The HR Leadership Series: HR and Strategic Thinking

Modern HR leaders are increasingly being called upon to think and act strategically to play a key role in shaping the identity and working practices of a business.

This trend comes under the microscope in the latest episode of the HR Leadership Series – our weekly set of videos featuring AdviserPlus CEO Nick Bradley in conversation with Dr Anthony Hesketh of the Department of Work and Technology at Lancaster University.

In this week’s video, Nick Bradley talks about the massive transformation in marketing in recent years which has seen CMOs embrace data and metrics – and how HR is in the midst of a similar transition.

He said: “I think, in five years time, analytics and data and all of those things are going to be commonplace – we are starting to get to that point now. The person who is running that function is going to have to get that.”

Dr Hesketh agreed and said that the modern HR director increasingly needs a broader skill set.

He added: “It’s not just finance skills that the HR director needs. They also need marketing skills and strategic skills and, you know what, actually they need to be fully rounded, educated executives, understanding different aspects of the business and how the whole can be greater than the sum of the parts.”

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