Turning workforce risk into organizational resilience

The HR strategies that transform people-related risk into organizational strength

One of the most complex risks to any organization is its own workforce. The people who help an organization operate also have the potential to compromise its success and reputation through human error, skill gaps and talent shortages, as well as their influence on organizational culture and behaviour.

Human resource (HR) professionals bear much of the responsibility for optimizing the workforce, to not only ensure their organization is successful but to also protect it from risk. Through proactive measures, HR professionals have the capability to reduce risk and in turn, strengthen the resilience of their organization.

HR's role in managing workforce risk means investing in:

Hiring and retaining the right talent

• Focus on skills and behaviours, not just credentials. Prioritize recruiting people with skills like emotional intelligence, resilience, collaboration and accountability, as these often predict long-term success more than technical skills.
• Hire for alignment with the organization's values and work style. It is also valuable to seek candidates who bring diverse perspectives and challenge the status quo constructively.

Ongoing training and development

Provide learning opportunities through corporate training programs to help develop and advance your workforce's:

• Technical skills to stay ahead of industry changes, make better strategic decisions, and implement new technologies or processes.
• Nontechnical skills to understand conflict management, emotional intelligence and communication to foster a resilient and adaptable workforce.

Strengthening adherence to policies and controls

• Lead with clear and accessible policies that are communicated regularly and repeatedly.
• Deliver engaging and practical training on a consistent basis, through onboarding or annual refreshers.
• Foster a culture of accountability and openness, where employees feel safe reporting issues or asking questions. Ensure leadership is modelling compliance and ethical behaviour.