If leadership is evolving, what's next for HR?

The role of HR has changed so much over the last few years, it's a good time to stop and reflect on what it means to be an HR professional in today's working world, and what a business expects of you.

In the Evolution of Leadership Report 2022 by the HR Leader and The Access Group, survey respondents were asked where they thought HR's expertise is best used (being able to select more than one answer). The standout response was 71 per cent of people answering 'Supporting the leaders in the business so those leaders can in turn support their people'. The next closest answer was 'As an escalation point for more serious people management issues' with 39 per cent of people selecting this option. 'Training line managers on being better people leaders' was selected by 35 per cent, while 30 per cent said 'Removing the day-to-day admin of people management, e.g. facilitating annual leave requests' and 3 per cent selected 'Other'.

For years, HR has been talking about winning a seat at the C-suite table. With all the people management challenges that arose over the course of the pandemic, HR has won that seat. The results of the survey concur, showing that HR is valued for the support they're able to deliver at a leadership level.

So, if HR is moving away from day-to-day admin, leaving the annual leave requests and performance review paperwork to HR systems and line managers, the profession is finally stepping up into the coveted role of strategic leader.

The Evolution of Leadership Report 2022 states "HR systems can now cover a lot of the admin that individuals previously looked after. If HR professionals feel pressure from their business to pick up more admin, it may be time for HR to check they are making the most of the tech available in the market, and then educate their workforce on its role in managing people."

Commenting on what people want from technology, The Access Group's John Maley (HR director) said "If you have ever used a fast-food delivery service, you have the delivery details — the location, expected arrival time, etc — in the palm of your hand. Employees expect this more in their work environments — if they decide to plan a long weekend away on a Sunday afternoon, they want to be able to check in real time who else in the team has booked leave and their balances so they can make decisions quickly and at their convenience."

What does all of this mean for a future HR professional's skill set?

If data entry is out and relationship building and strategic thinking is in, the focus on the 'human' in HR is stronger than ever. HR professionals with an interest in psychology, including what motivates and engages people, and how to manage difficult situations will be prized by organisations. HR will also need to be savvy about understanding the data that's being fed to them from their HR systems, as well as having a deep understanding of their marketplace and world at large.

The report, noted above, says "HR leaders are now in a position to create an environment to help develop people as effective leaders and to positively impact the trajectory and health of their organisation.

"An important element of this is for HR leaders to have relationships with the right people in order to bridge the gap between different departments and seniority levels."

Read the full Evolution of Leadership Report 2022 here.