To build leadership and talent, organizations need to do more than maintain good employee relations: they need to focus on direct organizational benefits that solve business problems. HR is strategic Deloitte’s survey of 1,300 senior business leaders in 59 countries reveals current and emerging human capital trends influencing the future course of talent, HR and business in general. The world’s leading organizations are raising their sights, and pivoting from the great recession to the new horizons of 2020 with a focus on talent, globalization, growth, and innovation. The Canadian perspective Relative to their global peers, Canadian executives have a greater focus on “branding the workplace”— an increasingly important strategy for attracting and retaining critical talent. This and other Canadian trends are discussed in Resetting horizons: Canadian human capital trends 2013. Global trends Resetting horizons: Human capital trends 2013 reveals 13 global trends shaping talent, HR and global business over the coming years. Business success relies on talent that has that “competitive edge”. To prosper, your organization will have to ensure its approach to acquiring, retaining and managing talent is aligned with its core strategies. It’s time to put human capital at the top of your strategic agenda. Deloitte conducted a survey of more than 1,300 business leaders and HR executives in 59 regions across the world’s major economic regions between January and February, 2013. deloitte.ca/hctrends2013

1. 6 human capital
trends and priorities
Driving decisions for Canadian
corporate leaders
Resetting horizons | Canadian human capital trends 2013

2. The 6human capital trends for 2013
Transforming HR to meet new business priorities
The war to develop talent is on the rise
Organization acceleration: Get more value out of
your change initiatives
Branding the workplace to attract talent
Leadership.next: Debunking the superhero myth
Boards are changing the HR game
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3
4
5
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3. 67%of the respondents think that
this trend is highly relevant today
Transforming HR to meet
new business priorities
trend
1

4. HR is too focused on operational excellence.
HR business partners supporting employee
relations and performance management versus
workforce planning and business talent strategies.
Facts

5. Focus on developing talent and leadership to support
long-term strategies...not just for the immediate future.
Concentrate on areas such as talent, emerging markets
and the HR organization.
Answers

6. The war to develop
talent is on the rise
67% of the respondents think that
this trend is highly relevant today
trend
2

7. One-third of Canadian employers can’t find skilled workers.
The competition for scarce talent with specialized
skills knows no borders.
We risk losing our best and brightest.
Employee-turnover costs are escalating.
Facts

8. Improve employee engagement.
Focus on building employee capabilities.
Hire people for their future potential, don’t just fill roles.
Create new career models that are less process-based,
more project-based.
Answers

9. 62% of the respondents think that
this trend is highly relevant today
Organization acceleration:
Get more value out of your
change initiatives
trend
3

10. Faced with tougher and more numerous challenges,
organizations want more from their change initiatives.
Analysts, owners and investors want organizational
change to produce quantifiable and sustainable
results more quickly.
They see off-the-shelf change programs as
commodities that produce mediocre results.
Facts

11. Analyze “big data” to locate and focus on change
initiatives that get results.
Get buy in from senior leaders to drive those initiatives.
Focus on initiatives to deliver impacts that last.
Answers

12. 59% of the respondents think that
this trend is highly relevant today
Branding the workplace
to attract talent
trend
4

13. Social media has erased whatever lines used to exist
between the corporate brand and the talent brand.
In a knowledge-based economy, a company’s brand is
only as good the reputation of the people who work for it.
Canada has the potential to be a very attractive
destination for top talent – but are we ready?
Facts

14. Improve employment flexibility and elasticity: let talent
be from anywhere and work from anywhere.
Increase speed and volume of accreditation for
qualified immigrants.
Match post-secondary course offerings to
employment market demand.
Promote diversity and inclusion.
Create strong bonds to help retain and attract
your future talent.
Answers

15. 57% of the respondents think that
this trend is highly relevant today
Leadership.next:
Debunking the
superhero myth
trend
5

16. Yesterday’s leadership theories have not kept pace
with today’s fast and disruptive marketplace.
There is no longer a single model of leadership that fits
all situations.
An agile and disruptive marketplace requires leaders
with specializations.
Facts

17. Anticipate HR programs based on the organization’s
business strategy.
Assign non-HR executives to HR leadership roles
to increase the department’s understanding of the
business and to deliver more practical talent solutions.
Answers

18. 57% of the respondents think that
this trend is highly relevant today
Boards are changing
the HR game
trend
6

19. There is growing scrutiny and oversight of the value
delivered by leadership.
Quality of leadership influences all investment and
strategy deliberations.
It’s a concern for owner-managed businesses as
well as multinationals.
Facts

20. Develop a talent strategy: build a talent-intelligent
board and organization.
Pull CHROs deeper into business strategy – and
earlier in the process.
Re-assure the board that the talent risk is being
managed proactively.
Answers

21. Read the full report
deloitte.ca/hctrends2013

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