How to Transform HR Operating Models

Is your HR team struggling to integrate analytics, technology, and operations? This might be the reason why. There's a shift happening, and it's time to rethink our approach to maturity frameworks. David Green 🇺🇦 recently highlighted the Directionally Correct podcast with Richard Rosenow speaking on the idea of a People Data Supply Chain, underscoring how deeply interconnected analytics, operations, and technology have become. Two critical gaps exist in our current maturity frameworks: 1️⃣ We lack a comprehensive model that addresses the intersection of all three functions 2️⃣ Existing frameworks tend to be linear, failing to capture complex organizational nuances Recognizing these limitations, I've developed the S.T.A.R.T. Framework – a flexible, non-prescriptive approach for HR organizations of all sizes: ✍🏾 Strategy: Align analytics, operations, and technology with HR and business objectives 💻 Technology: Optimize tools and data for scalability and efficiency 📊  Analytics: Transform HR data into actionable insights 📈 Results: Demonstrate meaningful impact and value ✨ Transformation: Foster a culture of agility and continuous innovation S.T.A.R.T. adapts to your organization's unique needs. As Cole Napper wisely noted, leaders need to "be excellent where the business needs you to be excellent" - and S.T.A.R.T. provides the flexibility to do just that. Dive deeper into the Framework below to see how it can help your organization navigate unexpected changes and prepare for the future of work. I'd love to hear your thoughts. How do you see this framework applying to your organization? #PeopleAnalytics #HRTech #HROperations #FutureOfWork

I recently supported an HR leader at a 500-person organization through a transformation that felt small on paper but was massive in mindset. She didn’t come to me for consulting. She’s someone I knew who needed a sounding board, so I offered to help. She thought she needed to pull together a basic HR report. What we ended up building was a blueprint for how HR earns its seat at the business table. Here’s where we started: One core question: How does your work connect to how the business runs and grows? From there, we shifted the lens: • From reporting activity to delivering insight • From tracking turnover to protecting performance • From keeping up to leading forward We built a dashboard, not a deck, that spoke the language of the C-suite. And it changed how she showed up in the room. Some of the metrics we focused on: • Revenue per FTE – Are we getting the ROI on our talent investment • Top talent flight risk – Where are we at risk of losing our future leaders • Manager effectiveness – How are we enabling the front line of culture • Time to productivity – Are we onboarding for speed and success • Engagement drivers – What’s fueling or draining performance • Bench strength – Are we building capacity or just filling gaps We also layered in pulse trends, goal alignment, and internal mobility because strategy isn’t real unless it reaches people. She told me, “I finally feel like I’m leading HR, not just managing it.” That’s the shift. When HR stops waiting to be invited and starts leading with data, clarity, and intent, that’s when transformation begins. Not just for the function. For the whole business. #HRRealTalk #EmployeeExperience #PeopleAnalytics #HRLeadership #EmployeeEngagement #WorkforceStrategy #HRTransformation

Don’t Hire HR Managers. Appoint Architects of AI-First Organizations. AI is rewriting the rules of work. HR can’t afford to play catch-up. To stay relevant—and strategic—HRBPs must evolve from talent managers and policy enforcers to AI-enabled talent architects. Here’s how HR must transform for the AI-first era: 1. From Headcount to Capability Planning Stop tracking roles. Start mapping skills. HR must understand GenAI, ML Ops, Responsible AI—and build a workforce equipped to deliver them. 2. AI Literacy is Non-Negotiable HR leaders don’t need to code, but they do need to read model cards, interpret prompt libraries, and lead ethical AI practices. 3. Replace Static Roles with Dynamic Skill Graphs Rigid JDs won’t keep up. Skill graphs enable faster org redesign, internal mobility, and smarter hiring. 4. Enable Talent Marketplaces, Not Just Org Charts Gig-style internal projects let hidden talent shine—and help employees learn by doing. 5. Champion Responsible AI HR must lead conversations on fairness, bias, privacy, and reskilling—before the risks show up downstream. This isn’t evolution. It’s reinvention. HR’s future is to architect AI-powered organizations—or risk becoming irrelevant inside them. Zinnov Hani Mukhey Shweta Rani (She/Her) Namita Adavi Megha Deb Dipanwita Ghosh Karthik Padmanabhan Sagar Kulkarni Rohit Nair Amaresh N. Amita Goyal Komal Shah Saurabh Mehta Mohammed Faraz Khan ieswariya k

Last month, McKinsey & Company published a report titled "A new operating model for people management: More personal, more tech, more human", highlighting the ongoing transformation of the HR function in the light of new #HRTech and #AIforHR capabilities. (link in the comments) The report outlines what this transformation looks like and how organizations can embrace a new people operating model. Here are some key takeaways: 1️⃣ Hyper-personalization of Employee Experience: Employees expect the same level of personalization at work as they do in their daily lives. AI-driven coaching, tailored training programs, and personalized compensation will become the norm. 2️⃣ The Rise of Digital Agents & AI Coaching: Organizations are already deploying AI-powered personal assistants to handle routine tasks, freeing HR professionals to focus on strategy, leadership, and employee well-being. 3️⃣ Frictionless Organizations & Fluid Talent Markets: Rigid hierarchies and job roles are being replaced by skill-based, dynamic talent marketplaces that match employees to opportunities inside and outside their organizations. 4️⃣ Managers Must Elevate Their “Humanness”: As automation reduces administrative burdens, leaders must focus on things that make humans unique: empathy, coaching, and ethical technology adoption to build trust and engagement. 5️⃣ The HR Function of the Future: The “Strategic Triumvirate” HR will evolve into three core roles: ✅ People Strategists – Translating business needs into workforce strategies. ✅ People Scientists – Designing data-driven talent interventions. ✅ People Technologists – Driving AI-powered HR innovation. It's especially interesting to look at Exhibit 1, depicting how #AIAdoption can automate and transform traditional practices (stating that "Two-thirds of today's people management processes can be largely automated"). Organizations that embrace this transformation will gain a competitive edge, outperforming peers in both employee engagement and financial success. But it is important to note that only a handful of organizations (5%) are routinely incorporating new technologies in their people management functions. Depending on where you sit in your journey, beginning (strategists), growing (scalers) or advanced (visionaries) you might focus on different things, but the overall advice is the same: -Set a clear North Star -Create a people transformation team -Reimagine boundaries, including between business and people -Experiment, continuously improve, and scale what works -Invest in technology and change -Maintain momentum What steps is your organization taking to future-proof your people management strategy? Let’s discuss! 👇