The responsibilities of an HR Manager can vary depending on the organization but typically include planning and implementing HR policies and strategies, managing recruitment and selection, employee training and development, performance management, compensation and benefits, conflict resolution and labor relations, welfare policies, workplace health and safety, and compliance with labor laws and regulations.
However, even before the pandemic, a significant shift in managerial approach was already apparent. The focus was moving from task-oriented management to placing greater emphasis on people and relationships. This shift was driven by team members’ evolving expectations of the qualities a manager should possess, such as emotional intelligence, communication skills, and empathy.
Additionally, the introduction of artificial intelligence and automation provided HR Managers with tools to handle administrative tasks more efficiently, freeing time and energy to focus on people. Finally, the increasing importance of building personal connections, even in the workplace, greatly accelerated the need for transforming the HR Manager’s role.
As the health emergency heightened the need for connection and support among people, whether in physical or remote work settings, the HR Manager’s role became even more crucial in facilitating managers’ transition to a people-focused approach.
There are at least three main areas where HR Managers can work to promote this evolution of the role and establish itself as an inspirational leader in the era of the Twin Transition:
- Raising Awareness of Meaningful Relationships
The first area involves making managers aware of the importance of establishing meaningful relationships with team members. This includes educating managers in “expert facilitation” and executive coaching, promoting the social and emotional skills necessary not only to build trust with employees but also to encourage open communication and active listening. These skills lay the foundation for dialogue that fosters co-constructed knowledge.
- Providing the Right Tools for Support:
The second area focuses on offering managers appropriate tools for their new role. A key tool is one-to-one meetings, though with a different perspective than in the past. These meetings should not only focus on tasks and responsibilities but also create a space where employees feel free to discuss their expectations and motivational needs with their managers, defining the form the relationship will take. These meetings can occur in person, hybrid, or remote formats using suitable digital platforms. When used effectively, one-to-one meetings can significantly contribute to building trust and fostering open and transparent communication.
- Reinterpreting the Role:
Historically, HR Managers, particularly in industrial companies, have been tasked with primarily administrative and managerial responsibilities, focusing on legal and labour-related issues. Competence and professional credibility have largely been measured in this domain. Naturally, responsibilities related to organizational development policies—ranging from recruitment to personnel evaluation, training, and compensation policies increasingly focused on corporate welfare—also fall within the HR Manager’s purview.
However, HR Managers’ ability to influence strategic decisions prospectively and proactively, leveraging tools such as artificial intelligence and data analysis, has yet to gain full recognition and genuine legitimacy.
The possibility of acting as a business partner and influencing strategic decision-making processes is still constrained by cultural models and organizational logic that prioritize roles with greater visibility and impact on corporate accountability (e.g., Production, Sales, Finance).
Nonetheless, the current need to lead the twin transition with solid change management skills offers HR Managers an opportunity to carve out a more significant role and emerge as key figures in corporate governance.
For this reason, the HR+ project represents a remarkable opportunity to redirect the HR Manager’s role toward the future, strengthening the skill set necessary to increase leadership and authority.