People-first thinking drives new work models

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While the past two years have carried a devastating cost, revealed long-buried traumas and transformed the way we live and work, the cumulative impact has revealed the truly human potential – and vulnerability – of doing business.

With the majority of us vanquished to our various home workspaces by the pandemic, we watched the world at large seemingly unravel on the small screen. From gender inequities to systemic racism to the unmarked graves of children in communities across Canada, the opportunity for each of us to grow from what we now know has been omnipresent.

For leaders, these very same issues have only served to underscore what the pandemic forced them to realize overnight – people-first thinking is the only way forward.

Fortunately, if there is a silver lining to what we have endured, it lies within our revitalized appreciation of one another and a quantum leap forward for people-first thinking in the workplace. From remote realities being realized and mental health concerns being recognized to the triumph of soft skills in hard times, leaders have grown to accept that we are all human resources.

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Moreover, it provided an undeniable proving ground for HR professionals drawing upon ever-evolving toolkits and exactly the people-first mindset needed to help leaders and organizations survive and ultimately thrive amidst the ongoing change. Moving forward, that key recognition of HR as an integral strategic partner can only help to ensure the workplace we return to – whatever form that may take – will be a more wholly human experience.

Needless to say, that workplace is already taking many forms – from full return to fully distributed – but the new normal for the vast many is in between, a hybrid, as leaders strive to balance occupational health and safety demands with employee demands for continued flexibility. The challenge of maintaining that fine balance – while fostering a culture that unites, and drives and supports teams potentially separated by time and place – has only served to strengthen leadership’s appreciation of HR’s “forward-thinking” mindset.

That said, HR professionals have been advancing that forward-thinking, people-centric platform for some time, but now it is being recognized as a pre-requisite for creating cohesion and trust in our often virtual workplace. These elements, along with an alignment of organizational goals with individual opportunity and recognition, provide the fertile grounds in which culture can thrive.

And just as culture is ultimately the strength of the people in your organization, the diversity of people within that body strengthens the organization in turn. Unfortunately, it is in this arena of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) that work remains to be done.

What should not need to be said – particularly in light of the headlines and hashtags throughout the pandemic – is that inequities remain that need to be addressed to ensure that any new normal we build is one to be shared equally by all.

As an association of HR professionals spanning Canada from coast to coast to coast, we know the true value of EDI. We have long recognized the strengths such differences bring to bottom lines and bigger pictures alike, but we are no longer alone in this understanding.

Empowering leaders with this understanding has not only kept business afloat in uncertain seas but will elevate the work experience for everyone moving forward.

Be fair. Be different. Be human.

Advertising feature produced by Randall Anthony Communications. The Globe’s editorial department was not involved.