Now, more than ever, HR management needs to choose to implement a consultative model of service delivery to increase the function’s relevance to the organization. The proliferation of Human Resource Information System (HRIS) software applications that enable self-service by organizational end-users is merely the latest push towards the imperative of the HR function to find new and better ways to add value. As this automation displaces administrative work from HR, HR departments must reinvent their value proposition — or face resource distribution.

Despite the fact that consultative staff models have been implemented and elaborated upon for over 15 years at many organizations with much success, the HR community has been a slow adopter. The HR function needs to drive and support more strategic initiatives. The emphasis needs to shift from ensuring procedural compliance and taking orders for canned solutions to diagnosing issues, providing the HR component of business strategy, aligning processes with strategy, guiding implementation and evaluating results.