what's in a name?
The rapid dawn of the future of work is pushing HR to transform. A lot of organizations are re-branding their HR functions to become more people, and talent focused, starting with the name. Titles such as Chief People Officer, Chief Experience Officer, Chief Talent Officer and Chief Human Capital Officer are cropping up everywhere. If this tell us anything, it is telling how inevitable it has become that these changes must happen.
But it's not just the name change that is important; it's a fundamental shift in the purpose of this function, the why, how and what it does, that matter.
Why are organizations doing this?
From 'the complaint department' to ‘the principal’s office’, HR has been subject to the full gamut of buzzkill stereotypes. It is the hiring and firing department, the payroll and policies people, a rigid function trapped in its own world of rules and regulations. In today’s world, the name "human resources" gives a negative connotation about people being just another resource available to organisations to expend and make profit. Makes employees feel they are just another cog in the machine. In fact, even the name ‘employee’ is starting to catch up to a string of outdated labels which must be replaced with names synonymous with ‘who’ we are not ‘what’ we are.
It is great to see that finally HR is working hard to break away from these outdated notions, reinvent itself to build a workplace that attracts, motivates, rewards, and advances people.
In the future of work, it is the people experience that matter. HR is becoming vital to improve people’s perceptions of the brand – and by people I’m referring to both employees or customers. It is no longer just about ensuring that policies are not broken and employees paid on time. It is driven by a purpose to create engaging environments where people want to be, are inspired, feel engaged, motivated, thrive and take ownership and pride in their work and their organization.
Thinking of renaming your HR function? Decide what you want the new name to denote and make sure that the role that this function plays is congruent to what’s in the new name.
Is your organization going through this paradigm shift? Share your experience…