By Carol Duman
Director of Human Resources

The role of the Human Resources professional is changing. Traditionally viewed as the policing arm of executive management, HR is becoming a strategic partner throughout the organization, and impacting business development, employee productivity, and corporate strategy.

HR of the Past

The HR role was aligned with personnel and administration functions, so HR was perceived as merely managing paperwork and, at times, a roadblock. HR was also viewed as a necessary evil. For example, an organization does not want employees and managers creating labor or harassment policies and procedures.

HR of Today

The HR role today relates to the organization’s needs, which continue to change and become more adaptable to specific industry requirements, employee wants, customer needs, or regulations. As a result of this changing role, many organizations considered HR to be a strategic partner to all departments within the organization.

For HR to be a successful business partner, HR personnel need be accountable for employee costs for HR processes and procedures. They need to quantify HR programs and processes to ensure they are meeting the organization’s financial and professional goals.

As a voice for the employee, HR plays an important role in an organizations’ success by creating a motivated and positive work environment. HR is responsible for creating a culture that empowers employees to set goals, take ownership, and feel a commitment to the organization, which will better serve customers. By developing programs that promote employee growth, HR plays a critical role in employee development and the ultimate success of an organization.

Even as the HR role changes it is still viewed as the department responsible for employee relationships and daily functions. Depending on the size of the organization, HR is responsible for all operations that involve employee functions, including recruiting, hiring, training, organizational development, performance management, policies, salary administration, employee relations, and team building.

The HR professional contributes to the organization by constantly assessing the effectiveness of the HR function. To promote the overall success of the organization, HR embraces the organization’s mission, vision, values, goals, and action plans with everyone in the organization.