The HR department can have an image problem in some workplaces. Many workers consider human resources to be the professional equivalent of the headteacher’s office – with its involvement in sensitive matters like disciplinary procedures or payroll making it an easy target.
In some workplaces, employees might even be afraid to confide in HR due to a worry that they might be reprimanded for the issues they bring up, or that nothing will change if they do. However, by simply utilising more creative HR job titles, you can inspire employees to have more faith in your human resources department; simply changing a word or two in someone’s title might bring more respect and trust than a traditional one.
Director of employee engagement
Having someone who monitors employee engagement and checks up on those who are noticeably unengaged can make a huge difference in how employees act with one another, clients, and customers. Simply make sure that any information is followed through; when someone is in charge of making sure your employees are engaged, you’re guaranteed to have a positive company culture simply by utilising different HR job titles.
Culture manager
One of HR’s greatest responsibilities is building and maintaining a strong workplace culture. Having a designated culture manager will ensure everyone is happy where they are, and everything is running smoothly is a great way to boost workplace culture. It is important to make sure that when using these job titles for HR, your culture manager understands that employees make up culture, and your company should hire people that will elevate that.
Employee wellness manager
Employee wellness managers are responsible for overseeing the health and wellness programmes of an organisation in particular. They might have oversight of wellness challenges, medical services, employee assistance programmes, or yoga classes.
Chief learning officer
Whilst HR specialists might focus on training and onboarding, a chief learning officer shows the growing understanding that education and development must continue throughout a person’s time with the organisation. A chief learning officer will generally be an expert in both corporate and personal training.
These job titles for HR can drive organisational strategy and goal setting, while aligning the development of their people with business missions and objectives, contributing to the importance of CPD.
Completing the CIPD qualifications will set you on the path needed to become a chief learning officer.
Employee experience manager
In many workplaces, HR managers are bogged down with forms, spreadsheets and approvals, taking time away from being able to focus on employee experience and company culture. An employee experience manager’s responsibilities include more than just providing people with a great experience. These creative HR job titles will also create staff who are responsible for building strategies to improve work culture.
The value of different HR job titles
To make lasting changes in the workplace, HR teams will need to go beyond just regular job titles for HR. Even messaging can make an impact, and reassuring employees that the HR department are motivated by employee wellbeing over efficiency or profits will ensure higher performance and engagement.
Go back to the job titles for HR drawing board
Some might take the view that quirky or creative HR job titles are needless, but they truly reflect a shift in the way people see HR functions in the modern workplace. Companies now recognise human resources as a career as helping an organisation succeed via employee-centric strategy.
Reconsidering and potentially transforming stale HR position titles can help us to march into a new age of workplace infrastructure. Work life shouldn’t be boring, and neither should our titles.
