relationships have various benefits. When people get along better, they can work more efficiently, be more creative, and work together more cohesively. Open communication and collaboration lines help to establish a culture of trust and mutual respect. 

For HR teams, building stronger relationships involves creating opportunities and platforms that facilitate connections among employees. 

How HR can foster its own social capital

1. Build trust and credibility: HR professionals need to build their own trust and credibility to increase their social capital with others in the organization. This is done by openly sharing policies, decisions, and processes. It also involves demonstrating transparency, consistency, and fairness in their application.
2. Acting on employee feedback: Listen to what employees have to say and do something with their suggestions or worries. Feedback mechanisms could include employee suggestion programs, regular surveys, or open-door policies.
3. Implement DEIB practices: Lastly, it is essential to incorporate diversity and inclusion practices into HR strategies. Feeling included and being accepted for who you are strengthens social bonds and builds trust among colleagues. This not only helps to build trust in HR but also to increase social capital within the organization. 

Example: Relationship-building at Salesforce

Salesforce, a cloud-based software company, is an excellent example of how an organization can prioritize relationship building. The company has an Ohana culture that emphasizes inclusivity, trust, and collaboration. This culture encourages employees to support one another professionally and personally, fostering solid social connections and mutual respect. Furthermore, the company also promotes social capital through initiatives such as employee resource groups (ERGs) and volunteer programs. Such initiatives provide opportunities for employees to connect, share experiences, and give back to their communities.

2. Promote employee engagement

Strong social ties are a crucial driver of employee engagement. HR should play a role in creating an environment where employees are not just passively fulfilling a role but actively participating and contributing in meaningful ways. But also in developing a culture where people feel respected, trusted, and part of the team. 

When done well, employees feel more connected to their work and each other, leading to increased organizational social capital.

Boosting job satisfaction and morale is also key to building social capital in the workplace. Employees who are happy and fulfilled in their roles tend to form strong bonds with their colleagues and work together more effectively. High morale creates a sense of loyalty and commitment among employees. Happy employees are also more likely to participate in team activities and go the extra mile. This helps strengthen relationships and trust and ultimately builds strong organizational social capital.

How HR can foster its own social capital

Promoting employee engagement is also crucial to increase the social capital HR holds with others within the organization.

1. Make work meaningful: Listen to employees, support their career growth, and make their work meaningful. By doing so, HR improves the work experience and strengthens their own relationships with employees. 

Engaged employees are more likely to trust HR and their colleagues, work well with others, and help create a positive work culture – which is key to the company’s success.

Example: Zappos unique organizational culture fosters social capital

Zappos, an online shoe and clothing retailer, strongly emphasizes building social capital through its unique organizational culture. The company prioritizes employee relationships and engagement by fostering a sense of community and belonging. Zappos produced an annual “Culture Book” where employees contributed personal stories and insights about the company culture. Additionally, Zappos offers cultural immersion programs for new hires to integrate them into the organization’s values and practices.

3. Drive innovation and creativity

Social capital acts as a catalyst for creativity and the sharing of new and innovative ideas. It builds a foundation for strong, collaborative networks where individuals feel more comfortable and inspired to share their insights and breakthroughs within the team or organization — leading to more diverse perspectives and experiences.

These diverse perspectives can result in a richer pool of ideas, helping to challenge conventional thinking and explore innovative solutions. This enriches both HR’s and the organization’s social capital. When everyone feels welcome and valued, no matter their background, they’re more likely to share their ideas. Likewise, a culture where everyone is open and works together leads to more creativity and new ways of thinking.

How HR can foster its own social capital

1. Enhance HR’s own social capital: When HR works hard to create a place where new ideas are welcome, it improves relationships and teamwork across the organization. It also significantly enhances HR’s own social capital. 
2. Value employee contributions: By demonstrating a commitment to and trust in employees’ abilities and ideas, HR signals that it respects and values employee contributions. This, in turn, helps to enhance HR’s reputation and influence within the organization.
3. Build external social capital: Creating a place that values new ideas and creativity not only boosts HR’s image within the company but also helps to build external social capital. Innovative and creative cultures help attract top talent and enhance the organization’s reputation as a forward-thinking and dynamic workplace. This good reputation helps HR find more talented people and build stronger connections, making it even more successful both inside and outside the company.

Example: Google values innovation and collaboration

Google is known for its strong emphasis on fostering social capital in the workplace through various initiatives to drive innovation and collaboration. One notable example is its “20% time” policy, which allows employees to spend a portion of their workweek pursuing projects outside their core responsibilities. This policy encourages employee collaboration, creativity, and knowledge sharing, leading to innovations such as Gmail and Google Maps.

4. Support organizational resilience

Social capital becomes a vital resource for organizations during change and crises. Strong connections can be a source of support, information, and resources. 

The COVID pandemic showed just how crucial HR is in using social capital to keep things running smoothly. During this time, HR professionals across the globe served as the central point of contact for communication and coordination to ensure everyone knew what was going on and that work continued safely.

By tapping into the organization’s existing relationships, trust, and networks, social capital can help promote organizational resilience and drive successful change. 

How HR can foster its own social capital

Supporting organizational resilience enhances the social capital HR has within an organization. HR becomes a key source of stability, flexibility, and ongoing operation during changes or challenging times. Clear and direct communication, along with policies and practices that look after employees’ wellbeing, builds trust. This shows employees they are supported and valued.

When HR proactively contributes to building resilience, it not only aids the organization in navigating challenges but also strengthens the relationships, trust, and collaboration essential for social capital. Engaging employees in the change process, addressing their concerns, and providing the necessary training and resources reinforce HR’s role as a trusted advisor and change agent. 

Example: Patagonia prioritized employee health and safety

Known for its commitment to sustainability and employee wellbeing, Patagonia lived up to its reputation during the pandemic by prioritizing the health and safety of its employees. The company quickly adapted its operations, implementing safety measures in its warehouses and maintaining full pay and benefits for all employees, even those unable to work due to store closures. This level of support reinforced the trust and loyalty between Patagonia and its employees, crucial elements of the company’s strong organizational capital. 

How HR professionals can develop their own interpersonal skills

Developing interpersonal skills is not just advantageous but essential for those in HR, too. These skills help HR professionals navigate the complexities of the current work environment, spur innovation, and manage the balance between daily tasks and the overarching strategic objectives.

In the AIHR T-shaped HR Competency Model, the Execution Excellence competency is centered on creating meaningful connections and encouraging teamwork to achieve goals efficiently. A key strategy that HR can employ to achieve this is through cultivating social capital.

Final words

Social capital is crucial for organizational and HR success. It sets the foundation for creating an innovative, engaged, and resilient workforce. HR plays a critical role in building an environment rich in social capital, which helps organizations harness the collective potential of their human capital. 

In the digital future of work, it will not be our digital skills that will make us successful. Our ability to connect as human beings, leveraging social capital and authentically connecting with each other will be what makes the difference.

The post Social Capital in the Workplace: How HR Can Build Stronger Employee Connections  appeared first on AIHR.