
I remember the old days when Human Resources (HR) was still called Personnel Management. I detested that word. By default the HR fraternity was considered the administrative resource in a company structure and not adding any real value.
However, Human Resources (HR) in South Africa, much like globally, has evolved significantly in response to changes in the world of work over recent years.
In my experience as an HR expert, I have realised that to keep up with the world of work as an HR specialist, we need to understand:
- Your organisation’s business model.
- Financial principles (you do not need to be an Accountant).
- The industry you are in. It is ever evolving.
- How technology affects your work, i.e. AI, machine learning, automation, etc.
A business’s core purpose is to ultimately make a profit, but should never be to the detriment of its people or the environment in which it operates. It is HR’s role to facilitate a deeper understanding and conversation of how we need to combine Business, People, Technology and Processes to the benefit of the company. This should allow us to identify the requirements of the employee of the future, even if it is only an educated guess.
HR is embracing technology to streamline processes such as recruitment, onboarding, performance- and talent management. Creating visibility of these processes HR allows businesses to make better informed decisions in achieving it’s own strategic objectives.