If you’ve read my latest HRProfessionals article, you might already know where this blog takes us – to Israel! And while a travelogue may seem like a departure from my regular content, bear with me. I feel inclined to share this experience with the HR community for more than a few reasons. But first, some context: Gerry Crisp and China Gorman, two of the industry’s most remarkable thought leaders, have been hosting HR and talent management trips around the world, with support from Nanda Journeys, for several years. That took me, Gerry, China and our fellow travelers to the ultimate start-up nation to learn how companies hire, train, deploy and retain their people.
Everyone on the trip (about a dozen folks in total) has some affiliation with HR, and yet, few of us overlapped, making the perspectives shared along the way all the more interesting. We were active practitioners, consultants, researchers, academics and more. Over the course of about nine days, we met with a variety of organizations, including the Israeli Government Workforce Committee, HR technology solutions providers and local businesses, and also took in the sights: the Old City of Jerusalem, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Wailing Wall, Bahai Gardens, and much more.
So, what did we learn? For one thing, Israeli organizations struggle with many of the issues we do in the United States: talent shortages, rapid innovation and the call to increase diversity and inclusion. How we handle these challenges seems to be the primary difference.
The Israeli business community rewards personal connections and networking and places great emphasis on hospitality and getting to know others. They have a practical and resourceful mindset, evidenced by mandatory military service that creates a lasting impact and provides shared experiences. That might also speak to the country’s interest in innovation.
It's this last part that struck me. There are a plethora of HR technology companies with an Israeli presence seeking to change the way HR operates, solving problems and overcoming obstacles. Israel is getting creative about how and where they find talent and working vigorously to build a country that is accessible to everyone. Israel is excited about innovation and wants to share its findings with the world, which brings me to my biggest takeaway from this trip: even though we might live in different places, we share so much in common – especially those in HR.
Keep on Learning,
—Amy Dufrane, Ed.D., SPHR, CAE
HRCI CEO
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