Leader and manager development a top priority in 2024

HR professionals are preparing for 2025, determining how to allocate their efforts and finances. Gartner analysts conducted a survey of 1,403 HR professionals worldwide during the summer to assess their main priorities for 2025. In 2024, they highlighted the importance of leader and manager development, expecting their organizations to handle a renewed emphasis on business expansion, talent shortages, and the increasing impact of GenAI. Research and development efforts within HR continue to shape these priorities, ensuring innovative approaches to leadership growth and workforce planning. Approximately 75% of those surveyed indicated that managers find themselves inundated by shifting responsibilities, while 70% feel that leaders lack the essential tools for cultivating future leaders. Moreover, only 36% of those surveyed consider existing leadership development programs to be effective. Gartner advised HR leaders to create programs that offer leaders “relationship-building activities” and chances to apply their newly acquired skills.

Research and development in HR processes will be crucial for designing such initiatives that effectively address these gaps. Businesses are increasingly focusing on workforce planning, as 66% of those surveyed acknowledged restrictions to headcount planning. Approximately 61% of HR leaders indicated that they engage in workforce planning on a one-year basis. The report suggested concentrating on succession planning for “essential” positions and recognizing future talent requirements. Approximately 97% of CHROs desired to improve their organization’s culture by 2025. Investment from managers and employees will be essential for these changes to be effective; however, 57% of HR leaders indicated that the managers in their organizations do not uphold the company culture. As if that weren’t sufficient, 73% of HR leaders indicated that employees feel fatigued from changes, and 74% assert that managers frequently aren’t ready to manage changes.  That refers back to the primary emphasis of HR professionals and the development of management—but with a focus on managing change.

Ultimately, a majority (55%) of HR leaders indicated that their technology does not presently aid their business initiatives, with 69% stating that there were obstacles with the technology over the past year. Research and development into advanced HR technologies, such as GenAI, could provide transformative solutions. Although HR teams can leverage technology to automate numerous tasks, the report indicated that the applications remain somewhat restricted. It suggested that companies seek innovative methods to implement GenAI in HR roles in the coming year, allowing personnel teams to concentrate more on strategic initiatives.

Important elements of leadership and management development

As per Gartner, over 75% of HR executives report that their managers feel overwhelmed by increasing responsibilities, and almost as many indicate that their leaders lack the necessary skills to manage change. In this situation, management has turned into a daunting task, and HR leaders should concentrate on the crucial aspects to tackle these issues:  

Realigning expectations with managers: In the modern workplace, HR directors must reorient expectations around the duties and responsibilities of managers. This involves enabling managers to make decisions, supplying them with essential resources, and delivering assistance to aid their success in leadership positions. By focusing on research and development, HR professionals can stay ahead of the curve, developing strategies and tools that help managers adapt to these changes while equipping them with the right skills to lead effectively.

Revamping succession pathways: Succession planning is an essential element of the growth of leaders and managers. HR leaders need to recognize and develop potential successors for leadership roles, guaranteeing a seamless power transition and preserving organizational continuity. With a little research and development into how these plans are structured, organizations can ensure a smooth leadership transition without any hiccups.

Eliminating process obstacles: HR leaders ought to concentrate on eliminating process obstacles that impede managerial effectiveness. This can entail providing managers with guidance and support, streamlining decision-making processes, and improving resource accessibility.

Giving them chances to grow: Leaders and managers get better at what they do—and help the company thrive—when they get the right opportunities. Think of training, mentorship, and development programs that help them sharpen their skills.

Creating a learning culture: To help leaders and managers grow, we need to make learning a constant thing. It’s about encouraging them to embrace a growth mindset, giving them the space to improve, and reminding them that both wins and missteps are all part of the learning process.

Encouraging ongoing development: To help managers and leaders get ahead, it’s super important to keep the learning going. This means fostering that growth mindset, offering ways to improve their abilities, and recognizing that both successes and setbacks are chances to learn something new. With a solid focus on research and development, HR can create an environment where learning never stops.

Approaches for effective development implementation of leaders and managers

Building successful managers and leaders is crucial to maintaining a positive, collaborative work environment and promoting organizational success. HR directors must identify skill gaps, provide tailored development opportunities, monitor progress, and promote a culture of continuous learning to achieve this. Nonetheless, executing effective leader and manager development programs can pose difficulties. To assist HR leaders and new managers in managing this process, several tactics have been outlined in the search results. By weaving research and development into these strategies, HR leaders can refine their programs and keep them relevant, fresh, and effective.

Acknowledging skill gaps: Effective leadership development requires assessing managers’ and leaders’ current skill sets and identifying areas that require improvement. Performance reviews, 360-degree feedback, and other evaluation tools can help achieve this. Consider it the leadership research and development stage; it’s all about identifying the areas that require a bit more attention. “The most successful organizations do not hire leaders.” They cultivate their own.

Offering customized development opportunities: Acknowledging that various leaders and managers might possess distinct needs and growth requirements is crucial for effective leadership development. This can be accomplished by providing customized training programs, mentorship chances, and resources to facilitate personal development. With a focus on research and development, HR teams can design programs that truly resonate with each leader’s unique journey.

Tracking progress and evaluating results: Tracking managers’ and leaders’ progression on a regular basis is crucial to evaluating the effectiveness of leadership development initiatives. This can be achieved via performance metrics, input from colleagues and subordinates, along with other measurable indicators of success.

Encouraging a culture of ongoing learning: For the growth of managers and leaders, it is vital to foster a culture of continuous learning and enhancement. This involves fostering a growth mindset, offering chances for skill enhancement, and appreciating the importance of learning from both achievements and setbacks. Through some research and development, HR can foster a culture where ongoing learning is not only supported but also honored.

And don’t forget, when HR leaders take the time to invest in research and development, they stay ahead of the curve and make sure their leadership programs stay fresh, innovative, and effective. It’s all about growing together, right?

The development of managers and leaders will be a primary focus in 2024.

HR Focus 1: Leadership development

What’s even more concerning is that almost as many believe their leaders cannot drive change. In summary, management has turned into something unmanageable. HR leaders should concentrate on:

• Adjusting expectations with managers,
• Restoring succession pipelines, and
• Eliminating process obstacles.

Expert advice: Streamline and accelerate leadership growth through behavioral evaluations. The objective skills data reveals shortcomings and forecasts suitability to enhance the effectiveness of leadership assignments. Think of it as the research and development phase for leadership—it’s where the magic starts.

HR focus area 2: Workplace culture

Employers are still adapting to the rise of hybrid and remote work prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Gartner highlights aspects such as reduced in-person interactions with coworkers as a significant blow to conventional workplace cultural experiences. 41% of HR leaders believe that hybrid work is hindering employees’ capacity to engage with organizational culture. As a remote-first organization, taking deliberate and proactive steps to address this issue. For example, as a remotely-focused organization, we embody our Seek to Connect principle by:

• Creating employee resource or affinity groups, such as for LGBTQ staff,
• Promoting face-to-face gatherings at our local hubs, and
• Utilizing Slack channels to foster community and culture effortlessly.

By investing in research and development of our virtual culture-building tools, we ensure that even in a remote-first world, our culture remains strong, inclusive, and connected.

Expert advice: Get experimental. Think of culture-building as your own little research and development project. Try out virtual team hangouts, fun Slack challenges, or surprise care packages. By focusing on research and development in how we approach culture-building, we can adapt and thrive in this new world of work.

HR priority 3: HR technology

As shown above, AI and generative AI are creating considerable excitement, but most applications are still 5-10 years away from meeting expectations. Is it still valuable to investigate AI and generative AI? Certainly, as they can greatly enhance productivity. However, be aware of risks, such as employing AI in HR without guaranteeing consistent human supervision. For example, Harver’s stance on AI is to maintain a “human in the loop” and utilize AI solely to minimize — not create — bias in any hiring choice.

Expert advice: Besides AI, think about smart automation. This HR technology employs set rules to streamline tasks that would typically hinder recruiters and the hiring process. And here’s where research and development comes in. By investing time and effort into exploring and refining these tools, you can craft an HR tech stack that not only supports productivity but also upholds the human-centric values of your organization.

HR focus area 4: Managing change

We talked about the persistent unpredictability and fluctuations in our 2024 HR Trends webinar. Getting ready for and adjusting to ongoing changes is exhausting both employees and leaders. Gartner observes that talent is overwhelmed by the speed, consistency, and accumulation of change. It’s not surprising that roughly 50% of workers have faith in their employer. Frequent changes in strategy and solutions can be equally detrimental, if not more so, than outright refusal to change. Although some employers are still falling behind in the digital transformation of their hiring practices, organizations now also face the challenge of transforming how they handle change and the resulting fatigue.

Expert advice: Just like with HR technology, research and development plays a huge role here. Spend some time figuring out how your company is dealing with change, spot any roadblocks, and build a smoother transition plan. Clear communication, supporting employees through the changes, and involving them in the process can help keep burnout at bay and trust intact.

HR focus area 5: Career development and internal movement

86% of HR leaders think that the career paths within their organization are not well-defined for employees. In a landscape marked by ongoing talent shortages and skill deficiencies, conventional job-based thinking is becoming progressively irrelevant for both employers and talent. Along with encouraging retention by showing that you appreciate employees and their aspirations, fulfilling their development expectations also aids in achieving organizational growth targets. For example, by recruiting and nurturing talent from within to occupy positions essential for profitability. Incorporating research and development into your career development strategy can help create more opportunities for internal movement.

Expert advice: Embrace a skills-oriented talent approach to determine the skills possessed by your employees and their distribution across your workforce. And here’s where research and development comes into play. Advance your efforts in promoting objective and efficient talent management and mobility.

Final Thoughts

Developing leaders and managers is a key focus for HR leaders in 2024, as it is essential for adapting to changing workplace dynamics and achieving lasting business success. Putting resources into strong leaders results in enhanced employee productivity, loyalty, and job fulfillment. Furthermore, emphasizing the development of leaders and managers can simplify the manager’s role, proving to be five times more effective than offering additional training or skills to managers. By fostering a robust cultural awareness, HR leaders can synchronize organizational demands with the aspirations, skills, and interests of employees. Organizations that focus on the development of leaders and managers can anticipate improved employee engagement, performance, and overall job satisfaction, positioning it as an essential investment for lasting success. In this context, research and development plays a critical role, as continuous research helps to refine leadership development programs to better address the evolving needs of both the workforce and the business.