The 'STREAM' Framework for Enabling and Achieving Sustainable HR Agility

- Murad Salman Mirza

The HR function has habitually been criticized for being sluggish and pedantic in terms of its role within the organizational realm. Frustrations abound among disgruntled/dissatis fied employees who see the HR function as the ‘enforcer’ of the leadership’s mandates while being unable/incapable/hapless in alleviating their concerns. The internal discontent/rumblings are routinely amplified through corporate grapevine and even positive steps by the leadership are viewed with suspicion. Examples are frequently given in casual conversations about the capabilities of HR functions of other organizations in placating all the key stakeholders and galvanizing initiatives for organizational excellence. Such “grass is greener on the other side” mindset often erodes the morale within the organization and deflates its competitive strengths, a condition that can have serious consequences when trying to keep up with the brutal pace of the digital world.

Consequently, it is becoming increasingly critical for the leadership of progressive organizations to enable and facilitate the HR function in responding more quickly and effectively to changing employee expectations, workplace disruptions and business requirements to stay on par with/ahead of worthy competitors. The case for HR agility is further reinforced by the following factors:

Brokering and Discovering Unknown Talent

This reflects the need for skill maximization within the current workforce which requires keen exploration and active encouragement to help them discover/display their capabilities on a wider bandwidth.

Building an Adaptive and Ethical Culture

This reflects the entrenchment of core values within the multigenerational workforce as the primary source of employee engagement and value-driven initiatives for a more cohesive workplace.

Developing a Learning Organization