It might be thought that HR functions and roles are limited and related only to people and human without any relation with other strategies and jobs in the company, and many might see HR as a department for hiring and firing and training only.
There is an ongoing debate about the role of human resources in strategic planning. In some cases, senior managers view human resource management solely as a compliance function. Other senior managers look to the HR function for more consultative services such as leadership development, performance management and employee engagement.
Nowadays, the HRM has to deliver even more. The HR Roles and Responsibilities have to take the high level recognition of the organization and they need to be adjusted to make a full fit. HR roles and responsibilities can be drawn as the following:
The HR Roles have to be adjusted to:

  1. Keep HRM Function focused on tracking and implementing new trends in the industry.
  2. Keep HRM Function focused on helping the line management to implement improvements.
  3. Keep HRM Function focused on operational excellence.
  4. Keep HRM Function responsible for developing the Human Capital potential in the organization


The HR Responsibilities have to be adjusted to:

  1. Demonstrate the Line Management the will to keep the responsibility for the Human Capital costs.
  2. Keep the competitive advantage on the market (and not just the job market).
  3. Demonstrate the will to drive the main HR Processes to keep the organization in the excellent health.
  4. Keep HRM Function supporting the Business Strategy to reach the business initiatives.
  5. Keep HRM responsible for the tasks resulting from the Business Strategy

However HRM is the joint point between human capital and other assets in the company, where the fact is that strategy is rarely developed without the consideration of human capital. Perhaps more importantly, no strategic plan is successful without the successful recruitment, deployment, development and management of human capital.
Hence, why HR managers wouldn’t be at the “table of decisions”?
The answer is that the HR function must create a perception of value throughout the planning cycle by demonstrating its knowledge, alignment, and success. In other words, the HR function must successfully prove its ability to create value to the organization at every step in the strategic planning process from environmental scanning, to organizational assessment, to strategy development, implementation, and performance measurement.
Therefore HR professionals must have enough knowledge about the business and HR roles and importance, and understand the strategy development and strategic planning process.
Being a HR manager or professional means you can participate and share your opinions and experience around the table of “decisions and planning” with other managers.