The function of the HRD has evolved over time from a role of social control to that of strategist in support of the business. If he is a link for all employees in the diffusion of a unique culture, the HRD is also, increasingly, a project manager whose profitability is promoted.
What are the factors in the evolution of the HRD role?
The prerogatives of the HRD are evolving under the impulse of several factors:
- The rapid transformation of businesses and the need for continuous adjustment of internal know-how.
- The transformation of forms of collaboration, the advent of the company as an ecosystem of partners.
- The emergence of new management technologies in response to the need to do better with less.
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New functions, new qualities
The new needs of the company translate into a need for personnel with a different profile. These people must be agile and flexible. They must also be able to acquire new skills skills and have the ability to question themselves. Finally, the personnel must be adaptable to evolving work methods.
The HRD must reflect this and distinguish itself by its open-mindedness and agility. But he or she must also retain a leadership role that is essential for federating, training and making decisions, if necessary.
Methodological transformations that follow those of the market require the active participation and sense of well-being of the company’s employees. Their level of motivation at work is then reflected in their level of productivity. To help this evolution of the HR function, tools are available to ensure the smooth running of the company. They contribute to its competitiveness and free the HRD from its original functions. These tools include HRIS software for SMEs or large accounts, or an HR intranet.
The HRD of tomorrow is agile
Being agile means being able to do more work, faster, while keeping the same budget. This is the challenge for new HRDs, which encompasses the aspects of transformation and digitalization.
Leading the transformation of the entire company:
The HRD of tomorrow must ensure the coherence of the strategy, make sure that the objectives are well understood by all and constantly monitor the concordance of the pace with the action plans;
Overseeing the digitalization of the company:
Digitization is no longer under the sole control of the information systems department. This process has become global, affecting all of the company’s departments, and therefore requires monitoring of its fluidity and the necessary coordination.
The HRD of tomorrow is a “Business Partner
The new human resources functions are no longer limited to administrative, regulatory or legal issues. These subjects have been delegated to the responsibility of HRIS software or human resources information systems, which now automate these various tasks.
The new HRD has 5 facets:
- Be able to understand the way the company operates. He must know the ins and outs of the business, the market players, etc… ;
- Know how to organize the collaboration of different talents. This makes it possible to promote teamwork as much as possible by inventing new ways of working, encouraging horizontal and vertical communication;
- To be able to guide strategic decisions with a view to profitability. He/she is responsible for ensuring that the action plans adopted are compatible with the response capabilities of the teams and to act in case of dysfunction;
- Understandingthe the challenges of digitalization. The HRD must be attentive so that it does not call into question the image, culture, or values of the company.
- Make its mark over time. The HRD carries out evolutions in an iterative way, while evaluating their impacts. This was the comment made by Benoit Serre in September 2022 at the seminar for young HRDs.
“A new broom always sweeps well. A HRD works well at the beginning but how does she evolve over time? How does she take responsibility for what she has brought in a 2 year horizon rather than leaving it to her heir to measure the impacts.
The HRD of tomorrow is a leader
The new HRD must transform the vision that teams have of a company for new arrivals or the current workforce. It is not enough for him to draw the contours of the company, but he must manage its functioning. Don’t hesitate to point out any shortcomings at skill, to demand that training be acquired or to replace an employee in an unsuitable position.
The HRD must unite behind the employer brand, give it visibility, ensure its good reputation and give meaning to employment within the company. He or she must bring the different components of the company along with him or her by moving the cursors linked to the following components: well-being at work, QWL, CSR, benefits, etc., which will also make it possible to retain talent. The right strategy for the new HRD is to think from the point of view of the staff, for a win-win result. This consists of enriching the skills of employees, knowing that these skills will be useful for the company’s growth. These training efforts must then be translated into real progress for the employee within the structure in terms of remuneration or empowerment.
