The old generation often floats the word “People Management” in place of HR. Because they don’t even wish to identify with the new generation “HR & Talent Acquisition” crop of professionals anymore. Primarily because how the new generation has went too far with analytics, outsourcing and headhunting. The term “People Management” signifies how it’s much more than just talent acquisition and analytics.
This generational shift in HR professionals, HRBP and Centers of Excellence (COEs) is a fascinating evolution to say the least. The old generation of HR professionals built the foundation we stand on today: structured processes, people-first philosophies, and a deep understanding of organizational dynamics. They found an outdated “Personnel” Department and reformed that into a “Human Resources” Department, because they saw HR as a craft where relationships, intuition, and hard-earned experience drove decisions. COEs back then were true hubs of expertise, it wasn’t perfect, but it worked because it was grounded in reality…
Enter the new generation. Tech-savvy, data-obsessed, and armed with buzzwords. HR’s become a dashboard game—how many clicks, how much engagement, how fast can we automate? Don’t get me wrong; technology’s a game-changer, and analytics can sharpen our edge. But new-gen HR often fails at remembering why we’re here: people. They’re so busy chasing efficiency that they miss the messiness of human needs—empathy, nuance, and context get swapped for algorithms and chatbots. Experience still trumps algorithms when it comes to people. New gen’s got the tools, but they need to learn the craft.
HR folks back then often knew employees by name, understood their lives, and built trust over time. It wasn’t just about filling a slot; it was about fit—cultural, personal, long-term. Today, with headhunting and talent acquisition racing to snag the “best” candidates, it’s more transactional—like a numbers game where speed trumps connection. Old-school HR tended to prioritize loyalty and retention. Companies invested in training people, growing them from within, and rewarding tenure. Modern HR, plagued by malpractices like poaching or over-hiring to flex muscle, sometimes treats talent like disposable assets—grab them, use them, and replace them. The focus shifted from nurturing to exploiting, especially when head-hunters cherry-pick stars without caring about the fallout.
Job descriptions were straightforward, expectations clear. Now, you’ve got talent acquisition teams spinning tales of “unicorn roles” or “game-changer positions” that often mask unstable gigs. Old-generation HR wasn’t obsessed with poaching the competition’s rockstar; it was about building a team that stuck around. Less glamorous, sure, but often more stable.
