HR staff used to be seen as the administrative enforcers of the business’ management team – executive-centric and reactive, hindering the other employees in performing their jobs with complex layers of bureaucracy.
These days, there is a clear move away from seeing HR as a purely administrative activity, and towards appreciating it as complex, interpersonal and consultative work that requires a wide range of skills, from counselling and communication to business planning and strategy. Today’s HR manager is at the centre of the organisation’s web of employees and departments. Here are three ways that HR has a direct influence on the success of the business.
Supporting the business
The HR function must adapt to what the modern business needs – a highly dynamic employee management and planning team that can react and adapt to the rapidly changing requirements of the organisation. HR should be considered a strategic, integrated position that directly influences the business’ success because HR works so closely with its human capital – the organisation’s true competitive advantage and central value offering. By managing current, incoming and outgoing employees, HR ensures the company always has the right people for the right jobs.
Employee engagement
HR should no longer be seen as an employee’s last resort in the case of negative encounters – in fact, modern HR should be defined by active engagement with employee issues, championing staff members in the workplace, listening to concerns, and building a partnership between HR, employees and managers.
Managing expectations, communicating, being flexible and providing adequate training are some of the most important factors in keeping employees happy. HR managers can go further, too – performing human-centred performance appraisals, actively driving career development and upskilling, developing effective reward systems