The following are some of the roles we are expected to perform as HR.

HR – Regardless of your actual HR title, you will be expected to be the expert of everything related to HR.

Business Expert - You will be expected to be the expert of everything that is related to the actual business of your organization.

Chief Information Office – Of bad information that is, your fellow managers will want to tell employees any good news i.e raises, promotions, advancement opportunities. But they will leave it to you to take care of all the bad information. Such as no raises, layoffs, terminations, increased employee costs of benefits etc…

Chief Compliance Officer – You are in charge of all compliance within your organization. Sometime even for non HR compliance issues.

Chief Culture Officer – Even though culture should be the domain of the CEO, it is often given to HR as an area to oversee and to provide oversight.

Coach and mentor – Mentoring and coaching individuals within the organization should be the domain of each supervisor. But oftentimes, HR assumes this role.

Chief Learning Officer – As HR we usually have the role of ensuring our organization is a learning one and an evolving one.

Chief Listening Officer – Because of our position of trust, people trust us with just about everything. To include their personal affairs. Often people just need someone to vent to and talk to concerning their situation. For whatever reason, HR has taken on this role.

Chief Truth Officer – As HR we have to be upfront and honest with everyone. Especially, our own supervisor. If our supervisor is about to do something that is not right, we have to let him know. Even if we know our supervisor will not like what we are saying.

Chief Training Officer - It often falls to HR to train up any employees who are lacking in the required skills required to successfully perform their job.

Chief Confrontation Officer - Whenever employees have a disagreement, they often are told to come to HR so we can help mediate.

Chief Ethics Officer - As HR we have to always have and show the highest level of ethics. Our actions have to be beyond reproach. Other members of our organization look to us to see what right looks like.

What roles would you add to this list? Do you disagree with any of the roles I listed?

Let me know your opinion.