Charting a new path for HR
In a world driven by data, technology and social media, HR roles are being aligned afresh with new employee and organisational demands
From hirers to business partners – human resource roles have undergone massive and quick changes in organisations over the last decade. HR is now juggling data, new tools, technologies and practices to push organisational growth and business – a tough task in a competitive world. So what’s being done and how?
Today, leaders of companies – CEOs, CXOs – want CHROs to have a business context, understand data (for better precision in decision-making) and be the drivers of talent agenda – ie business partners in the true sense. They also want them to display the courage and character to innovate, take difficult decisions, and become the fearless voice of reason in their organisation. Employees want HR to understand their needs; find ways of meeting them and at the same time delight them with new initiatives that can remove the hassles from their work-life, says Pankaj Bansal, co-founder and CEO, PeopleStrong HR Services.
The new HR models being adapted are recruitment process outsourcing, HR shared services and outsourcing to reduce the time spent in transactions and invest more in interacting with employees and enriching their working experience. “A recent report by Everest, a global research agency estimated a market potential of about $40 billion for the APAC HRO market, (a large part of it from India with 22% CAGR). This is a testimony to the adoption of these new HR models,” he adds.
Workforce technology has also transformed the workplace with the intervention of So-CoMo (social cloud and mobile) delivering a hassle-free worklife.
HR is now a business enabler that today employs technology (social media, mobility, and analytics), says Subhashini Sriram, director, HR, Unisys India. Process standardisation and complex metrics are being used for recruiting and engaging talent, reducing costs, and enhancing operational efficiencies in line with the changing needs of the business, she says.
According to Bansal, to deliver on key asks of business, HRs are moving towards data-driven decision- making instead of relying on intuition. This transformation is not wide-spread yet but once it is, it will bring true disruptive innovation in the way HR operates today. Skilling their HR partners for remaining aligned with company objectives is, therefore, prioritised by companies, says Samit Deb, HR head - Asia Pacific, Kronos inc.
HR has a seat in organisational reviews, staffing and hiring, talent management and presents data points, analytics, industry benchmarks in all-hands meetings. Specialisation degrees in the field have also enabled some of the top notch HR heads of the country to bring in change in the way a company functions, the cultural image of the company and the talent pool it is aiming at.
A key HR role now, Deb says, is to conduct talent reviews with business leaders to take regular stock of the talent and ensure critical seats have a succession plan, appropriate development interventions to create a talent pipeline. HR is also expected to track external trends and use data analytics for decision-making. Perzine Dadyburjor, senior knowledge advisor, SHRM India, gives an outline of the HR service delivery model largely followed by organisations today:
Shared services centres look after day- to-day HR operational activities Centres of excellence include groups/resources in specialised areas such as compensation, benefits, learning and development, etc. HR business partners (HRBP) consult with business managers/leaders on people issues. “The role of an HRBP is possibly one of the closest to business and line managers and hence looks at addressing both, the business and people agenda. An HRBP acts as a bridge between organisation and employees,” she says.
Bansal also says that HR processes which are high on transactions like document management, payroll management, etc are being automated with selfservice options for employees. Large firms are also opting for technology-based employee query resolution systems.