5 innovative strategies for effective HR management in the energy sector

The renewable energy sector is expanding at an exponential rate. According to a report published by International Energy Agency (IEA), renewable energy is forecast to grow by 1200GW in the next five years; that equals the total electricity capacity of the United States. The development of alternative power sources in new geographic locations has created a lot of exciting opportunities and job openings.

HR plays a pivotal role now as it has the important task of supporting this growth, particularly in recruiting and developing a skilled workforce. The focus currently is to recruit the best talent to fill positions in this rapidly expanding industry for sustaining the growing demand.

Implementing People Management Skills

HR analytics has indeed come a long way. From simply static reports, HR managers have started deploying various analytics models apart from following traditional methods. The current focus should be on prescriptive analytics which combines the historical capabilities of static and descriptive models, with a forward-looking perspective. It enables users to gain insights on not just what will happen next, but also on what should be done next to tackle the issue on time. It also helps managers and HR to implement better people management skills to curb attrition and ensure better employee satisfaction.

Embracing Remote Work

The workplace is becoming increasingly global.  The idea of work has changed and companies need to accept this progress, especially teleworking if companies don’t want to lose out on talent. HR needs to work on bringing in and accepting this cultural change to help employees work better and contribute to the growth of the company. Having an online mode of onboarding helps candidates to consider opportunities that they wouldn’t have otherwise thought of.

Diversity and Inclusion

An organization must nurture an inclusive environment at work. It is important to understand that when employees love collaboration and fairness, it has a direct impact on their productivity and thus their well-being. This type of workforce is more innovative, compelled to shift jobs, and ultimately improves the bottom line of the business.

The air of an inclusive workplace allows everyone to feel that they are respected, safe, heard, and accepted, irrespective of their gender, background, preference, physical ability, etc.

Employees perceive leadership as inclusive when managers listen empathetically to and advocate for their team. Inclusive managers see their team members as valuable individuals. The scope of favouritism should be too less, and everybody should be s treated with fairness by embracing non-discriminatory practices. A simple step like keeping inclusion at the forefront of the onboarding process provides an impression that the employees will receive the support they need while settling into their roles.

Employee Development

Employee development demands a continuous effort to strengthen work performance by incorporating different approaches like coaching, training sessions, and leadership mentoring. These sessions can help employees learn the skills they need in their current roles and introduce leadership skills and software knowledge they might need in the future.

Furthermore, safety precautions related to the COVID-19 pandemic moved about 80% of employees to remote work, according to research firm Brandon Hall Group. Since most of the employees previously worked on-site, companies and those working for them have grappled with finding and implementing new tools and resources to accommodate this new environment for work. Training and development focused on these new processes can aid in making this transition.

Self-transformation 

Technology is changing and AI has taken over the world with a storm. Companies need to focus on training and development in the latest technologies to help employees be well versed with new introductions to be able to perform better at their jobs.

Focus on AI Chatbots

When organizations plan or combine GO group orientation programs, HR can include AI chatbots to develop a knowledge management system where collective information from the outside world is presented to the employees as well as provide new insights for better information sharing.

Training and development programs also can help employees discover areas in which they could use additional educational opportunities and support. Employee training programs focussing on soft skills s such as resilience, emotional intelligence, and agility in professional settings can create an atmosphere that fosters productivity and camaraderie.

Also, advances in human resources technology are helping HR teams become even more engaged in their company’s overall strategic objectives. Even job onboarding can become more effective with the AI Chatbots.

Focus on a Green Mindset

HRM across different sectors has started to utilize whatever is available in hand to reduce the wastage costs incurred by organizations. The focus is now on energy-efficient workspaces, online training, teleconferencing, responsibilities-sharing, car-sharing, electronic filing, etc., along with other environmentally friendly human resource measures to contribute to greater efficiency, better employee retention, lower costs, and better employee engagement. These initiatives assist companies in identifying cost-effective alternatives without sacrificing top talent.

HR managers have a greater role in hand. They have to self-update themselves with the latest changes to ensure they can help companies and their employees in a more constructive way.

(The writer is Assistant Professor, UPES School of Business)

References

• https://www.iea.org/news/renewable-electricity-growth-is-accelerating-faster-than-ever-worldwide-supporting-the-emergence-of-the-new-global-energy-economy
• https://www.iea.org/reports/renewables-2021
• https://www.gartner.com/en/human-resources/topics/hr-strategy
• https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2020/02/03/five-recommendations-for-human-resource-management/?sh=50c13ccc39ed