HR Isn't Disappearing—It's Evolving

Recently, headlines circulated about a CEO who eliminated his entire HR department as part of a company turnaround strategy. The story quickly sparked debate among business leaders and HR professionals alike.

Some applauded the decision as a bold move toward efficiency. Others viewed it as a dangerous misunderstanding of the role Human Resources plays within an organization.

The reality may be somewhere in the middle.

If a company is struggling, every department should be evaluated for effectiveness—including HR. Like any business function, HR can become overly bureaucratic, disconnected from operations, or focused on processes that no longer serve the organization's goals. When that happens, change is necessary.

However, eliminating HR does not eliminate the need for the work HR performs.

Employees still need someone to address workplace concerns. Organizations still need professionals who can manage leave administration, payroll coordination, employee relations, investigations, policy interpretation, compliance, onboarding, and performance management.

In fact, the company at the center of the recent headlines did not completely remove these responsibilities. Reports indicate the organization replaced its traditional HR department with a smaller People Operations team focused on employee support and development. The work remained; the structure changed.

This highlights an important distinction.

The conversation should not be "Do we need HR?"

The conversation should be "What should HR look like?"

Many organizations are moving away from the traditional Human Resources model and adopting titles such as People Operations, People & Culture, Employee Experience, or People Success. While the names differ, the purpose remains the same: supporting employees while helping the organization achieve its goals.

The strongest HR and People Operations teams are not barriers to business performance. They are business partners. They help leaders navigate difficult conversations, resolve workplace issues, reduce risk, improve retention, develop talent, and create environments where employees can perform at their best.

A company may choose to call the function HR or People Operations.

What it cannot do is ignore the responsibilities that come with managing people.

Because at the end of the day, every business has products, services, technology, and strategy—but none of those succeed without people.