Collaborating closely across different business departments has always been an integral part of a people professional’s role, but this has become even more important to manage organisational change during the COVID-19 pandemic. From the transition to remote working to ensuring employee wellbeing, the people function has had a key role to play in leading transformation in the workplace.

This report provides evidence-based insights into how practitioners can continue to promote cross-functional collaboration in an increasingly hybrid working world. Based on discussions with 25 organisations, made up of people professionals and their peers in other business functions, it explores how forging stronger partnerships will be integral to navigating the workplace challenges of the future.

Key findings

Themes identified by people professionals and their colleagues that aid collaborative working include:

  • Building shared understanding and purpose: the pandemic has brought teams together like never before – harnessing this alignment around a core purpose will become even more important in the future.
  • Transparency and openness: sharing information, communicating more effectively and being more transparent should be encouraged.
  • Sharing expertise: drawing on the specialist knowledge of other business functions to influence decision-making and people practice will be essential going forward.
  • Collaborating across boundaries: openness to cross-team and cross-organisation working can aid collaboration and keep people at the heart of organisations.

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Effective cross-functional collaboration in a changing world of work

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