Close your eyes and picture a HR professional. Who do you see? What do they look like, and what are they wearing? What are they up to and who are they with?
I’d like to think the images we each conjure up are as diverse as the work HR professionals do. But unfortunately, after more than a decade in HR, I know this probably isn’t the case. HR has a PR problem.
The Employment Rights Bill, which recently had its second reading in parliament, has shone a spotlight on the importance of the HR function. Now more than ever, businesses across the UK need HR professionals to help them navigate the many proposed changes to employment law, from updates to flexible working legislation to changes to sick pay entitlements. If parliament is championing making work pay, it’s important that we rebrand ourselves to be the critical partner that businesses need.
Yet, as someone who has worked in HR for many years, I know that despite our increasing responsibilities and impact, the perception of HR remains frustratingly outdated.
For many, HR is still about “tea and tissues”: they picture middle-aged women handing out tissues during crises, rather than solving complex organisational challenges. Others see us as a back-office function, glorified administrators: the people who shuffle papers, hire and fire or handle holiday requests. And, perhaps most damaging of all, there’s the belief that HR exists solely to protect the business rather than to support its people.
An Undervalued Role
These misconceptions don’t just insult the profession, they actively hold HR teams and businesses back.
When business leaders undervalue HR’s critical role, it becomes far too easy to deprioritise policies and initiatives that are essential for a thriving, result-focussed workplace. This has never been more evident than in a year when many businesses have rolled back DEI initiatives their HR teams worked hard to put in place. We know that diverse teams drive financial returns above their industry average. The result of rolling back such schemes? Short-termism that has long-term consequences for businesses and employees.
Today’s businesses face a raft of challenges HR can help solve (and in many cases, prevent). Recent research suggests up to a third of firms are grappling with long-term sickness absence. There are fears that organisations are not inclusive for neurodivergent talent. Poor mental health is costing UK employers a staggering £51 billion annually. Meanwhile, the labour market remains tight, with the recent rise in AI-powered applications making sourcing, assessing and hiring top talent more difficult for companies.
The irony is that these are all problems HR can help solve. Yet, when the role and impact of HR professionals is misunderstood, their energy is spent on influencing stakeholders of their value instead of implementing measures that can make a difference – from building fairer hiring processes to tackling health challenges. This impacts their wellbeing, too.
Challenging Stereotypes
In a recent Gartner survey, 71% of HR leaders said that burnout among HR teams is more of a challenge now than pre-pandemic. Research also suggests 73% of HR teams are under-resourced, meaning half of HR professionals are taking on up to five extra hours of unpaid work a week. It figures that HR has one of the highest turnover rates of any business department. A lack of understanding about the evolving role and importance of HR means the people profession itself is at risk of haemorrhaging talent.
This reality isn’t just harmful to employees, it’s also a threat to businesses. We know that happy, supported employees are more productive, more engaged, and more likely to stay with their employer. But when HR isn’t given the space to operate as a strategic, people-centric and data-driven partner, opportunities are missed, and businesses pay the price.
To shift perceptions, we first need to challenge the stereotypes. HR professionals are data-driven strategists, culture-shapers, and problem-solvers. We are not there to protect the business, police our policies or make work less fun.
Yes, we care deeply about people and we’re empathetic, but that’s not a weakness; it’s our strength. Empathy is one of the 8 essential skills of successful leaders, and it’s a skill that we embody. It’s what enables us to identify and implement solutions that benefit both employees and businesses. We understand how to align employee rights with business needs. Organisations need to recognise and understand our true role and we need to play our part in educating the business on what we do, to remove scepticism.
Second, we need to advocate for greater investment in HR. This means not just increasing budgets but also providing HR teams with access to training, technology, and leadership opportunities. A well-supported HR team is a business’s greatest asset, not an administrative burden. All businesses, from the earliest startup to the most established corporation, need the right tools and support.
There are plenty of excellent platforms available to make HR easier to manage. And for many, AI is the team member we never knew we needed. If your HR function can champion the effectiveness of AI, then the entire business won’t fear it.
Supporting HR Professionals
Finally, we need to advocate for HR’s inclusion in broader business conversations, especially those linked to strategy. If HR’s initiatives align with business goals, we will position ourselves as integral. Over the last eight years, I’ve set-up or re-branded HR functions in four SMEs, from Clinical Research Organisations to Commercial Property. Regardless of the sector, having a seat at the senior leadership table has brought the importance and value of the HR function to life.
With the Employment Rights Bill on the horizon, it has never been more important for HR to be supported and empowered by their organisation. The Bill promises to introduce a raft of changes, from granting workers more predictable contracts to day-one rights. These are undeniably positive developments for employees, but they also represent significant challenges for organisations and additional responsibilities for HR teams.
In a recent Breathe HR survey we found that 61% of SME leaders have admitted that implementing the changes required by the Employment Rights Bill will significantly add to their HR team’s workload. For stretched teams already operating with limited resources, these kinds of legislative changes can push them to breaking point.
HRs play a crucial role in shaping policies, offering training, managing change and holding leadership accountable. HR teams help build fair, compliant and productive workplaces. But to navigate these new challenges and opportunities, HR teams need more than legislation; they need understanding, investment, and respect.
Business leaders have a responsibility to dismantle the misconceptions that hold HR back. We need to be positioned as people-centric leaders and productivity catalysts critical to creating thriving workplaces that drive results. And as HR professionals, we must continue to advocate for our function and create a positive HR culture. It helps improve visibility, reinforces our value and demonstrates impact. The more we share, the quicker we’ll build trust and see HR cheerleaders popping up at all levels of the business.
HR professionals have a unique blend of technical expertise, interpersonal soft skills and commercial awareness that contribute to a business’ success. It’s time we all recognised that.
Charlie O'Brien is the Head of People at Breathe, with over 15 years of HR experience spanning a range of industries. Known for her approachable HR leadership style, Charlie is passionate about building inclusive, high-performing, and values-driven workplaces. She champions innovative HR practices that see her teams move beyond "tick-box" processes, to instead focus on fostering cultures of transparency and trust where employees feel empowered to be authentic and deliver excellence.
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