PEOPLE SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGY

Gartner | The Human-Powered Enterprise: How Human Resources Fuel Superior Organisational Performance | This report highlights the critical role of a human-powered enterprise, emphasising the importance of integrating human-centric leadership, diversity, employee well-being, and a human-AI partnership to drive superior organisational performance and foster a more engaged and resilient workforce.

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Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic catalysed a shift towards a more empathetic, human-centric approach to people management. This human-powered enterprise model focuses on treating employees as people, not just workers, to maximise their performance and drive superior business outcomes. With the pandemic’s direct impact behind us, maintaining a human-centred workplace is crucial for future success.

Key Insights - Six Key Features of Human-Powered Enterprises

• Feature #1: Why We Work – A Human Deal

  Modern EVPs should focus on life experiences and emotions, not just job features. Organisations can boost retention, engagement, and overall performance by making employees feel valued, autonomous, and understood. Recognising the full spectrum of employee needs is critical to this approach.

• Feature #2: How We Work – A Strategy for Workforce Well-Being

  Rather than treating well-being as an add-on, companies need to embed it into everyday work processes. Incorporating proactive rest, flexibility, and autonomy into work reduces fatigue and frustration and increases productivity across the workforce.

• Feature #3: Who We Work With – Integration of Diversity and Belonging

  Organisations that combine diversity with a strong sense of belonging achieve higher engagement and performance. DEI initiatives should be integrated into business processes, ensuring diversity and belonging are central to the organisation's operations.

• Feature #4: Who We Work For – A New Call for Human Leadership

  Leaders must focus on demonstrating authenticity, empathy, and adaptability. Rather than just building skills, leaders should overcome emotional barriers to connect with their teams and lead more effectively.

• Feature #5: Where We Work – The Human-Centric Workplace

  Workplaces should provide autonomy, capability, and connection, whether employees work on-site, remotely, or in a hybrid model. Organisations foster higher levels of productivity and engagement by creating conditions where employees can perform at their best.

• Feature #6: What Supports Our Work – A Human-AI Partnership

  In a human-powered enterprise, AI should enhance human potential by creating opportunities for people to maximise their creativity and innovation. Organisations should focus on building partnerships between AI and human workers for long-term success.

Recommendations

• Redesign Employee Value Propositions (EVPs): Focus on life experiences and emotions rather than work features. EVPs should make employees feel understood, autonomous, and valued, improving retention, engagement, and performance.

• Embed Well-Being into Work: Instead of offering well-being as a separate benefit, organisations should integrate proactive rest, flexibility, and autonomy into daily workflows. This will reduce fatigue and frustration, fostering sustainable high performance.

• Integrate Diversity and Belonging into Business Processes: DEI should not be an isolated initiative. Organisations must combine diversity with a strong sense of belonging, making it a core element of business operations. This leads to higher engagement and performance.

• Develop Human Leadership: Leaders should focus on authenticity, empathy, and adaptability, overcoming emotional barriers rather than simply enhancing technical leadership skills. Human leadership helps connect more deeply with employees and improves well-being and engagement.

• Create a Human-Centric Workplace: Ensure that the workplace — on-site, remote, or hybrid — provides employees with autonomy, capability, and connection. This creates an environment where employees can perform at their best.

• Build a Human-AI Partnership: HR leaders should encourage a collaborative approach in which AI enhances human potential rather than replaces it. Organisations can drive creativity, innovation, and future growth by fostering a partnership between AI and human workers.

Conclusion

The human-powered enterprise model is essential for organisations looking to thrive in a post-pandemic world. Organisations can drive employee engagement and superior business outcomes by embedding well-being, integrating diversity, fostering human leadership, and promoting AI-human collaboration. Reverting to traditional models risks taking advantage of these significant advantages.

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