Unleashing HR Marvels: Exploring Estonia’s HR Adventures in the Annual Survey

8 Jun

I’ve recently had the pleasure of delving into the Estonian HR Management’s Annual Survey, and let me tell you, it was a treasure trove of insights, data, and opportunities waiting to be explored. Like any captivating read, it sparked a flurry of questions and thoughts in my mind. Exciting stuff, if you ask me! So, let’s dive in and break it down:

“That’s awesome!” moments

A Record-Breaking Participation: this year’s survey boasted a remarkable 42% increase in participants, with a total of 369 contributors. Kudos to all the People pros out there! It’s truly impressive to see such high engagement and the power of feedback in action.
Cross-Sector Collaboration: the survey highlighted active participation from the manufacturing, commerce, and public sector. It is fantastic to witness the diverse industries coming together to share insights and drive people-related advancements. Way to go!
Valuing Leadership Training: one standout finding was the value placed on leadership training, particularly in the manufacturing, commerce, and public sector. It is heartening to see organisations recognizing the importance of investing in leadership development. Keep up the good work!

“Totally relatable!” moments

The Multifaceted World of People Pros: the survey revealed that People pros deal with a multitude of topics, ranging from recruitment and employment relations to employee experience and employer branding. As a fellow People pro, I can completely relate to the diverse and ever-expanding scope of our roles. I vividly recall my experience when joining a scale up, where I initially handled multiple responsibilities as a "one-human-band." Meeting objectives such as achieving an average vacancy closing time of 30 calendar days, maintaining an outstanding recruitment experience for at least 95% of the applicants, and simultaneously ensuring a minimum of 90% employee engagement whilst establishing an employer branding strategy along the way felt like mission impossible on too many occasions. These success metrics often felt like overly ambitious goals, hence I genuinely understand the demands and complexities associated with our profession.

“I wonder…” moments

The Rising Reputation of HRM: a pleasantly intriguing finding was that 56% of respondents noted an increase in HRM’s reputation within their organisations over the past year. This again triggers curiosity: what has contributed to this shift? Are we, People pros, doing things differently? Is it a result of our evolving role in a rapidly changing world? What are the learnings we can take with us from it in order to keep applying as well as improving upon it? Perhaps it’s a combination of factors as well as whose perspective are we seeing this from: the entire organisation, employees, or leadership? So, I wonder…
The Paradox of Leadership Support: interestingly, while the data indicates an increase in HRM’s reputation, it also reveals that People pros feel a lack of support and trust from leaders. This paradox begs further exploration: how can we bridge this gap? It is a powerful takeaway that prompts us to reflect on the dynamics between People pros and leadership from starting to think “us together”, rather than “you vs us”.
The Opportunities of Professional Development for People pros and Leaders alike: competences development for different stakeholders is highlighted of high importance in the survey with the leadership training specifically being in the focus in the manufacturing, commerce, and public sector. This raises 2 intriguing points: firstly, how can these training programs enhance collaboration also between leaders and People pros by equipping them all with skills like rapport building, feedback, time management, and negotiation? Secondly, how can People pros strategically invest in their skill sets to best complement Leaders in their leadership journey?

“Eureka!” moments

The Need for Support and Data-drivenness: participants expressed desire for greater support and trust from leaders while also emphasizing the importance of being more data-driven. Here, we uncover a powerful link – one that suggests that addressing one aspect can help achieve the other. By fostering stronger support and trust, People pros can effectively communicate the value they bring to the organisation via key performance indicators.
Overcoming Collaboration Challenges: the survey illustrated that People pros perceive a lack of time and difficulties in convincing leaders as significant hindrances to effective collaboration. Looking at the results triggers the following questions in my mind:
1. Are we in our roles overwhelmed with unrealistic workload and/or can we hone our prioritisation skills to better support us in our success story?
2. How can we make more time for things that actually make a strategic impact with being less busy with constant firefighting?
3. What are the applicable success metrics to allow us to speak the language of business and this way demonstrate the commercial value we add in our business?

These very insights help to provide us with a clear roadmap towards fulfilling work and collaborations, so knowing that takes us to the easy part: learning how to do it and then applying it. Voilà!

Oh those opportunities!

Feedback and data are truly powerful tools - making it clear that long gone are the days when People function was merely a support function, hidden in the shadows of the business. Today, we have the opportunity to redefine ourselves and showcase the incredible impact we (can) make. As People pros, we don’t just wear one hat – we juggle an entire collection of them! But amidst our diverse roles, we hold a secret power: the ability to be strategic influencers integral to the business’ epic journey towards success. So, let’s take a moment to reflect: are we today simply about managing resources, or are we in the extraordinary business of people? And - are we really fully embracing this heroic role today? With that said and knowing what we know now: let’s spread our wings, soar to new heights, and create workplaces and businesses that are truly legendary.

Intro on me with my own words:

I consider myself really blessed to wake up every morning to my big, mighty WHY. I’ve consciously created myself a life when I don’t talk about having a job. Namely, I choose to live my calling of being on a mission to make the (professional) world a better place (easy, right?!). A full-stack People Geek who lives-breathes-eats the values of integrity, curiosity, boldness, and kindness each step of the way.

And here are a few outside of the LinkedIn facts about me:

I’m truly and utterly terrible at everything standard and – well- usual. I absolutely go into everything with a “what box?!” mentality and a Quirky Rebel could well be my middle names.
I lived a good chunk of my adult years in the UK: Cockney actually started making sense at some point and nothing can beat British humour in my books.
I usually read on average 4-5 books in sync, so I can rotate them dependent on my mood. Yep, imagine my bedside table here!
My alternative career choice would have been neurosurgeon (I am super fascinated by the endless potential of our brains!), but there is this tiny obstacle here - I’m not on such great terms with blood.