Hacking HR to Build an Adaptability Advantage

The need for agility in organizations is becoming the norm. Adapt or die. Quickly.

So, how to change the thinking, processes and artifacts we use to develop job descriptions which are static in nature? (I saw a study recently that suggested that 65% of employees are doing work not addressed in thier description or what they were hired intiatially to do.) I think this is so.

Let's call them work profiles. And the initial analysis by the recruiter with hiring group might look like this:

1. What is it that your group produces? How often does that change? Who are your customers/end users? What drives that change?
2. What are the work 'outputs' for people in the proceses that produce the group outputs?
3. What 'inputs' does the worker use to produce these outputs? 
4. What do the workers actually 'do' to produce the worker outputs necessary to produce the groups output?
5. What are the consequences of success? Of failure? To the worker and the group?
6. What worker attributes and worker interests would be ideal for the environement created to produce the group output?
7. What ideal skills, knowledge and experiences are necessary?

Now we hire for the work versus a specifice job. We hire for a segement of work versus a descreet job. Expectations would be different up front for candidates - imagine that job interview. And think about the change necessary for HR and management. Work profiles, sourcing techniques, systems, compensation, screening/interviewing, and on and on. 

Let's hire to get work done, encourage workers and management to build the personal portfolio of experiences that can port quickly where needed.

M