What is the role of human resources in organizations?

Human Resources (HR) is about supporting the full range of people who work in an organization, so it’s an interesting and varied place to work. A role in HR and People can encompass everything from admin to strategy, working to understand what people value in the workplace in order to deliver great employee experiences, and making sure your organization has excellent processes to underpin its productivity.

Making success happen

HR and People teams help organizations succeed by solving complex, people-related problems. Perry Timms, HR author, explains, “Business and work is all about people. Companies have very little true value outside their people.” Aadil Bandukwala, of Belong outbound hiring, agrees: “Every day we’re given a chance to… live our passions and solve complex problems that can impact the lives of millions of people.”

People Science

HR data helps organizations understand trends, preferences and effective tactics to attract, retain, reward and develop successful employees. HR and People opinion-former and consultant Josh Bersin says, “I love studying data, understanding how the economy and political factors weigh into HR strategies and how technology continues to impact HR strategies and solutions.”

Human interaction

HR and People teams interact and engage with colleagues and co-workers throughout the organization and work together as a strong People-focused team. Lisa Rosendahl, HR Director at the HR Department of Veterans Affairs and co-founder of the Women of HR blog says: “I look forward to coming [to work] to see what [my colleagues] are going to do to solve a problem, provide a resource or improve a process.”

Strategic influence

HR and People leaders contribute to business strategy in fast-growing organizations, because of the importance of employee experience insights and programs in creating a productive and creative workforce. As AI and more technology enters the workplace, HR strategies are frequently on boardroom agendas, from engagement, reskilling and digital leadership to organizational redesign.

Our research uncovers insights from 500+ HR leaders on how they’re dealing with the HR to People transformation in the digital world of work – and how they’re using technology to get ahead.