HR: Bring on the Revolution!

Change. Many of us love it, tons of us hate it, but to survive the recession, we all had to step outside our comfort zone to create solutions that transformed the way we work, making change a constant and necessary part of all our job descriptions.

Doing more for less and differently from our competition meant we had to reinvent ourselves, streamline processes and structures and take risks to break into new and untouched territory. Not only did this change the way people were expected to work individually, it transformed job functions as a whole.

Human Resources has had an interesting journey over the last few decades, moving from the traditional “personnel” to “Human Resources” and through the recession has yet again been spurred into transition where finally the potential of “HR” is being realised as an integral part of business strategy and ultimate productivity and profitability.

In many successful businesses, gone are the days when HR simply services managers and provides a transactional facility. With the requirement to integrate and optimise talent management strategically, recruit and retain the essential skills for growth, and plan effectively for the future – enabling change to happen on a whim, means HR has to step up and sit alongside those making critical decisions for the future of the business.

Some businesses are starting to replace the name “human resources” with “people and organisational development” – acknowledging the wider remit of this department in shaping and developing the business through people.

But how should HR professionals step up their game. For many in this profession they’re ready to change but the business has not yet acknowledged the potential for wider HR participation at the top table. At Penny Strutton we believe there are 3 key areas HR professionals can focus on to modernise their role

• Think big picture – take time to understand the organisation as a whole. Make it your business to find out how the business is operating against its strategic objectives, where the challenges lie externally, where performance is lagging and how the “people” element is contributing
• Think blue sky – get creative with your solutions and don’t be afraid to get it wrong. Put the rule book aside and encourage your HR team to think outside the box, learn from other professionals through networking online and face-face, do your research and apply your learnings to your in-house knowledge
• Be brave – stepping into a new strategic role can be daunting but to break down traditional barriers you’re going to have to hone your interpersonal skills to be assertive, influential, challenge the norm whilst gaining buy-in and a new found respect from your peer group.

Penny Strutton Ltd. provides coaching support for HR professionals looking to become more strategic, more influential and more successful. For more information email penny@pennystrutton.co.uk