Three transformative HR roles of the future

Across Mumbai’s financial districts, Bengaluru’s bustling tech corridors, and Gurugram’s thriving corporate hubs, a profound revolution is underway. Algorithms and intelligent systems are steadily claiming the routine, transactional work that once defined HR. Payroll processing, benefits administration, documentation? These tasks are increasingly the domain of machines.

The HR function as we know it is dying. Let’s be clear: the administrative, compliance-focused HR department that has dominated businesses for decades faces extinction. What’s replacing it isn’t merely evolution but radical transformation that will separate visionary organisations from those condemned to mediocrity.

From Mumbai to Bengaluru, the verdict is unanimous—the future has arrived faster than anticipated. Across India’s corporate landscape, intelligent systems are devouring the transactional work that once defined our profession. This isn’t incremental change. This is HR’s moment of existential reckoning.

For too long, HR has been dismissed as a cost centre—necessary but uninspiring. This diminished view persisted partly because we’ve allowed it to, clinging to administrative roles while strategic opportunities passed us by. The automation revolution has decisively ended this era, sweeping away transaction-based HR and forcing fundamental reinvention.

Organisations that recognise this shift—and act decisively—will thrive. Those clinging to outdated models will find themselves with an irrelevant function that neither attracts talent nor delivers strategic value.

As we stand at this crossroads, three distinct HR roles are emerging—roles that will define the future: the People Strategist, the People Scientist, and the People Technologist. Each reflects HR’s transformation from transactional support system into indispensable driver of business excellence.

The strategic imperative: People Strategists

The traditional HR business partner role isn’t just changing—it’s being ruthlessly reinvented. Tomorrow’s ‘People Strategists’ will bear little resemblance to today’s policy interpreters. These will be business leaders first and HR professionals second, armed with deep industry knowledge and uncompromising strategic vision.

The days of HR professionals hiding behind policies or claiming they “need to check with leadership” are over. ‘People Strategists’ must possess the business acumen to challenge CEOs, provide unvarnished feedback, and decisively connect people decisions to market outcomes.

This transformation will be particularly challenging in India, where deference to hierarchy remains deeply ingrained. But the market won’t wait for cultural comfort. ‘People Strategists’ must learn to challenge respectfully but unflinchingly, developing what one CHRO aptly called “the courage to be candid.”

I recently observed a ‘People Strategist’ at one of India’s largest conglomerates demolish a proposed expansion by demonstrating that the talent marketplace couldn’t support the required skills. Rather than merely flagging the issue, she presented three alternative approaches—complete with talent acquisition timelines, development pathways, and cost projections. That’s the difference between an order-taker and a strategist.

For many Indian HR professionals, this represents a quantum leap. The truth is that many current HR business partners lack the strategic foundation this role demands. Organisations must decide whether to invest in developing these capabilities or look outside traditional HR talent pools to business leaders who can be taught HR rather than HR practitioners who must learn business.

The scientific mandate: People Scientists

If the ‘People Strategist’ is HR’s bridge to the C-suite, the ‘People Scientist’ is its in-house innovator. These professionals don’t just dabble in data; they live it. Their work is rooted in behavioural science, psychology, and analytics, which they leverage to design interventions enhancing both employee experience and organisational performance.

Unlike traditional HR specialists, ‘People Scientists’ don’t rely on intuition or best practices. They use rigorous methodologies to solve complex workforce challenges. This is HR as science, not art.

When a multinational pharmaceutical company struggles with attrition among high-potential women leaders, conventional exit interviews yield little insight. A People Scientist can uncover the hidden pattern—perhaps the company’s high-potential programme is inadvertently structured around traditionally masculine leadership behaviours, creating subtle barriers to advancement.

This role is particularly crucial in India given its workforce diversity. With generational divides, cultural nuances, and educational disparities, Indian organisations are microcosms of complexity. ‘People Scientists’ thrive here, designing programmes that resonate with different demographics while maintaining organisational cohesion.

Their skillset includes advanced data analytics, predictive modelling, and deep understanding of human behaviour. But technical prowess isn’t enough. People Scientists must excel at storytelling—translating complex data into narratives that inspire action.

If you believe HR decisions should be based primarily on intuition or “best practices,” prepare to be left behind. In an age where marketing, finance, and operations are driven by rigorous analysis, HR’s continued reliance on conventional wisdom is nothing short of professional negligence.

The capability gap is stark. How many of your HR team members can build a regression model to identify predictors of high performance? How many can design a controlled experiment to test the effectiveness of a leadership development programme? If your answer is “few” or “none,” your organisation faces an urgent capability crisis.

Some argue human behaviour is too complex for analytical approaches. This is comfort-seeking nonsense. Every other business function has embraced data-driven decision making. HR’s exceptionalism isn’t sophisticated—it’s an abdication of responsibility.

This scientific approach must extend beyond insights to intervention design. Programmes developed through rigorous testing will replace generic initiatives borrowed from Western contexts without consideration for India’s unique cultural dynamics.

The digital imperative: People Technologists

Let’s be unequivocal: if your HR technology strategy centres on implementing systems rather than designing experiences, you’re already obsolete. ‘People Technologists’ represent a fundamental departure from the “implement and train” mindset that has characterised HR technology for decades.

These aren’t system administrators with enhanced titles. They are experience architects who harness technology to humanise rather than mechanise the workplace. They understand that successful digital transformation isn’t about forcing humans to accommodate technology but designing technology that amplifies human capability.

As businesses embrace digital transformation, the ‘People Technologist’ ensures that technology doesn’t just streamline processes but amplifies human potential. They design ecosystems where systems and people coexist seamlessly, ensuring every touchpoint reflects organisational culture and values.

In India, where digital adoption often outpaces readiness, the role of ‘People Technologists’ is critical. They bridge the gap between cutting-edge global platforms and local organisational realities.

The gap between this vision and current reality in most Indian organisations is staggering. Too many HR departments still view technology as necessary evil rather than strategic enabler. They implement systems focused on control rather than empowerment. This mindset isn’t merely outdated—it’s actively damaging.

What makes this particularly urgent in India is our paradoxical relationship with technology. While we proudly claim global leadership in IT services, many internal HR systems remain shockingly antiquated. The digital experiences we create for clients are world-class; those we create for employees often decades behind.

This contradiction must end. People Technologists must rise to prominence, bringing the same creativity to employee experiences that our best technology companies bring to customer experiences. They must ensure our HR technology reflects India’s unique regulatory requirements while delivering experiences that match global standards.

The organisations that recognise this imperative will develop distinctively Indian approaches to workplace technology—solutions that balance our cultural emphasis on relationships with efficiency demands of global competition.

The path forward: No more excuses

For Indian HR functions, the implications are clear and urgent. The capabilities required for future success bear little resemblance to those that defined past excellence. The transition from process stewards to strategic catalysts demands nothing less than top-to-bottom reinvention of how we recruit, develop, and deploy HR talent.

Let’s dispense with comforting half-measures. The gap between current capabilities and future requirements is too vast for gradual evolution. Organisations serious about this transformation must take four immediate actions:

First, radically reassess HR talent. The uncomfortable truth is that many current HR practitioners lack both capacity and desire to make this transition. Organisations must make clear-eyed assessments about who can evolve into these new roles.

Second, disrupt HR career paths. The traditional progression from HR coordinator to business partner to leadership is obsolete. Future HR functions will require specialised experts with deep technical knowledge rather than generalists.

Third, forge unprecedented partnerships with other functions. Tomorrow’s ‘People Scientists’ will need skills typically found in data science. ‘People Technologists’ will require capabilities common in product management and design. Breaking down functional silos isn’t just desirable—it’s existential.

Fourth, reimagine HR education. India’s management institutes must fundamentally rethink HR curricula, shifting focus from employment law and industrial relations to business strategy, behavioural science, and digital transformation.

This transformation holds particular significance for India’s demographic dividend. With the world’s largest youth population entering a rapidly automating economy, our HR functions must evolve from support functions to strategic drivers.

The future of HR isn’t about choosing between human intuition and technological capability—it’s about creating a function where they amplify each other. People Strategists provide direction, ‘People Scientists’ design interventions, and ‘People Technologists’ create environments where both thrive.

For too long, Indian HR functions have been followers rather than leaders in global practice. This transformation presents an unprecedented opportunity to develop distinctively Indian approaches to talent management that reflect our unique cultural context while meeting global performance standards.

The choice facing Indian organisations isn’t whether this transformation will happen—it’s whether they will lead it or be dragged along. Those embracing these new roles will develop workforces capable of outperforming global competitors. Those clinging to traditional HR models will watch helplessly as their talent advantage erodes.

The revolution in HR isn’t coming—it’s here. The only question is whether your organisation will be its beneficiary or its victim.