Why I think HR roles are becoming ‘more and more meaningful’

In a time of rapid technological uptake and increasingly scattered workforces, the human element in the workplace has never been more important, argues one professional.

In years gone by, the human resources department was viewed as more of a support function, Nirit Peled-Muntz (pictured) reflected in conversation with HR Leader. In the modern market, however, the role of HR has shifted dramatically, in line with changes to how the workforce views their own roles and vocational purpose.

Peled-Muntz, who serves as the chief people officer for people management platform HiBob and is based in Tel Aviv, said that, previously, the HR team could have months to plan workplace changes and then communicate and implement those changes. Now, those teams may only be given a week’s turnaround time.

Businesses, she said, “really need to rely on HR” nowadays, given how those changes often or always correlate to the experience of the business’s employees.

“An organisation can have the best ideas, the best technology, but if we don’t have the people to build [around] it, it will never be successful,” she said.

“More and more, the people aspect of any business decision has become so crucial.”

To this end, Peled-Muntz continued, HR’s role within the leadership team has also become essential.

For her, as a senior HR executive, “this creates a lot of excitement”.

“I feel my role becoming more and more meaningful,” she said.

Nowadays, she outlined, the HR team does not simply build and implement the human resources platform – it drives all people initiatives and is allied with other business units such as product, marketing, sales, IT, and legal, among others.

As a result, it becomes incredibly important, Peled-Muntz advised, for the HR team to take stock and, where necessary, change priorities or approaches.

It must, she said, “understand what is really impacting the organisation, impacting the employees’ wellbeing, impacting their success, and our success”.

And, if one is the leader of the HR team, delegation can be critical.

“I love to delegate and use my team as much as possible,” Peled-Muntz said.

“I really focus on building a very strong and talented team, which provides me with all the skills and knowledge that I don’t have, meaning I feel comfortable delegating, especially if I need to drop everything.”

Being able to trust in one’s team and the processes is especially important for those in HR with families, Peled-Muntz reflected.

“My father was a CEO, and he always told me that you can work 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and you will still have work. As long as we are focused, and we understand our priorities, we will understand that we can’t drop the important stuff,” she said.