HR professionals need to be more active in their business to avoid becoming remote from staff or "bogged down" with administration.

Speaking at the panel session 'What do customers want from HR?' at the CIPD Conference and Exhibition, Dr Wendy Hirsh, researcher and consultant at the Institute for Employment Studies, said: "From our research, managers and staff think that HR is positive and something that they really want to be part of their business, but HR needs to be more proactive or they will become removed from their people."
 
Leatham Green, assistant director of personnel and training at East Sussex County Council, explained that following a staff survey in his organisation, employees views of HR showed the department had met with criticism. He said: "Perception of HR [by other staff] is everything. We didn't have good staff feedback so we could either be a victim or we could do something about it. Now our promise is to get things right first time every time. We have to listen to our customers - staff and managers - in order to do this."
 
Delegates were advised to "get away from their desks" and speak to employees directly rather than sending "faceless" emails. However HR personnel were also advised to take an active role in the running of the business.
 
Michael Spiers, HR partner for trading and commercial at Sainsbury's, said: "The only closed doors in a business are the ones you don't open yourself. I sometime just walk into business meetings to find out what's going on in the company. I might get a few odd looks but I need to know what's happening."
 
The panel agreed that HR needs to take a more personal approach with staff but, at the same time, it needs to get more involved in the business to operate to the best of its potential.