Job titles are having a moment. Business analysts call themselves "data wranglers." Marketers are "brand defenders" and "growth hackers." Salespeople are "customer success managers" — the list goes on. But what about human resources job titles?
Human resources professions are no exception to this new-title takeover — and for good reason. HR roles are drastically different from what they were even 10 years ago, thanks to remote workforces, digitally savvy job applicants and constant connectivity. Maybe it's time we sunset the term "HR" altogether.
But, to borrow from Shakespeare: Would HR by any other name function as well?
Many companies and employees believe it would — and have changed their HR titles accordingly. Here's a look at some trending HR job titles that are replacing Human Resources:
1) People Operations
It doesn't get much simpler than this. The term has gained popularity among tech companies, including Google, Slack, Uber, Instacart and Square. "Find them, grow them, and keep them" — that's the motto Google uses to describe PO's function.
2) People@
Facebook uses this term to describe the team that focuses on three HR goals: "Hire the best people, foster continuous personal growth and enrich the overall Facebook experience."
3) Employee Experience
At Airbnb, roles that impact employee health and happiness fall into this category. Open positions in the department include Head of Diversity and Belonging and Internal Events Coordinator.
4) Employee Success
This department at Salesforce includes traditional HR roles like Recruiters, but also incorporates some newer positions like Business Analysts, who work with IT to build and manage internal HR apps.
5) Partner Resources
So Starbucks hasn't totally made the switch, but it's clear that the coffee retailer is moving "human" out of the spotlight. This department includes positions from Diversity and Inclusion Manager to Senior Business Systems Analyst.
As some HR departments get a name change, so do the individuals who work in it. Employee communications platform GuideSpark has a VP of People and Culture; Pley ("Netflix for LEGOS") employs a Chief People Person; and healthcare provider CVHCare has an Employee Happiness Cultivator on the payroll.
Whether or not these human resources job titles will stick is up for debate, but there's no doubt that technology will continue to push HR in new directions.
Get in touch with one of our experts to explore how we can tailor our solutions to your organization's needs.
Related Resources
Want to keep learning? Explore our products, customer stories, and the latest industry insights.
Blog Post
Steering towards agility: How organisations navigate change
The change in the world of work has recently brought with it a number of challenges. Innovations such as artificial intelligence are creating faster, completely new cycles of talent development, and this transformation sometimes creates completely new structures and hierarchies within the workforce.
Blog Post
Decoding talent's blueprint: Key takeaways and stories from the THI roundtable
Amidst the bustling energy of London's St Pancras Station, where throngs of commuters rush through, an extraordinary event unfolded on November 30th. Cornerstone, together with Perry Timms, Founder and Chief Energy Officer at People & Transformational HR Ltd, and Dominic Holmes, Principal, Strategy and Value at Cornerstone, organised a captivating roundtable that transcended the station's hectic ambiance to delve deep into the essential flow of talent within businesses.
Blog Post
TXP: 5 ways to transforming employee experience
We live in the era of infinite digital experience, one in which the customer’s last best digital experience becomes the minimum standard they will accept. The customer’s experience delivered via mobile, tablet and desktop translate to the workplace; employees expect a customer-centric experience that is designed around their needs, one that is intuitive, simplified, personalised and available on any device. The shift to hybrid / remote working has raised and amplified employee expectations for their enterprise applications to mirror the best experiences available in the consumer realm.