Well I am going to jump right in with my first post and talk about the role of the Human Resources function and HR professionals. Depending on whom you talk to or what company you visit, you may receive mixed responses as to what role HR plays in the business world. Is HR an administrative function, are we strategic business partners, maybe payroll/benefit coordinators?

Well the initial answer is that we serve a number of areas and we wear many hats. We operate the “guidance counselor office” where everyone gathers to vent and get things off of their chests, both professional and personal. We morph into the bad guy/girl, bad cop, or any other role that takes the need to be the bearer of bad news off of others. And, we act as the cheerleader, making sure that we advocate for and recognize high-performing employees and making sure that the company gives under-performing employees the chance and the resources needed to improve.

The list can go on and on but let me get back to the immediate topic. Some companies/business leaders see the HR function as an administrative one. For those companies, I have to say that they may be better suited by outsourcing that function if all they simply want is payroll and benefits administration. I understand that smaller companies may not have the need for anything more than administrative work and if that is the case then they should change their HR manager’s job title to office manager or administrative assistant.

Where HR really shines is as a Strategic Business Partner to the leaders of a company. I first will say that it is up to HR professionals to prove that we belong “at the table” with the other business leaders but when we do prove capable, those business leaders need to show that they respect and trust our recommendations/decisions. As our country’s economy struggles to get back on track, companies need to find creative ways to distribute their people talent to meet their operation goals. Companies need effective workforce planning to not only ensure they have the right people, in the right jobs, at the right time but to plan for future changes to their industry/business. Companies need talent acquisition processes in place to effectively recruit the best available talent into their organization before their competitor does, and once that talent is there they need to effectively on-board them so that they reach needed productivity levels as quickly as possible. We will always operate the “guidance counselor office” but these are the types of discussions and planning sessions that HR professionals need to be involved in and where we can be of most value to the organizations we serve.

So what is the role of HR? HR’s role is “at the table” as a valued business partner. HR professionals, we need to show that we belong at that table and business leaders you need to respect and trust us enough to be there.

I know this is a popular topic, maybe even a controversial one so I would love to hear any comments, feedback, disputes, etc.

 - qlockett