Are you ready to join the rebellion to make HR more relevant? The time is now!

“Rebellion is the spark in the wind, the spark that seeks the powder keg.”?

HR right now: It's like a coiled spring, wanting to move forward, full of potential but stuck in the past. To really shake things up, HR needs to ditch the old playbook and rewrite its own rules.?

The Strategic Importance of HR

Successful companies invest heavily in leadership development, engagement initiatives, and inclusion efforts. However, many still underestimate the CHRO's strategic role.

HR should go beyond paperwork processing. CEOs must actively engage with their CHROs for effective people strategy.

The Problem: HRs Struggling Reputation

I had coffee with a brilliant person last week who will be presenting at Talentpalooza. We spoke of how interesting it is that Finance, IT, Marketing are more likely to take time out for conferences and networking and yet, HR does not feel able or empowered to do the same.?

He told me of something that made him rethink. And it also goes someway to help us understand the problem that HR has with having the same ‘importance’ the other functions may have. And it’s this -

Everyone thinks they can do HR’s job because they do some of it as part of their role such as recruitment, performance management and team development. However, people outside of Finance, IT or Marketing feel that they are specialised fields they cannot do. He went on to say, until we put science and expertise at the heart of HR, this will be a continuing dynamic.?

HR's reputation is at a crossroads. A quick scroll through LinkedIn reveals a growing number of criticisms: HR is seen as ineffective, untrustworthy, or overly bureaucratic. While some of these critiques are unfair, many stem from real challenges within the function, including:

• Misunderstanding of HR's role: Employees often perceive HR as a compliance enforcer rather than a strategic partner.
• Perceived lack of power: HR is frequently viewed as unable to challenge senior leadership or drive meaningful change.
• Limited visibility: The strategic contributions of HR—such as shaping culture, talent development, and workforce planning—are often overshadowed by administrative tasks. We are too caught in the doing.?
• Siloed operations: Fragmentation within HR teams (e.g., recruitment, learning and development, compensation) leads to inefficiencies, misaligned goals, and a lack of cohesive strategy. It’s not unusual to find each function working on their own version of a project and never actually talking with each other.?
• CEO Priorities: CEOs often prioritise finance and operations, but these functions cannot exist without people. Yet, HR is frequently treated as a secondary function, subordinated under Finance, Operations, or worse, managed ad hoc without proper leadership. This approach is fundamentally flawed for several reasons:

The Old HR - Police, Policy and Paperwork.nbsp;

Traditional HR practices have become outdated and ineffective. Here's why:

• They impede agility: Conventional HR processes often act as a bottleneck when organisations need to move quickly, slowing down decision-making and action.
• They stifle innovation: In an era that demands creative solutions, traditional HR approaches can constrain thinking and limit the exploration of new ideas.
• They create unnecessary bureaucracy: While modern businesses require flexibility and adaptability, old-school HR practices often introduce red tape and rigid procedures.
• They prioritise process over results: When the focus should be on achieving meaningful outcomes, traditional HR methods tend to emphasise compliance and box-ticking exercises.

In our new reality of uncertainty and fast-paced change, HR practices must evolve to become more agile, innovative, streamlined, and outcome-oriented to effectively support organisations in navigating the challenges of our organisations.

Why Undervaluing HR Never Works

• ?HR is a strategic powerhouse: While payroll and policies are important, HR's true value lies in talent strategy, culture shaping, and workforce intelligence. Without a strategic HR function, companies miss out on the crucial people equation.
• Finance and HR require different expertise: Your CFO shouldn't run HR. Finance focuses on numbers, while HR deals with people. Expecting financial people to make decisions about leading, developing, and retaining talent is misguided. It is rare to come across a CFO that gets it.
• Legal compliance doesn't equal culture: While the Chief Legal Officer plays a vital role in risk mitigation, compliance alone doesn't create a thriving workplace culture. Legal knowledge doesn't translate to effective people leadership and engagement

The Opportunity: HR at a Crossroads

HR has a unique opportunity to reinvent itself. Technology is evolving to meet more strategic people initiatives, our employees want and need more from work, and the pace of change across all of work demands a shift in how HR operates. To stay relevant, HR must move beyond rigid structures and become a more human-centered, collaborative, and strategic function.

As we did so very well when COVID hit, we must rise to the challenge of the new world of work and all its challenges and lead the change

Direct CEO access is crucial: When HR lacks direct communication with the CEO, organisations risk talent crises, low retention, and reactive decision-making. The CHRO should be involved in all major business decisions, as they invariably impact the workforce

HR is a multifaceted ecosystem: Just as financial roles are specialised, HR encompasses various areas of expertise. Treating HR as a monolithic function overlooks its complexity and importance.

Breaking Down Silos in HR

I have worked in several different roles in HR. The early days were a hybrid role of all the functions aligned. In my best HR role, I worked across the graduate recruitment and development, experienced hire recruitment, disciplinary procedures and advising managers on their people. It was busy, and I loved it. My role was to push back to the managers to do the leading and managing and I would help them with how that might look. Previously, they were used to HR handling it all and having the difficult conversations with the staff, enforcing dress standards and policies.??

From there, I moved into bigger teams and specialised in Talent Acquisition. Unlike many in TA, I chose the profession and brought an HR lens to it. I then took all of that and moved onto project work in systems implementation, EVP, training and advisory.? I missed the hybrid roles but I did love TA. When I moved between functions, I saw the siloes. I found TA was unable to get access to the pay of the teams they were recruiting. In one role, the HRBP took the job specification and handed it to me to recruit - with no real understanding of the role, the market and all the questions we would ask. A second visit to the hiring manager was frustrating and wasted time for all of us and did nothing for the reputation of HR or TA.?

Internal silos within HR hinder innovation and create unnecessary barriers. When recruitment teams operate independently from learning and development or compensation teams, for example, hiring strategies may not align with workforce planning and market forces, resulting in skill gaps and retention issues.?

One example that is very prevalent in Australia is EVP and Branding. TA usually owns and drives it with little conversation across the other functional areas. It means that CEOs and HRDs often see it as an attraction tool rather than something that informs the entire employee lifecycle, creating a disconnect between what people have bought at the beginning and what they experience in their journey through your organisation.?

Here’s how HR can break down these silos:

• Create a Unified Vision: Develop and communicate a clear HR strategy that aligns with business goals. Ensure all HR functions work toward shared objectives. And revisit them regularly
• Foster Cross-Functional Collaboration: Encourage regular all team meetings, cross-functional projects, and shared problem-solving sessions.
• Standardise Interdepartmental Processes: Identify areas where multiple teams intersect (e.g., onboarding, performance management) and streamline workflows. One of the biggest challenges is often that handover from TA to HR.?
• Leverage Technology: Implement integrated HR platforms that centralise data, automate processes, and facilitate seamless collaboration. And don’t think it has to be a full suite HRIS. Ensure you are using best of breed technologies to give all your functions their best chance of success.?
• Set Shared Success Metrics: Define key performance indicators (KPIs) that reflect cross-functional success, such as employee engagement, internal mobility, and retention rates.
• Encourage Skill Sharing: Train HR professionals across different functions to enhance mutual understanding and flexibility.

Rethinking Talent Management

A more integrated HR approach requires a fundamental shift in talent management. Lucy Adams shared these on Matt Alder The Recruiting Future Podcast

Organisations should focus on these key areas:

• Principles Over Policies - Move away from rigid, paternalistic policies toward principles that empower employees. As Lucy Adams from Disruptive HR suggests, adopt an adult-to-adult relationship with employees, where trust and autonomy replace excessive rules.
• Personalised Employee Experiences - Employees increasingly expect tailored experiences at work. Use data-driven insights and facilitate their access to different career paths, learning and development and opportunities.nbsp;
• Human-Centred Design Thinking - Apply design thinking methodologies to create HR solutions prioritising employee engagement, well-being, and productivity.
• Merge Talent And TA -Some organisations are now looking at a merged role for TA and Talent who proactively identify internal and external talent as the best fit rather than missing out on giving your employees opportunities. Some larger companies are looking at Career Agents, who guide employees through their career development within the company. TA has an amazing skill set that goes beyond the traditional attraction role. They enjoy the hunt for the right person.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration Beyond HR - HR should break down silos not just within its own function but across the organisation. Stronger collaboration with marketing, IT, and operations can lead to more cohesive talent strategies and enhanced employer branding.
• Future-Focused Skill Development - Equip HR teams with expertise in data analytics, digital transformation, change management, and strategic consulting to prepare for emerging workforce challenges. Again, Lucy Adams on the Recruiting Future podcast said one of the best things you can do as an HR professional is to train to become a coach. That was a ‘wow’ moment when I think of all the work I did coaching managers to be better, people through career conversations and generally influencing that took place daily.

The Future of HR: Becoming a Strategic Partner

To reclaim its relevance, HR must embrace a more strategic and integrated role by:

• Advocating for employees while aligning with business objectives: Balancing the needs of the workforce with company goals to create sustainable success.
• Enhancing visibility: Communicating HR’s strategic contributions through data-driven storytelling and leadership engagement.
• Building trust through transparency and collaboration: Fostering an open, honest, and inclusive HR function that employees see as a valuable partner.

By dismantling silos and adopting a forward-thinking approach to talent management, HR can transform itself from an administrative function into a driving force for innovation, agility, and organisational success.

In today's competitive landscape, where talent is a key differentiator, the CHRO should be one of the CEO's closest advisors. Strategic HR management is crucial for aligning human capital investments with business needs, shaping organisational culture, and driving long-term success

This is not just about fixing what’s broken—it’s about reimagining what’s possible.

Note for Andrea about Talentpalooza

This blog was very much what was in my mind when I began pulling Talentpalooza together: I set about finding people that could talk to these points.? Here is what we are covering at Talentpalooza. If you would like to know more, I will put the link in the comments.

HR Strategy & Data:

• Adam McKinnon, PhD. , Greg Newman , Alice Rickert panel: Revolutionising HR Strategy: What You Need to Do Now to Set Up for Future Success
• Viren Thakrar : Culture Mavericks: Co-Designing Anti-Boring People & Culture Initiatives
• Jodi Rosenthal : “Sell Me This Pen”: Using Sales Strategies to Supercharge People & Culture

Employee Experience:

• Alana Bennett , Gemma Saunders ?? GAICD Workshop - ‘Sorry, Not Sorry - Why connection makes or breaks us’
• Dan Mottau Presentation - ‘Connecting the red threads: building a people experience flywheel’
• Adam Axon Workshop - LeanPX: Applying Product Thinking to People Work in a Post-HR world.

Leading & Influencing?

• Rebecca Houghton Workshop: Leading from the middle: how to influence without authority
• Damon Klotz keynote: Insights from Conversations with the World’s Leading Experts

Breaking down HR siloes

• Jo Weech presentation: Proactive Talent Nurturing: Onboarding to Career Pathing
• Panel hosted by Hung Lee : The Future of Talent: Merging TA and Talent for Strategic Success

Talent Acquisition / Employer Branding

• Reegan Kerkin presentation: Rebel with a cause to revolutionise her TA function
• Meagan Michaels , Grant O'Donnell , Quila Cervelli Panel:The future of employer branding in Australia

DEI

• Dr Morley Muse presentation: Merit in the Age of Talent Rebellion: Rethinking STEM Hiring for Innovation and Profitability
• Deepak Singh presentation: F**k you, Diversity: why we should be talking about outcomes.?
• Tom Tutton presentation: Autism Friendly Employment
• Emma Jones ?? presentation: The fight for Australia’s Global Seat (a rebel’s call to action)

Wellbeing

• Sally Clarke presentation: The Truth About Burnout: Causes, Prevention and the Latest Data
• Renée Robson presentation: Old ways won’t open new doors. Trauma Informed Leadership

AI (practical sessions, not the fluffy stuff)

• Anne Johnson presentation: What the f**k is AI and why should I care?
• Careen Redman-Matthews , Kimberly Burns , Annie Johnson Workshop: Adapt or fall behind: Getting AI ready in HR.?

Future of Work

• Jason Portelli presentation: The Future of Work but not without a revolution
• Reanna Browne keynote: Future of Work: what are we not talking about in HR

People

• Melissa Crawford presentation: Your digital body language: what message are your really sending to other humans… and AI
• Terri Simpkin PhD presentation: Rage Against the Machine - how social narratives constrain our career choices

References:

Ep 667: Traditional HR is Dead, Here's What's Next - The Recruiting Future Podcast

Breaking Down Silos in HR: What You Need to Do Now to Support the Future of Work

How to Break Down Silos within an Organization: 10+ Expert Tips | Runn

How To Break Down Silos Within an Organization (With Steps) | Indeed.com

13 Ways to Break Down Silos in the Workplace And Boost Collaboration | Talaera

How Does HR Support Business Strategy?

Strategic Human Resource Management and Its Importance | OrangeHRM

Strategic HR Planning: What It Is, and Why It Matters

Strategic Human Resource Management 101: Your Essential Guide

Strategic HR: transforming Human Resources into a key pillar of organizational success - HRD

Importance of Strategic Human Resource Management | TimesPro Blog

Creating an Effective HR Strategy: Aligning HR with Business Goals