Kelsey Blazik

Business 205-225
Professor Bento
August 30, 2022

Article 1
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2021/03/08/redefining-the-
role-of-hr-in-2021/?sh=3256bd8856d5

Redefining The Role of HR in 2021

Written by; Crystal Williams
March 8, 2021
Chapter 1 of our textbook discusses some of the biggest challenges Human

Resources are facing today.

1. Maintaining high levels of employee engagement.

2. Managing the loss of key workers and their skill sets.

3. Developing next generation organization leaders.

I choose this article because it is describing how the role of HR needed to be

adjusted. I wanted to find something that kind of correlated with chapter 1. Chapter 1

describes the role of HR and why it is important as does this article. It states that “last

year provided an excellent opportunity for HR to redefine itself and become front and

center in ensuring employee responsiveness in a way that positively impacts morale,

engagement, service levels and company performance.” Which is exactly what chapter

1 in the book is highlighting.

 Chapter 1 states that knowledge workers are being eliminated from the work

force because technology is taking over and with what just happened this year with the

pandemic and remote work I would have to agree.

This article states that being in HR, you are the front and center of the company,

you are a “people-focused department.” HR also must understand how employees view

the organization because you are positioned to act as the “change agents” in

implementing business strategies. As HR you create a blueprint for employee

engagement and success. They speak how innovation and collaboration are two of their

core values. This encourages employees to share ideas in addressing problems.

I am in agreeance with this approach because I think that it not only empowers

the employees it also creates positive employee relationships, and these are two very

important fundamentals within companies. This is also a way to keep our “knowledge

workers” around and within our companies.

Chapter 1 goes further on to describe turnover and absenteeism. It speaks about

the difference between HR, line, and staff managers and the different roles they play.

The HR staff have the primary responsibility of developing the HR policies and

programs for everyone in the organization to implement daily.

When the employees are involved, it makes them feel like they are part of a team

and not a dictatorship. This article is about how redefining the role of HR will

substantiate the change within everything the pandemic has brought. It states how

using facts to back an employee is important and I too thing this is a good strategy, this

maintains high levels of employee involvement. We can use this pandemic and people
working remotely as an example. When the pandemic was over how many companies

wanted their employees to return to work without explanation, when working remotely

was working fine. This could get into the loss of key workers and their skill sets. Did the

HR members of these companies approach company policies and use facts to address

their concerns. For example, saying working remotely has reduced operating costs, or

that customer complaints are down, and sales are up.

“Redefining The Role of HR in 2021” discuss a specific company called

FLEETCOR and how this company has encouraged professional growth by

implementing certifications and other continuing education within their company. This

helps keep their key workers and builds onto the skill set they already have.

Other business could learn from this company. This is a more effective way of

communicating and can be a powerful way of communicating with employees as well.

This communication is all part of employee engagement and some of the thing’s

companies are struggling with. They take into consideration some of the main concerns

within HR and its biggest challenges.