We had the great opportunity to sit down with Shujaat, founder of Belong and Lead, who shares his expertise on talent management, workplace culture, and the future of HR. His approach is grounded in actionable insights, aiming to debunk myths and drive innovation in both business and social spheres. We dove into his philosophies, experiences, and vision for the future of work.
Shujaat has a clear mission about how he hopes to help leaders. "I'm in the business of myth-busting based on actionable insights and everything around talent and culture." His role is to help leaders, second-line leaders, and middle managers make better decisions and avoid wrong ones. With organizational innovation, productivity, and social impact in mind, he leverages insights and sound leadership principles. This focus on evidence-based decision-making is central to his approach.
Belong and Lead, Shujaat's advisory company was born out of a unique journey. Shujaat's background is diverse—he was a well-established strategy and operations consultant before venturing into HR. He wanted to not just help people sell products, but aid in shifting “to something that makes a real change and has an impact on both business and social for the talents within an organization," he explains. His vision, pursued for over a decade, is to transform workplaces into platforms for building purposeful lives, not just resumes.
Shujaat emphasizes the broader societal impact of this approach. He highlights that by strengthening societal impact, you can build a more “purposeful society, you can still achieve financial growth, innovation while making sure that you're also driving dignity and uplifting because a lot of the population are left marginalized." This vision drives his work in the talent space, aiming to unlock innovation and social impact capital within organizations.
The Inspiration Behind Belong and Lead
Looking at remote work, hybrid work, employee activism around diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and the rise of AI, underscores both the opportunities and threats these trends present. A year before the pandemic, he advocated for remote and hybrid work, predicting its potential to unlock new work models. "When the pandemic came in, I actually got pulled in because of that," he recalls.
He identifies three waves that are shaping the future of work:
Though many complicate what a strong and inclusive workplace should entail, Shujaat tends to keep the policy matter simple. He mentions that you just have to "Treat others how they want to be treated." He critiques the conventional "Golden Rule," urging companies to consider individual needs. "Being inclusive means understanding and addressing the unique needs of employees from the most marginalized communities, and leveraging the learning from what we deploy there to make life better for everyone" he asserts. Inclusivity involves capturing and thinking through diverse needs throughout the employee experience, even if it is aspirational.
Engaging the Workforce Amidst the Great Resignation
Addressing the phenomenon of "the great resignation," Shujaat emphasizes the multifaceted nature of workplace engagement today. He identifies three dimensions:
These are the main three drivers of engagement according to Shujaat, and breaking these down into the company's vision and mission, culture, and the individual's role. He explains that the vision and mission of a company allow an increase in employee engagement and employee satisfaction because of organizational commitment. Culture is about how work happens, whether diverse perspectives are included, and if there is a sense of belonging. The individual's role involves feeling excited about the job and tasks, feeling energized socially, emotionally, and cognitively.
The Role of AI in HR
As AI continues to rapidly grow, Shujaat views AI as critical in HR, not just as a tool but an integrated team member. "I don't think there is AI and HR - I think HR is critical in AI," he states. He believes HR must lead the development and experimentation of generative AI, focusing on the human experience. The success of AI in HR will hinge on a deep understanding of talent strategy, culture, and employee experience.
He emphasizes the importance of adopting AI responsibly: "If you skill and reskill people and deploy AI with the human experience in mind, you can help change the culture and the way work happens." HR professionals must understand and integrate AI to enhance productivity and innovation while preserving employee well-being.
Measuring New Work Models
When measuring the performance of new work models, Shujaat recommends focusing on productivity, innovation, and culture. Productivity should encompass multiple measures, such as work completion, quality, and balance. Innovation should track the emergence and implementation of new ideas. Culture should measure inclusivity, work-life balance, and overall well-being.
Shujaat suggests a holistic approach to measuring these aspects: "You can very simply check if our productivity, innovation, culture, and experience are suffering in a new work model. Compare this to previous models, and if the new model creates more value without harm, it's a success."
The Future Workplace
Looking five to ten years into the future, Shujaat envisions a workplace defined by flexibility, intentionality, human connection, and rhythm. "The pandemic has shown that life is more than just work," he says. He emphasizes that workplaces must be intentional about how and why people work, fostering human connections and adapting to the diverse rhythms of individuals and business needs.
This future workplace will drive Engagement and innovation by aligning individual and company purposes. "It's about creating synergy between the purpose of the individual and the company," Shujaat explains. Purposeful leadership will be key, with authentic leaders who understand how to get the best out of people while serving them.
Recommended Resources
For those looking to learn more about workplace trends, Shujaat recommends following industry leaders like Brian Elliott of the Future Forum, Stanford economist Nick Bloom, and flexibility expert Cali Yost. He also highly recommends the book "Manifesto for a Moral Revolution" by Jacqueline Novogratz, which provides practical insights on reimagining success and moving towards a vision with purpose and practicality.
Conclusion
Shujaat's insights offer a comprehensive guide to navigating the evolving talent management landscape and workplace culture. His emphasis on actionable insights, inclusivity, and the strategic integration of AI underscores the importance of adapting to and embracing change. As organizations continue to face challenges and opportunities in the post-pandemic world, Shujaat's vision provides a roadmap for creating workplaces that are not only productive but also purposeful and inclusive.
