Corporates across the world are changing. They are changing faster than ever before. During the last one and half a decade such changes have assumed a huge proportion and almost all the functions in the corporates have been swamped by such changes. HR is no exception.
Traditionally, HR has always been considered as a support function in the business and continued to play this role for a long time. Naturally, questions which were raised about this kind of existence of HR in business was either taken as a fait accompli or brushed aside as a ‘complaint’ lodged by other functions of the business (somewhat similar to ‘sibling rivalry’).
Fortunate, that some serious considerations have found its place. The debate whether HR should continue to play such a constricted and traditional (hence unchangeable) role has taken a serious turn. Today it is considered worth that reviewing HR’s role in the context of changing business is neither in fructuous nor an academic exercise.
One of the important, if not the most important, reason of change in corporates and consequently, the ways of doing business, is globalization*. Global organizations are seen more today than ever before and therefore the importance of understanding the role of HR in the new perspective.**
However, the impact of globalization on HR has both brought hopes and generated serious challenges for HR professionals. This is succinctly pointed by Dr. Wayne Brockbank, “There has never been a more exciting time to be a HR professional. The business world demands greater value from the HR profession and HR is uniquely positioned to deliver these organizational capabilities.”
How are the HR professionals viewing this ‘exciting time’? How are they doing what they need to do in this changing time? These are the remarkable challenges to both HR professionals and the profession itself. There are CEOs who have voiced their desperation and dissatisfaction while taking a