When HR functions are handled by managers

Introduction

The role of managers in companies continues to evolve. Beyond project and team management, they increasingly find themselves on the front line handling functions traditionally assigned to HR departments. This gradual shift is a response to a growing need for flexibility, agility, and responsiveness in human resources management.

Whether in small structures where resources don't allow for a dedicated HR department, or in larger companies seeking to lighten their central administration, more and more managers are taking the reins of some or all HR tasks. But what are the advantages and challenges of such a model?

SMEs: when managers become HR

In small businesses, it's not uncommon for managers to take on HR responsibilities. In the absence of a dedicated HR department, they often handle recruitment, training of new talent, and performance evaluation.

This allows them to react quickly to the immediate needs of their teams. Managers, being closer to employees, have a direct view of skills and development needs. However, the downside of this responsiveness is work overload and diversion from their classic responsibilities. They find themselves juggling between managerial responsibilities and HR requirements, which can lead to dispersed efforts and loss of efficiency.

But despite these difficulties, this management model allows for flexibility often necessary in environments where resources are limited.

Manager empowerment: an expanding model

In some companies, we observe a partial delegation of HR functions to managers. They take charge of specific tasks such as skills management, implementing training, and sometimes even performance evaluations. This approach better meets team needs while lightening the central HR department's workload.

Large companies sometimes go further by fully empowering managers. In this model, HR teams define a global strategic framework but delegate most operational decisions to managers. This approach is an efficiency lever as it reduces administrative burdens and allows for personalized career paths for employees based on individual needs and company objectives.

However, this model is not without challenges. It must ensure homogeneity in team management, avoid disparities in HR policy application, and train managers for these new responsibilities.

The advantages of HR delegation to managers

HR delegation to managers presents undeniable advantages:

Proximity and responsiveness: Managers are on the front line, allowing them to react quickly to their teams' needs, identify internal talents, and propose concrete actions.
Autonomy and personalization: Skills and career management can be more personalized. Managers, who know their teams well, can offer tailored solutions, particularly in terms of training and development.
Flexibility: By lightening the HR department's load, the company gains agility and can adapt more easily to labor market changes.

However, this approach may require adapted tools to ensure consistency and efficiency in HR management.

Creating conditions for successful HR leadership

For this model to work, companies must ensure that managers have the necessary tools and resources to carry out these new HR responsibilities. This is where technology becomes crucial.

Using intelligent HR solutions allows managers to more effectively manage their teams' skills and delegate the most time-consuming tasks to automated tools. Integrating tools based on artificial intelligence, like Creates.community, becomes a key lever to support managers in their new HR role.

How Creates.community and Eloise facilitate HR delegation

In this context where HR functions are partially or totally delegated to managers, Creates.community revolutionizes this transition through Eloise, its conversational AI that transforms HR management into natural and intuitive dialogue.

Eloise: the AI assistant that simplifies managers' HR role

Eloise dialogues directly with teams to:

Conversational skills management: Instead of filling forms, your employees naturally converse with Eloise who automatically maps their skills. Managers then access a constantly updated overview.
Enhanced autonomy: Eloise guides managers in their HR decisions by providing personalized insights: "Marie has developed her management skills, she could be ready for a team leader position."
Ensured consistency: Even when decentralized, the HR function remains homogeneous thanks to Eloise's standardized approach that applies the same criteria and processes with all employees.

The conversational advantage for managers

Unlike traditional tools, Eloise:

Frees up managerial time: No need to organize formal interviews to assess skills. Eloise handles this naturally through conversations.
Facilitates talent identification: "I noticed Thomas has deep Python expertise, would you like me to add him to the list of available senior developers?"
Anticipates proactively: Eloise alerts managers about future needs: "Your team will lack data science skills for the Q3 project, should I identify internal candidates?"
Humanizes HR technology: Employees interact with Eloise like with a caring colleague, eliminating resistance to change.

Intelligent reorganization with Eloise

Eloise offers managers a conversational view of skills across the company, facilitating team restructuring. Instead of consulting complex tables, managers can ask Eloise: "Who in the company could join my team for the digital marketing project?" and get precise and justified recommendations.

By relying on Creates.community and Eloise, managers transform their HR burden into a competitive advantage. Conversational AI lightens their administrative load while offering them augmented intelligence to better develop their teams.

Discover how Eloise can transform your HR delegation. Request a personalized demonstration today.