People, Purpose, and Performance: Transforming HR for Tomorrow’s Workplace
A comprehensive view on the evolving HR role within tomorrow’s workplace developed for aspiring HR professionals or future managers and leaders.
OVERVIEW:
This is a 4-ECTS blended learning module offered by Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi within the JASSY Summer School. The module aims at initiating trainees in Human Resources Management main topics providing them specific insights regarding the new way of doing HR within the recent workplace environment requirements. Within a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) world, dominated by digital transformation, globalization, shifting employees’ expectations (related to remote/hybrid work, wellbeing, etc.), it is the HR responsibility to help organizations encompass the workplace challenges.
HR is the cornerstone of tomorrow’s workplace, balancing technology and human-centric practices. By embracing agility, leveraging digital tools, and prioritizing employee engagement, HR professionals can drive purpose, performance, and organizational success in an ever-changing world.
The PPP module in the Jassy Summer School targets key themes to prepare HR professionals for the future of work, focusing on agility, technology, employee engagement, and performance.
Number of contact hours: 36 (out of which 6 are online and 30 on-site)
Assessment method(s): team case studies and individual essay
Contact (module coordinator): Lecturer dr. Carmen Claudia Aruștei (carmen.arustei@uaic.ro)
MODULE OUTLINE:
Online (6 hours)
- The changing role of HR. Transforming HR for Tomorrow’s Workplace (3 hours in the week 1-4 July)
- Team-based case study presentations (3 hours in the week 21-25 July, establish together)
On-site, Iasi, Romania (14-20 July)
Day 1. HR as a Strategic Business Partner in the Digital Age
In the digital era, HR must drive organizational agility by embracing remote and hybrid work, focusing on skilling and reskilling employees, and conducting analytics for strategic decision-making, and fostering collaboration between HR leaders and executive teams. By using tools like HR analytics for predictive insights, HR can align workforce strategies with business goals. Future-ready skills such as resilience, digital fluency, and emotional intelligence are critical for HR professionals to support transformation. The discussion will focus on raising awareness considering the changing role of HR, the general transformations within HR work.
Day 2. Employer Branding in the Digital Age
Employer branding is vital in a virtual world where recruitment and engagement are increasingly done online. Organizations must create authentic brands using social media and digital platforms while addressing Gen Z’s demand for purpose-driven work, flexibility, and technology-savvy environments. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability initiatives enhance employer attractiveness, while virtual hiring and recruitment marketing campaigns can effectively showcase an organization’s values and culture. The topics within this theme will be discussed using a company case located in Iasi, Romania.
Day 3. Future-Ready Recruitment: Linking Hiring to Organizational Outcomes
This theme will address the modern recruitment practices that use AI-powered tools, virtual assessments, and video interviews to streamline hiring processes. A focus on soft skills like communication, adaptability, and emotional intelligence that ensures candidates align with organizational culture and goals will be also emphasized. Exercises will consider competency-based hiring models, and customized interview guides for evaluation of both technical and interpersonal capabilities.
Day 4. Agile Performance Management and Reward Systems
Agile performance management emphasizes continuous feedback over traditional annual reviews, supporting real-time goal adjustments and fostering employee growth. During this day frameworks like Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) that enable dynamic goal setting for agile teams, and flexible rewards (personalized to employee need) that improve satisfaction and engagement will be discussed. A focus will be addressed also to intrinsic motivators, such as recognition and opportunities for personal development, as they are increasingly essential in hybrid work environments.
Day 5. Talent Development for Digital and Soft Skills
Talent development is critical in a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) world. Organizations must prioritize upskilling and reskilling in digital and analytical competencies alongside soft skills like resilience and emotional intelligence. Learning innovations such as micro-learning, gamification, and simulation-based training foster skill acquisition. These are the reasons why the topic within the summer school will address them while case studies of successful reskilling programs will seek to demonstrate effective approaches for navigating change.
Day 6. Humanizing Organizations: Employee Engagement and Well-Being
Employee engagement and well-being are central to organizational success. In hybrid workplaces, HR must address challenges like work-life balance and digital fatigue and burnout using wellness programs and mental health tools. Technology-driven employees surveys that measure engagement, predictive analytics that identify retention as well as performance risks could support the development of personalized, evidence-based retention strategies. By fostering connection and addressing burnout, HR can build inclusive, thriving workplaces. All these ideas will be approached during the PPP module through group discussions and exercises, as well as case studies.
PRACTICAL ACTIVITIES
- Case study analysis (team based)
- Essay presentations (individual based)
- Workshops
- Visits to companies and/or invited guest speakers from companies in Iasi
At PPP module we seek to learn while having fun and make memories.