Recruiting, acting as go-between for management and employees, overseeing employee benefit programs, advising management on regulations and handling disciplinary issues are long-standing duties. But, in both simple and more sophisticated ways, technology has expanded HR’s influence.
"In some cases, the change in technology has allowed HR professionals to take on more strategic roles, while in other cases technology has simply allowed the HR professional to more effectively address the administrative tasks associated with their role," said Jacqueline Smith, an independent HR consultant.