Gone are the days when HR was limited to supporting a business’ need to evaluate, hire, and train people. HR would invariably deal less with employees and be involved more with paperwork.

The ongoing pandemic has forced companies to operate remotely, causing a drastic shift in workforce management strategies. This change in the dynamics has also posed new challenges for HR professionals. From recruiting, monitoring organisational processes and objectives to implementing new policies--all HR processes have been digitized. The HR department has become the torch-bearer of every organisation as they seamlessly align cross-functional resources and make smarter, data-driven decisions, allowing organisations to assess their employees better. Human Resources, now, has become more than just a support function in an organisation.

Gone are the days when HR was limited to supporting a business’ need to evaluate, hire, and train people. HR would invariably deal less with employees and be involved more with paperwork. In today's competitive landscape where various business facets have seen mass-scale digitization, an evolved approach to Human Resources is the need of the hour. Let's take a look at how HR roles are evolving.

Strategic Partners: What was once viewed as one of the least exciting areas of an organisation has now become one of the most dynamic and strategic departments. Today, HR professionals are equipped with Data Science and Analytics skills to help businesses achieve their goals. They are required to use data and collaborate with other departments, like Marketing and Finance, to achieve organisational goals.

People-Centric: An HR professional's role has become more people-centric in an organisation. They are responsible for bridging communication gaps, increasing employee engagement, and enhancing the overall employee experience. Emerging technologies, like People Analytics, assist HR in focusing on the overall employee experience and are transforming the traditional service-oriented HR department into a hybrid leadership role.

People Analytics & Digital HR: Organisations are deploying emerging technologies and data analytics in workforce management to take better employee-related decisions. In this increasingly digital age, People Analytics & Digital HR skills in workforce management are highly in demand. HR professionals need to keep up with new tools and systems for recruitment, performance management, learning & training, wellness, and engagement. LinkedIn’s Global Talent Trends report states that 73% of HR leaders believe that incorporating People Analytics will be a major priority for their company in the next five years.

How are digital skills becoming more relevant?

Embracing data analytics and emerging technologies allows HR professionals to automate and digitize many of their processes. With more organisations incorporating People Analytics and Digital HR in their HR operations, it has become imperative for working HR professionals and aspirants considering a career in Human Resources Management to upskill their skill sets. As per a Deloitte survey, 56% of surveyed companies are redesigning their Human Resources programs to leverage digital and mobile tools, while 33% are using some form of Artificial Intelligence-based services in their strategies. HR professionals now need to know how to operate digital HR software, AI-based services, and Cloud applications, and utilise them to centralise various HR and business data.

To remain relevant in today's competitive world, HR professionals must understand this transformation in HR roles and upskill themselves to ensure that they have the appropriate skills to navigate the new digital reality successfully.

(The given article is authored by  Sarita Digumarti, COO & Co-founder, Jigsaw Academy)