This article originally appeared at Forbes.com on May 28, 2021. HR leaders have always played a crucial role in their organizations, but the Covid-19 pandemic has thrust HR into the leadership spotlight. In the process, HR has become “essential workers” to ensure a safe and healthy return to the workplace. Future Workplace set out to understand the lasting impact of Covid-19 on work, the workplace and the workforce, and what this means for the strategic priorities of HR. A recent survey of 349 workers by Pearl Meyer, the compensation firm, finds roughly one-third of the total workforce w ..read more

This article originally appeared at Forbes.com on January 14, 2021. The coronavirus has become one of the greatest accelerators for workplace transformation of our lifetime. When I wrote The Impact of the Coronavirus on HR and the New Normal of Work, I started to see how the coronavirus pandemic was going to impact how we work, learn, exercise, shop, and communicate. It’s clear now, the pandemic has forced the type of workplace experimentation that would have taken years if not decades to happen: working remotely, re-thinking business travel and moving in-person training to virtual. As w ..read more

This article is co-authored by Jeanne C. Meister and Robert H. Brown and originally appeared on HRB.org. The Coronavirus has drastically reshaped the economy and the labor force. Since its rapid spread around the globe, we have experienced titanic shifts in how we work, where we work, and the technologies we use to stay connected. Such massive change is escalating the importance of HR’s role within organizations. Workers are turning to their managers and their HR leaders, in particular, for guidance on how to navigate their “new normal” — research indicates that 73% of ..read more

Register now for a special Future Workplace SPARK session taking place on September 24th from 12:00 noon to 1:30 pm EDT. A special Future Workplace SPARK session taking place on September 24th from 12:00 noon to 1:30 pm EDT. Future Workplace is proud to announce our next Future Workplace Spark Session taking place virtually on September 24th from 12:00 noon to 1:30 pm EDT. This session is open to both members of the Future Workplace Network, and nonmembers who want to learn about Future Workplace and the Future Workplace Academy. Our Future Workplace Spark sessions are created to keep you, th ..read more

The news headlines on how companies create great employee experiences have been dominated by their investment in office perks — think standing desks, nap pods, “bring your dog to work day” and free lunch. According to a survey conducted by the National Business Group, Health (NBGH) and Fidelity Investments employers across the country spent an average of $3.6 Million on employee wellness programs. Many of these “perks” have focused on the physical office space which may no longer be as relevant today. The time is now to reset employee experience during the Covid-19 pandemic to create a mo ..read more

This article first appeared on HRExecutive.com. As businesses worldwide cancel in-person training due to the coronavirus, they are overwhelmingly turning to virtual learning. Whether that means upskilling the front line or adding new capabilities to managers, most leaders agree on one thing: They must continue to provide myriad ways to add new skills while keeping employees safe. Collaborative social learning was already on the rise before the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, what we are seeing is more Chief Learning Officers experimenting with new ways  to deliver training, such as re-imagini ..read more

This article first appeared at Forbes.com. For the past decade I have been writing and speaking about the disruptions in the way we work, learn and communicate. In my article, Humans, Gigs and Robots Are The New Blended Workforce, I saw an increase in full time workers working side by side with gig workers and bots or digital assistants. I went on to say: the pace of change has never been this fast, yet it will never be this slow again! What I did not envision is we would be working exclusively from our homes while juggling home schooling and trying to figure out how to conduct three Zoom sess ..read more

This article first appeared at Forbes.com. The 2020 Workplace is here! The workplace I described in my book, The 2020 Workplace: How Innovative Companies Attract, Develop, and Keep Tomorrow’s Employees Today, is now distinguished by a workplace where the rapid pace of change is the new constant in the world of work! As we head into the 2020 workplace, ask yourself: how can you lead your HR function in the next decade? Humans + BotsShutterstock / Panuwat Phimpha Here is my countdown of what you need to include on your HR agenda for the 2020 workplace:  #1) Start With Focusing On ..read more