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The strategic future of HR in rhetoric is strong. The CIPD have recently published their manifesto for a new Government, ambitiously driving forward their national pivotal role in ‘championing better work and working lives’. Indeed, HR have admirably fielded significant threats in recent times. Their very existence was questionable throughout the most recent recession.

Talent management came under threat. Outsourcing was a dragon that had to be caged. Learning and development took a hit but emerged victoriously rebranded as organisational development for some. In the UK, the CIPD worked hard to build HR professional status by creating national competency standards and have offered impressive dialogue examining mega-trends, transformational change and most recently using neuroscience in organisations.

It all sounds good out there in HR.

But let’s face it, in reality is HR really achieving their strategic aim? Are they pivotal to business and are they really getting businesses to invest more strategically in their greatest asset – their people? Chests swelling with pride, the CIPD and academics proclaim a loud yes! And having taught HRM and the CIPD for years, I can indeed talk that talk impressively. But on the ground and out there, can this profession really walk the walk of 21^st century strategy?  Maybe not.

Yet.

Just a snapshot, but we see most recently in the UK hiring intentions are now ‘sky high’ but productivity is lagging 21.7% behind the G7 average. Is that because HR maybe haven’t quite taken hold of the engagement conundrum and played a key part then? The CIPD continue to work on consistent ways to report human capital metrics according to their HR Public Policy writer.

I wonder why HR still seem to be struggling with metrics at times in this technological data driven age. HR are still coercing employers to respect diversity (and we are not quite there yet are we truthfully?). HR remain sceptical and cautious about using social media despite the plethora of debate glorifying its’ potential. Very recently it has been reported that although 87% of L&D professionals believe that business planning is a top priority for the profession, ‘less than half, 47%, said they had the necessary skills in-house to achieve organisational change’.

Shocking really and additionally my work as an HR consultant has shown me HR can be perceived to be overly bureaucratic, defensive and process-driven.

In this worrying context, there is a risk that instead of HR’s potential strategic contribution to the organisation being capitalised on, HR might become under-utilised and relegated to focusing only on core functions and efficiency measures.

But for me in some ways it is time to revisit some of what might be considered basics to create new directions. By basics I don’t mean functional personnel duties, I mean basics in attitudes and behaviours. HR themselves should harness some of that neuroscience! A little of good old self-awareness is needed in the profession here. You might say the CIPD measure this through their professional standards but I see it direly lacking in some HR learners.

We are not on a pedestal and must stop working in our silos. Recently a HR writer argued on LinkedIn, ‘No matter what you do (in HR), someone is going to criticize and distrust you — and many will hate you, even if they don’t know your name. That’s the reality.’

HR, we really must stop with this self-pity and blame! We are not untouchable. It is about building relationships not defending our territory.

Revisiting the basics it is time to communicate, collaborate and co-operate with line managers and employees. So many times I hear manager bashing in the learning environment. Let’s reduce our self-imposed boundaries and work alongside IT, PR, marketing and other core business functions too.

But we must really learn from them and reduce our suspicions to widen our understanding and expertise.

Let’s step off the pedestal and really focus on our 21^st century approach.