Are we prepared for the future?

If we are not proud of our past, of what we have live, of what we have learned, of the mistakes we have made and the accomplishments we have achieved, we may find it very hard to value who we are today.

When we talk about self-esteem, we forget that often the key to opening this door is back there.

Rejecting some past experiences, set us apart from ourselves, widens the identity gap between what we truly are and who we would like to be or have been. And this can be applied to both the individual and the collective.

Each one of us has the power and the choice to write our own story. None of us has to be the same. In fact, we are all different. We are unique and unrepeatable beings, with an exclusive mission, which we will only be able to fulfil by ourselves.

Looking to the future – designing who I want to become, or how I want to evolve, how I want to contribute and how I want to impact those around me, is only possible if we have the ability to feel and accept the present.

And from this point, despite the uncertain future, we can see the trends that show us that the old work models, based on strong hierarchies and unnecessary bureaucracy, will no longer be efficient, but should instead become flexible and agile models, in which the work will be more focused on the Talent of each person.

In order to support and foster this change, HR needs to become more strategic and adopt a more comprehensive view, in which the focus is no longer just on employees but starts to encompass the organization and the work as a whole.

• Create a differentiating Employee Experience

The focus on the experience and engagement of employees is nothing new, but now more than ever, it is essential to enhance the employees’ sense of belonging (especially for those working remotely), ensuring that they have a sense of purpose.

In view of the challenges that have been through and since remote work (even if partially) is here to stay, the trends show a shift towards a more holistic view of the well-being of employees (which goes beyond their physical well-being) and to reinforce the work-life balance.

• Develop future skills

Another of the trends that we’ve been experiencing in the face of emerging needs, has been the scarcity of talent with the necessary skill set to respond to the current challenges, whether technological, strategic or otherwise. Several functions will cease to exist or will become fluid, which means that the tendency is that the work begins to be defined based on the know-how and skill set of each person.

The acceleration of digitization is making evident the widening gaps in the skills needed to face the challenges of the future, which were not yet developed or consolidated in most cases and which will require reskilling and / or upskilling of the teams in the coming years.

In this sense, in order to maintain the organization’s success, HR should give priority to the analysis of the competencies that will be essential and change their strategies accordingly, proposing reskilling and upskilling efforts for their current employees, reorganizing their strategy of talent attraction, in order to ensure alignment with the desired skills and increasing your Employer Branding in order to attract the best talent.

• Increase agility

Reskilling will be essential, but in order to be boosted, organizations will have to become more flexible and agile and reorganize their workforces. The need to reallocate or promote talent based on their know-how and skill set will override models based on antiquity and tradition that rely on rigid hierarchies, in which the decision process is slow and ineffective. In order to develop faster and streamline processes, we will have to decrease reporting levels and ensure that decisions are made at the right organizational levels.

This is where HR can play an essential role. Changing hierarchical models to agile and flexible workforce models, in which the network between teams is enhanced; creating new career plans for agile teams; renewing performance management systems.

On the other hand, fostering a quick decision-making process empowers employees to take risks, in a culture that rewards them for doing so.

Learning from the past means looking back and being grateful for everything we have lived. Learn and discover new answers to old questions and new ways to deal with challenges.

And this is what we do at ABC Sustainable Luxury Hospitality!
We believe that the path is “community”, as such, everyone is welcome, so that the outcome can be a holistic awakening, that is, one that involves their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well- being.

Alexandra Outeiro
HR Specialist
ABC Sustainable Luxury Hospitality