Human Resources (HR): The changing trend
- Anne Ong
- Apr 7, 2024
- 2 min read
As workplace dynamics evolve, together with changes in business needs and the employment landscape, the role of HR has changed over the years too.
I am sharing from a general point of view.
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From 1914 to 1939 (wartime), the HR Manager was known as the Labour Manager
From 1945 to 1979 (post World War II), HR was termed as Personnel Management. Industrialisation developed at a fast pace.
From 1980 to 200, the term Human Resource Management (HRM) came in.Ā
Today, while the term HR exists, other terms like Human Capital, Business Partnering, People, and culture are very common too. The Strategic HR Management
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šÆTalent acquisition (TA) has replaced the function name Recruitment and Selection
šÆTotal Rewards is the preferred term for Compensation and Benefits
šÆL&D or Learning & Development is the common name now vs the older term Training & Development.
šÆOrientation is a subset of onboarding. The flow:
Preboardingā”ļø orientation ā”ļøtraining ā”ļøtransition to a new role
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šÆPerformance Management (or review) is no longer a monologue session. Employees are encouraged (or expected) to be prepared for the discussion. It is a dialogue.Ā
In many organisations, people leading managers can be assessed through the following methods:
ā 360-degree feedback (evaluation by team members, peers of the same level, direct or dotted line superior)
ā Employee engagement survey
ā Exit interview report (if certain team has high turnover)
Ā The above allows the top management to gain insight into their managersā performance. This is provided that the report outcome is being taken objectively and with fairness.
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š”Hybrid work arrangement (or FWA, Flexi work arrangement)
š”Employee attraction (branding) and retention or employee experienceĀ
š”DEI (diversity, equality, and inclusion)
š”Technological advances (AI, ATS, HRIS etc)
š”Change managementĀ
š”Ā Compliance and governance
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HR Shared service and outsourcing are very common too.
Ā The processes are well integrated with HRIS and have changed work flow. Many organisations are using technologies to enhance work processes which is ever-needed in the rapidly changing world.
Regardless of the rapid changes, the 5P model remains fundamental: šššØš©š„š,šš®š«š©šØš¬š, šš«š¢š§šš¢š©š„šš¬, šš«šØššš¬š¬šš¬ šš§š ššš«ššØš«š¦šš§šš.Ā
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What are the changes you have experienced/are experiencing in your organisationās HR structure/processes?
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For people who are experiencing stress due to workplace changes,
1ļøā£ You may want to reach out to career coaches or life coaches
2ļøā£Ā You may want to read the book Career Insights byĀ Elliot Lee, a seasoned HR mentor.
image credit: People Matters

The 5P model People, Purpose, Principles, Processes, and Performance remains foundational even as HR evolves. Tools like WFM Compass Dollar TreeĀ complement this by reinforcing strong processes, improving transparency, and enhancing the employee experience in large, distributed teams.