The Struggle is Real: The Great Rebranding of HR
Time and time again, I hear from HR leaders that they are expected to do more (and would like to do more) strategic work, but are mired down in the administrative aspects of the role, with limited budgets, lack of resources and leadership support. The business is hesitant to invest in technology and tools that would automate much of these administrative tasks and free us up to do more meaningful work with a broader impact. And this constant barrage of work is drowning us, leaving us feeling drained, tired, frustrated, and uncertain how much longer we can sustain.
So why is this? Well, a colleague of mine recently shared an article that cited a fascinating study by Sage, a leader in accounting, financial, HR, and payroll technology for small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs), that may provide some insight to this frustrating phenomenon for HR Leaders.
In their poll of 1000+ HR and C-Suite leaders, while there is general agreement that the scope of the Human Resources function has dramatically changed in recent years and C-Suite leaders seem well-attuned to the challenges HR faces and its growing importance in business strategy, 63% of C-Suite executives still see HR’s role as highly administrative. In fact, less than half (39%) of the HR leaders say they believe employees are knowledgeable about what HR does.
This speaks to the perceived value of our function, whether you call it Human Resources, People Operations, or something else. Sadly, in a survey conducted by HR Dive earlier this year, only about 60% of HR respondents said they felt “very” or “highly” valued by company leadership; around 40% felt only “somewhat” or “not at all” valued. No wonder headhunters are having difficulty finding great senior HR talent! They’re bowing out to take time off or move into less operational consulting roles where the ROI is more appealing.
Great HR leaders understand and anticipate business and employee needs and are comfortable dealing with uncertainty and risk. How we are perceived and utilized is a function of education, which starts with each and every one of us. It is our responsibility to educate and elevate the value we bring by communicating more broadly all the great work we do within our department, beyond the obvious and administrative aspects. No longer can we operate quietly behind the scenes. Being able to quantify the impact our work and programs have on organizational health and operations is a must! This increased and broader transparency will drive greater insight, understanding and likely, appreciation and recognition, for the value our function provides.
Once this connection to increased business operations is made, we’re in a better position to advocate for the budget, resources, automation needed to continue to allow us to spend more of our time on high-value activities that are far-reaching and have a broader impact on the business operations.
It’s a bit of a chicken and egg situation, but essential nonetheless for HR Leaders to have the confidence to influence our C-Suite peers and illustrate what is possible. Perhaps this is why 33% of HR leaders surveyed indicated a desire for better peer-to-peer support networks within HR to help enable their success. I couldn’t agree more! This is why I created my Wisdom Circle Program in 2020. We are a peer-to-peer learning and support community for HR Leaders so you don’t have to go it alone.
If the past several years of uncertainty, shifting power dynamics, political tensions, pandemic, social changes, coupled with the more recent economic downturn have left you feeling tired and questioning your role and impact as an HR Leader, you are not alone!
I’ve extended registration for our next cohort (starting in January) through the end of this week (Dec. 9), so if you’re interested in joining us, submit your application ASAP so we can determine if it’s a good fit for you in the new year.
Sources:
https://www.protocol.com/workplace/broken-chro-pipeline
https://www.hrdive.com/news/human-resources-outdated-term/637315
