HR Leaders doing it all

HR Leaders – doing it all

Why can’t HR just be HR?

Have you ever noticed that the HR department often gets combined with other functions? For example, many HR job descriptions will ask for a head of “HR/Legal, HR/Finance, HR/Administration, HR/Marketing, and HR/Travel.” Please raise your hand if you are an HR Leader who loves finance or gets excited about office administration? In my experience, it is rare to meet an HR professional who is an expert across all (or any) of these functions.

I can’t think of an example of any other department that is forced to split their time like HR.  Is it because the work that Human Resources functions do is simply not enough to justify its own focused department? That is obviously BS. Maybe this was true back in the day when HR was a “personnel” function whose main priority was to ensure that employees were paid and benefits were administered. But these days, HR plays a crucial role in every part of a company, from organizational design to enabling leaders and building the workplace of the future.

These kind of double-hatting structures contribute to HR leaders doubting themselves and their capabilities. Non-HR people think that HR is "easy." Therefore, HR should be able to handle another function (or three), right?!? This kind of thinking makes HR pros doubt our contribution and wonder if the complexity of the role is all in our heads. Let me set the record straight - it's not. HR is expected to be so many things: culture carrier, babysitter, camp counsellor, first aider, legal guru, compliance fiend, automated "no" inbox, strategic problem solver and so much more. With that level of complexity and varied expectations, it’s no wonder that so many of my clients suffer from imposter syndrome and doubt their abilities.

HR is expected to be so many things: culture carrier, babysitter, camp counsellor, first aider, legal guru, compliance fiend, automated "no" inbox, strategic problem solver and so much more.

Look, I’ll concede that there is overlap between these different functional areas and HR. I also realize that at smaller companies, sometimes there is simply no choice. The work has to get done somehow and HR often acts as a catch-all. Let’s review why so many companies force their HR departments to perform multiple functions and some better ways to approach things.

HR/Legal Almost all aspects of the employee lifecycle require some level of documentation – from hiring to firing, and from promotions to disciplinary actions. Employment contracts, termination letters and the like govern the legal relationship between employee and employer. HR is also tasked with ensuring that a company abides by the local labor laws and relevant ordinances. But for most organizations, the scope of “legal” is much broader. It requires expertise and advice on things as far ranging as legal entity set-up, transaction due diligence, and assessment of business opportunities.

HR/Finance Employee payroll is the most common overlap between HR and Finance. At smaller companies, the Finance team may perform this task because payroll forms a critical part of their budget and fixed costs. Yet, on the flip side, it wouldn’t make sense for an HR professional to be doing financial reporting or the yearly tax audit. HR/Administration In many small companies, the task of office administration often falls to the HR department. This can include things like ordering office supplies, stocking the pantry, searching for new office space or organizing company social events. These are often mundane, low value-add tasks that may be better suited to an office receptionist or secretary. HR/Marketing Depending on the size and structure of the company, HR may also be responsible for marketing or social media. This is particularly true if the company’s core customers are candidates. I don’t know many HR professionals with expertise in designing timely and relevant marketing campaigns, writing press releases, and maximizing their employer’s social media presence. This type of work is best done by marketing experts.  HR/Travel Employee travel often falls under HR’s remit because HR can be involved in setting the travel policy, weighing in on what gets reimbursed, and getting involved when infractions arise.  The debate about who is responsible for processing travel expenses and who should be booking business travel arose in some shape or form at all of my previous employers.

Ultimately, you’ll get more bang for your buck if your Human Resources department is focused solely on HR and is not forced to divide their time on areas that are outside of their expertise. You could consider outsourcing, tapping into gig workers or utilizing AI or automation as other ways to get these tasks done.

Every HR leader that I know works best when she can focus on her core capabilities and deliver the best support to her clients. HR leaders are not accountants, marketeers, lawyers or secretaries. The HR role is complex enough without adding in two or three other functions to manage.

I work with female senior leaders in Human Resources who feel stuck to help them love their work or find work they love. Like this newsletter? Please sign-up, share + follow me if you found this interesting. I write about:

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