HR and PR have a lot in common. They both require strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders to achieve their goals.
Many HR professionals aspire to shift towards strategic roles. However, their ability to do so is influenced by a complex set of contingencies at individual and organisational levels.
1. Increased Visibility
HR needs to step out of the ‘HR box’ and show strong competency across multiple disciplines within the organisation. This can be done by establishing strong relationships with key individuals in other departments and helping them understand the bigger picture. This builds trust and breaks the silo mindset/working culture that can prevent organisations from aligning and moving forward.
A number of normative papers have attempted to define the modern role of human resources by advocating a more strategic position. They have envisioned the function as a business partner with a value proposition to contribute to competitive advantage. These models gained a lot of rhetorical support and were widely cited in HRM and industrial relations journals (see Fig. 2).
In particular, Ulrich’s model advocated shifting the criteria for HR work from what was done to what was delivered. It described four roles, ‘administrative experts’ that ensure efficient design and delivery of HR processes; ’employee champions’ that help increase employees’ commitment and competence;’strategic partners’ that embed human capital development in organisation strategy; and ‘change agents’ that manage readiness and adaptation to changing business conditions.
These roles occupied different positions in the management hierarchy and were differentiated by their level of involvement in strategic decision making. They were also characterized by their degree of alignment with the company’s culture and values.
However, not all studies found that HR professionals were able to move towards these more strategic roles. For example, Hope-Hailey et al. (2009) examined longitudinal survey and interview data from managers and employees in a large UK bank. The authors found that although the HR department restructured itself around the four Ulrichian roles, it failed to translate them into concrete action. In addition, the devolution of many people-orientated tasks to line managers contributed to a deterioration in employee outcomes and performance.
Despite their enduring influence, these models do not necessarily represent a clear-cut definition of the modern HR role. To get a more detailed sense of the range and complexity of HR practices, it is necessary to study more empirical research. This will include examining transitional pathways from operational to more strategic roles, how HR specialists interpret and enact these new roles, and how they interact with other functions in the organisation.
2. Strong Public Ambassadors
A company’s public image is a vital component of its business, and HR needs to work closely with PR professionals to help the organisation develop a strong, positive brand. One of the ways to do this is through HR ambassadors. These are people who act as spokespeople for the organisation and speak at events, and they can help to boost its reputation and increase awareness. Ideally, an ambassador should be well trained in the key messages and values of the organisation, so they can convey these clearly when speaking to the media or at other public events.
In addition to the strategic role as a liaison between management and employees, Ulrich argues that HR also has an operational role as a “business partner,” which involves managing workforce issues such as employee retention and development, compensation, training and performance management. This is a more tactical function than the strategic one, and it requires HR to be able to balance these two roles. In a qualitative study, Roche and Teague (2012) found that although HR specialists were able to blend the business-partner and traditional employee advocate roles, they did not do so without tensions or ambiguity.
Another study, conducted by Boudreau and Lawler (2014), used survey-based data to analyse the relationships between the different roles in HR. They found that while the strategic business-partner role was highly valued, it led to a devaluation of operational HR activities such as administrative tasks and employee championing, which were often automated or outsourced, leaving HR practitioners with more time for other tasks. However, their research also showed that the operational and strategic roles were positively correlated.
As a result, a growing body of empirical studies have sought to explore the potential for synergy or complementarity between these two sets of roles. These include a series of foundational sociologies of the HR function, which have highlighted concepts of conflict, duality and contradiction in the way that the HR department is positioned between management and labour and is exposed to professional uncertainty, resource limitations and a lack of recognition for its contributions (e.g., Barney and Wright (1998); Ulrich et al. (2004); Ritzer and Trice (2000)).
Of these, a significant proportion of the empirical studies have adopted Ulrich’s fourfold model. In fact, 18 quantitative, 14 qualitative and eight mixed-methods articles have been structured around this model.
3. Strong Reputation
A strong reputation is the foundation of a successful business. It determines the number of customers, their quality, and ultimately how much a company can earn. A bad reputation can have a negative impact on all aspects of the company, from financial success to employee morale and customer loyalty. Therefore, it is vital to develop a strategy for building and maintaining a positive corporate image.
HR departments are ideally positioned to play a crucial role in shaping business strategy. They can identify talent gaps and ensure that employees are aligned with organizational goals. They can also communicate effectively with management and create a culture of openness and trust. This is especially important during crisis situations. Moreover, HR managers have deep tactical knowledge about the organization’s people and are the best point of contact for addressing issues relating to human resources.
Similarly, the PR department can support business strategy by establishing brand awareness and promoting a positive workplace culture. This will encourage top talent to join the company and will help build a solid foundation for future business growth. Furthermore, it can also reinforce a company’s competitive advantage by highlighting its groundbreaking projects and talented employees.
A good reputation can bring extensive benefits to the business, including a higher market share and increased profitability. It can also foster deep-rooted customer loyalty, converting consumers into brand advocates who organically amplify the company’s reach and influence. Lastly, it can enhance financial security by increasing investor confidence.
Managing these overlapping functions can be challenging, but it is possible to achieve synergy by taking an integrated approach to business strategy development. The key is to shift the criteria for evaluating HR work from what is done to what is delivered. Ulrich argues that HR professionals should be viewed as “business partners” who contribute to the development of competitive business processes.
This seminar provides participants with the opportunity to learn about innovative approaches for developing effective strategies in the context of transformational change and complex business challenges. It focuses on the relationship between value propositions, HR and profitability to enable the creation of harmonized and effective management models. It includes an analysis of consumer ‘pain points’ and the search for non-standard solutions, as well as a practical focus on implementation.
4. Collaboration
There’s no doubt that HR, PR and communications departments work hand in hand to build and maintain a company’s reputation. They are all responsible for crafting campaigns, devising recruitment strategies and building a company’s image among the general public. It’s only natural that they would want to work together in order to achieve the best results.
Unfortunately, many teams struggle to collaborate effectively. This is largely due to the way that organisations are set up and the culture that is reflected at senior levels. There are several factors that can inhibit a collaborative approach to teamwork, including transactional work, hierarchical structure, lack of time and/or budgets, and the presence of a silo culture (Brockbank, 1992).
Collaboration is an essential element of any successful business model. It helps to improve overall productivity and creates a more open workplace where all members feel valued. It also allows for cross-functional teamwork, which can lead to innovative ideas that would not otherwise be possible.
Some people think of collaboration as the use of social software tools, but this is only one aspect of collaboration. There are many other ways that teams can work together, such as idea management and Q&A forums. This type of structured collaboration is typically more targeted and more effective than unstructured communication.
Ideally, HR departments should serve as the bridge between other departments and the wider business. The goal should be to develop a holistic and comprehensive approach that considers both the company’s image and its internal functioning. This includes employee recruitment and retention, company branding and reputation, as well as organisational effectiveness and financial performance.
To achieve this, HR professionals need to work closely with the PR and communications department to understand and meet the business needs of the company. It’s also important for the HR department to keep the lines of communication open with all other departments, ensuring that all departments are working together to achieve common objectives.
Ultimately, the success of an HR function depends on the ability to align its strategy with that of the company’s value proposition, as well as to analyse and assess the internal situation and the competitive environment (see Ulrich and Brockbank, 1993). This requires a high level of strategic understanding.