The Human Side of Work
Same Job, Different Pressures? Reflections from an HR Leader in the Charity Sector
This article is part of The Human Side of Work, a monthly conversation series exploring culture, wellbeing, leadership, and the lived experience of working life in the charity sector.
Each conversation offers a reflective and honest perspective from a senior HR leader on what work is really asking of people and organisations today.
HR is often described as evolving. Shaped by AI, hybrid working, and changing expectations of the workforce. Yet when you speak to experienced HR leaders, a more nuanced picture emerges.
In this first conversation for The Human Side of Work, I spoke with Rebecca Moran, Head of HR at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, also known as Chatham House. We discussed whether HR has truly changed, how AI is reshaping HR teams, the risks of outsourcing, and why wellbeing strategies so often miss the point.
What emerged was not a story of reinvention, but one of continuity under growing pressure.
Has the Core Purpose of HR Actually Changed?
One of the strongest themes in our conversation was Rebecca’s challenge to the idea that HR has fundamentally changed as a profession.
She reflected that when she joined HR over fifteen years ago, the narrative even then was that HR was becoming more modern and more strategic. Yet from her perspective, the core purpose of HR has remained consistent.
HR exists to influence, to mitigate risk, and to help people navigate complexity. Those pillars have not shifted. What has shifted is the environment HR operates within.
Economic uncertainty, funding pressures, and increasing scrutiny mean HR teams are required to be far more reactive than before. Strategic thinking is still expected, but the space to do it is increasingly constrained. This tension is especially acute in the charity sector, where financial decisions often carry significant human consequences.
AI, Automation, and the Shape of HR Teams
AI was a central part of our discussion, particularly the growing use of tools that automate routine HR activity.
Rebecca was clear that she does not see this as a threat. Reducing administrative workload allows HR professionals to focus on value added work that genuinely supports the organisation.
However, she also raised an important concern. If organisations remove all junior and administrative roles, who is being developed to become the next generation of HR leaders? Much of HR capability is built through exposure to day to day cases, context, and judgement. That learning cannot be skipped.
AI may reduce volume, but it does not remove the need for human judgement, relationship building, or accountability.
The Risks of Outsourcing HR
Outsourcing is often positioned as a cost saving solution, particularly during periods of financial pressure. Rebecca’s perspective was clear and measured.
Outsourcing elements of HR work can be effective, especially where specialist expertise is required. Fully outsourcing the HR function, however, carries significant risk.
Effective HR relies on deep organisational knowledge, trust, and relationships built over time. Those relationships create credibility, particularly when organisations face difficult decisions such as restructures or redundancies. Without that internal presence, organisations may save money in the short term but increase the likelihood of disengagement, formal disputes, and litigation.
Rebecca posed a useful comparison. Most organisations would not fully outsource their finance function. HR, she argued, should be treated with the same seriousness and accountability.
Wellbeing, Burnout, and Leadership Responsibility
Wellbeing initiatives that focus on perks rarely address the root cause of burnout. What makes a difference is leadership behaviour. When executive teams talk openly about wellbeing, model healthy boundaries, and create clarity about priorities, stress reduces.
One of the most significant drivers of burnout, in Rebecca’s view, is the absence of a shared understanding of what good looks like. When everything is treated as urgent and nothing is deprioritised, people respond by doing more and more while feeling increasingly overwhelmed.
Productivity becomes normalised and even rewarded, even when it comes at the cost of health. Without leaders willing to define focus and say no, burnout becomes inevitable.
What This Means for HR and Senior Leaders
This conversation reinforced a powerful truth. HR has not changed its purpose. What has changed is the weight it carries.
HR leaders are navigating increasing complexity, emotional labour, legal risk, and organisational pressure, often with limited resource. As AI absorbs routine tasks, there is an opportunity to refocus HR work on culture, leadership, and human judgement. But only if organisations create the conditions for that work to happen.
The real question is not whether HR is evolving. It is whether organisations are willing to support HR to do what it has always been there to do, well and sustainably.
With thanks to Rebecca Moran for her time, openness and generosity in sharing her experience and reflections.
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