Collaboration is one of the most important 'rings' in business today. HR has a vital role to play in this, from enabling and guarding the culture of a company to breaking down silos and recruiting people fit for purpose in a bid to encourage collaboration.
Yet, all too often, departments are driven by targeted outcomes that do not facilitate collaboration. In the case of HR and procurement, the former focuses on the delivery of its strategy while procurement is driven by cost, making them awkward bedfellows.
However, there is a glimmer of light. New research shows that HR and procurement are beginning to collaborate. Indeed, Paul Chappel, Xchanging procurement director, believes procurement now acts as an enabler of HR.
Communication, our second 'ring', is at the heart of this is. It is not only inter-department communication that matters in business. Staff communication has never been more important. But with the plethora of ways of reaching staff today, which is best? As our feature shows, it is not only the channel that matters, but the language, content and frequency. Yet it appears many firms are not communicating the best way with their employees, particularly in today's social media environment.
Which brings us to the third 'ring': generation. In his regular column, David Fairhurst urges us all to give youth a chance. One way of doing this is through apprenticeships, a subject we focus on in Hot Topic and which was the topic of our first live HR Lunchtime Debate web show last month. You can see what our panel of experts had to say by tuning into the recording now.
While the focus on youth is vital for future sustainability, it is also important not to forget the unprecedented growth in older populations throughout the West and not least in the UK. Balancing the needs and societal impact of bringing youth into the workplace while retaining post-60 workers is an issue we are only just beginning to come to terms with.
Our final two 'rings' are great leadership and the desire to strive for personal excellence - the most akin to Olympic values. Without our people demonstrating these, businesses will die. But employers are not doing enough to develop leaders, according to research revealed exclusively to HR.
HRDs are in a prime position to help weave together the individual strands in today's workplace to fit employers' and society's needs. They must do so if Great Britain's flame is to burn as brightly as that of the Olympic torch.
