Because shuffling the deck chairs isn’t the same as setting sail.
Let’s face it: the HR team you have today might not be the HR team you need tomorrow.
Businesses evolve. Teams grow. Technology shifts. Expectations rise. So the million-dollar question becomes: how do you make sure your HR team is capable, confident, and ready to kick some serious organizational tail?
Hint: it’s not about giving Janet in Benefits another task “because she’s been here the longest.”
Sometimes you’ve got to take a clear-eyed, unapologetic look at how to evolve your HR team — not just to survive, but to thrive.
Let’s get into it.
The Trifecta That Matters: Capability, Competence & Confidence
Sure, these three C’s (***) sound like something from a management textbook, but don’t tune out — they’re the foundation of a high-functioning HR team.
- Capability is about understanding the work at a strategic level and having the chops to deliver.
- Competence is where expertise meets execution — the ability to deliver results with consistency and quality.
- Confidence is what turns participation into presence — it’s voice, ownership, and belief in one’s own value. (Call it mojo, call it rizz — I call it essential.)
Not every recruiter wants to be a generalist. And your Employee Relations pro may not want to touch campus recruiting with a ten-foot pole. Moving people into misaligned roles might solve an immediate gap, but it’s a fast track to burnout and turnover.
Start here: assess what each person on your team knows, wants, and can actually do well. Think: skills, knowledge, abilities — but do not forget their passions and professional goals. What excites them? What do they want to learn next? That’s where development meets strategy.
As organizations have grown more complex — with global reach, hybrid work, and rapid transformation — HR has had to evolve alongside them. But chances are, your team structure hasn’t kept pace.
Pressure-Test Your Function: Where Can You Level Up?
It’s time to take inventory. Evaluate the current state of your HR operations:
- Is your team agile enough to adapt to shifting business needs and workforce dynamics?
- Where is your team stretched too thin — and where might you be over-indexed?
- What’s the right mix of generalists and specialists for your unique business?
- How strong is your operational backbone? Should you streamline or outsource transactional tasks?
- Are you using HR technology strategically — or just checking boxes?
This isn’t about change for the sake of it. It’s about aligning your structure with what actually moves the business forward. Be curious. Be bold. Ask the hard questions and build a roadmap for change.
Clarify Roles, Eliminate Waste
Even the best HR teams can have territorial disputes — field vs. headquarters, Centers of Excellence vs. HR Business Partners, Talent Acquisition vs. L&D. It’s normal. It’s irritating. But it’s also fixable.
Avoid the turf wars and design roles with intention. Ask:
- Who needs to be in the room for decision-making?
- Who owns program rollout — the architect or the relationship manager?
- How can we strike the right balance between customization and consistency?
- Are too many people touching the same issue? Are we duplicating effort or muddying everything?
Here’s the zinger: Are we over-resourced in the wrong places — and under-resourced where it matters most?
A little intentionality goes a long way. Define the who, the how, and the why of your team’s responsibilities. Simplify where you can. Collaborate where you must. And above all — make sure your internal clients experience HR as a partner, not a puzzle.
Design for Strategy, Not Just Service
When your HR structure is aligned — when you’ve got the right people in the right roles, doing meaningful work — you don’t just support the business, you shape it.
You may not need more headcount. You may not need a total re-org. But you do need a clear-eyed strategy. Consider:
- Who owns the client relationship? (Often the HRBP — but be explicit.)
- Are you investing enough in deep expertise at the core of each HR function?
- Are your HR team members (especially the senior staff!) equipped to surface patterns, diagnose root causes, and present real solutions?
- Is your structure built to support strategy — or just manage requests?
Modern HR is fast-moving and high-stakes. Your team needs clarity, confidence, and the capability to deliver. When they have that — the results speak for themselves.
Let’s build some badass HR teams!
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*** I wrote about “The HR Trifecta: Capability, Competence and Confidence” yesterday on the Humareso blog. Today, I decided to keep it going.
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