Human resource transformation as a strategy for addressing talent management challenges at ESwatini electricity company.

Abstract

Faced with looming talent challenges, uncertain business environments and changing demographics, organizations find themselves forced to adapt or perish. These changes not only suppress an organizations’ competitive edge but also greatly affect the manner in which they are positioned to respond to the changes. Adapting to such volatile environments requires organizations to rethink and reinvent their operations. Moreover, with these changes having human capital implications in both strategy and operations, HR professionals find themselves under immense pressure to rise to the challenge and help their organizations achieve competitive advantage. The aim of the study was to explore the nature of HR transformation and determine the impact it has in addressing talent management challenges. To address the research questions and objectives, the study employed a descriptive mixed method approach. The survey strategy by means of questionnaires and interviews was used for data collection. Quantitative and qualitative data analysis was performed using the statistical package for social sciences and the NVIVO system respectively. The results indicated that there was consensus that the company has taken strides in transforming the HR function through the adoption of the business partner model however, the findings also revealed that HR lacks the in-depth knowledge of business operations necessary to function optimally as a business partner. As such, respondents felt that HR does not add as much value as expected. Furthermore, the study found that HR does not have a clear talent strategy, lags in instilling a talent culture in the organization and application of data analytics. While some employees showed confidence in the HR department and were happy with the support they get, they also expressed dissatisfaction with major talent management practices and the delivery of the employee value proposition. The study recommended that HR should improve on the value-adding aspects of their activities by gaining deeper understanding of core business operations. This requires a shift from tactical to strategic management where HR issues are viewed from both a people and business perspective. This mind-set shift would provide a crucial balance, which would enable HR to tailor its TM strategies to critical business requirements.