Human Resource is and will continue to be the core focus in any industry. While of course, Human Resource is conventionally considered as that specific function or machinery responsible for talent acquisition in an organization but those of us who are a part of the Human Resources or related teams or even partners, are in cognizance of the fact that the role of Human Resources function does not just stop at Talent Acquisition.
The journey of HR has been through numerous stages and the present day HR has evolved into a multifaceted omnipresence across different functions as well as the overall organization.
Today, Human Resources function is no longer looked upon just to fill up positions; on the contrary, their role commences much before that stage. Organizations expect their HR to pre-empt human resource requirements based on the direction that the business is taking and its diversifications. Organizations look forward to be guided by their Human Resource Chiefs to source the most optimal talent for their business; and these expectations may include advice on talent sourcing or suggesting automation or outsourcing or a mix of these. At the same time, one needs to understand and appreciate the fact that such advice can be best offered when the Human Resources team works in close alliance with the core functional teams of the organization.
While the role of Human Resources is inevitable in onboarding talent, a lot more is to be achieved once your talent arrives. Talent engagement and performance enhancement continue to be some of the most common issues faced by organizations world over. Simply filling up new positions and backfilling does not end HRs responsibility. Human Resource definitely adds value by playing a strong hand in shaping talent in conjunction with business units to suit business needs and deliver value. By periodic performance reviews of competencies and skills, Human Resources helps businesses gauge where talent stands and what corrective actions can be taken to improvise numbers further – both talent performance and business performance. With this it is fair to state that no longer are business heads alone responsible for driving performance and numbers; Human Resources plays a critical and participatory role in performance by employees and being accountable for results delivered.
And while the above thoughts address the core role that Human Resources plays in an organization, the buck still does not stop there. It is essential for Human Resources to address the entire stretch of the employee life cycle, which means to say that areas of development and growth – promotions and role enhancements, compensation and benefits structuring, work culture and ambience, employee grievance management, employee exits and lay offs. Owning up the entire cycle of an employee is what organizations expect of Human Resources today and from the look of it, Human Resources is gradually evolving in balancing these areas by leveraging on technology and more importantly on their own experience i.e. by taking advantage of essential data points they have in their custody – people demographics and specific data like educational backgrounds, prior workplace, etc…