As the world of work changes, role of HR is shifting from recruiter to relationship manager

With a change in the world of work and the hiring ecosystem in the past couple of years, the role of human resource (HR) managers in companies has assumed greater significance, and changed from a recruiter to a relationship manager for the employees/staff, and business goals, and from payroll in-charge to problem solvers.

With the evolution of workspace dynamics, hybrid work becoming a new normal, and employee retention assuming greater meaning, HR leaders are reinventing themselves - at least several of them if not all.

HR, as a business role, has evolved, said Chandrajit Pati, Chief People Officer of agrochemicals firm PI Industries. He said managers across sectors have become more of solution providers for employees and for business units.

Ritu Rakhra, Regional HR Head (India), Dell Technologies, said the role of HR has evolved in the last few years. In the last couple of years, the HR function has changed as much as the entire business outlook, she said.

"The pandemic impacted everyone...then the great reshuffle happened, and the challenge of retention assumed significance across industries. HR and people leaders are now increasingly focusing on wellness, mental health of employees, and making that extra effort to connect with employees and teams, via team leaders and focused programs," Rakhra explained.

Pati said HR managers across industries are open to listening to employees more. Besides, he and his team have given a lot of access to colleagues to solve their issues on a regular basis. The relationship is not confined to one or two duties anymore, but is about nurturing constant relationships, and conscious relationship.

Hiring is no more transactional. It is a relationship between the hiring managers or recruiters, and possible employees. While at the lower end of the employee pyramid, transactional behaviour is still dominant, at the mid and senior levels recruiters are building relationships.

“All of a sudden HR has been catapulted to the business operations (space too) ...When you handle people, you are not doing it in isolation anymore, you have to manage people along with other stakeholders, including your Board…” Pati of PI Industries, said.

Recruiters and staffing firms also argued that the rigidity around employee engagement, hiring, rehiring, etc is getting redefined and the role of HR is growing in stature.

“You are talking to potential employees, understanding them, and making a good offer at the right time. It’s key to get the talent in. It’s a win-win for all – recruiters/HR managers, job seekers and the company. If you have spotted a good talent, it’s important to nurture it,” Ankit Agarwala, Managing Director (India) of Page Group, that owns recruitment firm Michael Page, said, underlining the value of building relationships even with potential employees.