When priorities shift, structures evolve, or new expectations take hold, employees are often left figuring out what to do first and how to keep up. That’s where HR can make the difference, helping turn uncertainty into something people can actually navigate.

Janine Yancey, founder and CEO of Emtrain, an online compliance and culture training with workforce analytics company, provided insight on this topic during a thought leadership spotlight at From Day One’s Silicon Valley conference. She offered insight into four distinct ways that HR professionals can help their team adjust to rapidly changing times. 

Business transformation, especially when technology begins to automate roles once handled entirely by people, forces employees to adapt quickly. At the same time, HR leaders are navigating a mix of new workforce technologies, reorganizations and reductions in force, gaps in management skills, and growing pressure on culture and engagement.

The Top HR Priorities

New technology is the first top HR priority, especially with AI. As more companies utilize AI, it’s important to ensure your team is proficient with AI tools and determine what the work ratio looks like and what the outcomes are. Go to other departments and teams to shadow, assist, and observe what’s going on in these other teams.

Once you feel confident that your team is proficient with the new technology, the next step is to see how the employee roles might shift, says Yancey. “My recommendation is to be proactive,” she said.   

Yancey recommends that HR leaders assess what their teams can do differently with new technology in place, then evaluate each role to redesign the organization accordingly and bring that plan proactively to the C-suite. “For decades, HR leaders have been wanting to be the true business partner to the executives,” said Yancey. “And there is no year like this year that gives us all an opportunity to do that.”

The next priority is to understand the capabilities of your managers—they’re the glue that basically holds the organization together, says Yancey. 

“Can the managers lead a diverse, multigenerational team?” asked Yancey. “Do they know how to develop? Do they know how to coach?”

Managers who appear to have the strongest leadership skills, based on employee feedback, are often those with the fewest compliance issues. Strengthening these outcomes can be supported through targeted management training.

Management training can also help leaders more accurately identify compliance issues and address them effectively with their teams. As organizations invest in management and leadership development, the focus should be on both measuring and building leadership capabilities so managers, leaders, and individual contributors can operate in the most productive and effective way possible, she says.

It’s important to try to ask periodic questions in annual management and compliance training. Ask people what’s happening on their teams and map the employee sentiment to behaviors and teams. This will help you know what’s really going on among the teams.

Finally, a culture of respect often requires additional attention during periods of business transformation. It’s important to be intentional about integrating programs so they work together in a more holistic way. For example, initiatives like annual culture surveys, leader and manager training, and coaching and development should be viewed as part of a connected system that provides a clearer picture of what’s really happening across the organization, says Yancey. 

It’s also essential to use data to identify which managers need the most support. With better insights, HR leaders can be more strategic about where they focus their time and effort, ultimately driving stronger outcomes.

Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, Emtrain, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight.

Kristen Kwiatkowski is a professional freelance writer covering a wide array of industries, with a focus on food and beverage and business. Her work has been featured in the Bucks County Herald, Eater Philly, Edible Lehigh Valley, Cider Culture, and The Town Dish. 

(Photos by Josh Larson for From Day One)