A company’s success depends on its people and how they feel about coming to work each day. Supporting happy, engaged, and productive team members isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s a smart strategy for driving growth and innovation.
That’s where people operations comes in. Modern HR teams can prioritize human-centric strategies to ensure their team members feel supported, valued, and aligned with organizational goals.
In this article, we’ll explore what people operations is, why it matters, and how companies can shift from traditional HR practices to a people-focused approach that benefits everyone.
What is people operations (people ops)?
People operations is the management and development of an organization’s workforce. Departing from traditional human resources, people operations employs a holistic approach, humanizing impersonal systems and processes to increase productivity and employee engagement.
People operations vs HR
While traditional HR and people operations may initially appear to be similar, there are some important distinctions between the two. People operations is a shift towards a more strategic approach to managing the workforce with a focus on culture, engagement, and experience.
| HR | People operations |
| Prioritizes enforcing compliance and reducing liability | Prioritizes helping team members realize their full potential |
| Executes decisions made by leadership | Collaborates with leadership and team members to make strategic decisions |
| Makes reactive decisions, often responding to issues as they arise | Makes proactive decisions, initiating new strategies to continually improve the business and culture |
| Focuses primarily on recruitment, onboarding, and offboarding | Focuses more on supporting and maintaining the existing team |
| Operates separately from all other departments in an organization | Connects all departments together |
| Operates within the strict parameters of traditional HR practices | Provides a holistic approach to business goals using customized people tools and strategies |
Why is people operations important?
Digital innovation and the rise of hybrid working models have created an increasingly competitive, agile job market. It’s never been easier for dissatisfied team members to jump ship and relocate to another company—a phenomenon dubbed “the Great Resignation.” In response, more and more companies are turning to people operations in a bid to stand out from the crowd, attract and retain top talent, and get ahead of their competitors.
People operations considers each team member’s experience in every aspect of business operations. It creates people-first strategies prioritizing engagement and job satisfaction, trusting that an engaged, motivated workforce will increase and cement sustained success.
How do people operations improve company culture?
People operations teams create a culture and environment in which the company and the people who work there can thrive. They focus on people-centered strategies to tackle an ever-evolving, increasingly digitized workplace while fuelling business growth through its best asset: its people.
People operations strategies can improve company culture by:
- Creating reward systems that promote high performance and boost morale
- Implementing employee recognition programs to reduce staff turnover
- Promoting continuous engagement and collaboration between team members
- Encouraging personal and professional development through skills training, career pathing, leadership development, and goal setting
- Prioritizing transparency and open communication in the workplace
- Collecting and utilizing colleague feedback to improve job satisfaction
People operations department structures and roles
The people operations department creates and carries out organizational strategies to increase people’s engagement, productivity, and morale. It blends strategic vision with a clear structure, boundaries, and expectations.
The look and feel of people operations will change depending on a company’s size and industry. A startup with 25 people might only need one people ops representative. As businesses scale, the ratio may change, with automation and standardized processes reducing the number of people ops specialists you need per colleague.
It can take a village to successfully implement these strategies, so hiring the right people with the right skills is key.
Common roles in this department include:
- People operations managers: Responsible for leading the team and making sure their efforts align with the organization’s goals. Managers focus on developing strategy, implementing policy, and controlling the quality of people-first practices.
- People operations coordinators: Responsible for managing day-to-day tasks and administrative duties, and assisting in project management. They keep operations running smoothly by scheduling meetings, updating records, and coordinating internal communication.
- Director of people operations: Responsible for leading the entire people operations team. The director collaborates with leadership across the organization to design and drive forward people-first policies and procedures company-wide.
- People operations specialists: Responsible for maintaining accurate HR records and running data checks. The people operations specialist often works with other departments and offers support during the onboarding process.
- People operations analyst: Responsible for identifying and rectifying flaws in operational processes. They keep the company compliant with all applicable regulations and laws.
People operations functions and responsibilities
The role of people operations is to oversee the employee lifecycle, from recruitment to offboarding. With a focus on training, development, engagement, and retention, people operations helps professionals feel empowered and perform to the best of their ability. This increases productivity, reduces turnover, and, ultimately, helps the business’s bottom line.
Designing and managing organizational structures
Organizational structures provide a framework for people to connect, collaborate, and grow within a company. A well-designed structure facilitates interdepartmental interactions, like marketing and sales teams coming together to improve lead generation. Regularly revisit and refine these structures as you learn from inefficiencies and make steps towards smoother collaboration.
Building and nurturing the company’s reputation as an employer
Good employer branding can positively impact how potential team members, current colleagues, and even competitors perceive you. Building a strong brand means aligning your culture with your core values to create a workplace people are proud to join. Offer benefits that support wellbeing, such as mental health programs, flexible working arrangements, and wellness stipends, and highlight development opportunities and DE&I programs to show your commitment to your team’s needs.
Attracting, hiring, and retaining talented candidates
To attract top talent, convey a clear vision of what your company offers and stands for. This includes writing transparent job descriptions and mapping out engaging candidate experiences rather than a one-size-fits-all hiring process. Once hired, retention revolves around meaningful learning and development opportunities, supportive leadership, and creating a culture that values and empowers its people.
Onboarding and training for new team members
Onboarding is the first step in a new team member’s journey with your team and sets the tone for their experience with your organization. A strong onboarding process can include clear first-day schedules, introductions to key team members, and assigning a mentor or onboarding buddy to answer questions and provide guidance. Additionally, offering role-specific training plans, interactive sessions, and access to company software helps your new team members feel confident, connected, and ready to contribute from day one.
Creating goal-based initiatives
Goal-based initiatives bring clarity and purpose to the workplace and guide each project toward your organization’s objectives. These efforts could include sustainability goals, performance improvement plans, or diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging targets.
Over 1,000 studies have shown that setting high and specific goals can boost performance, persistence, and motivation. A good rule of thumb is to follow the SMART framework, making each goal Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
Monitoring and evaluating HR analytics
HR analytics turn raw data into insights that can help people ops teams make smarter decisions. Monitor key metrics for growth and morale, such as turnover, engagement, and retention. Analyzing survey results could reveal a need for flexible work policies, while performance metrics might highlight opportunities to expand training programs.
Updating or replacing outdated HR processes
Updating your HR processes can save time and make your people happier. Whether through automation or redesigning workflows to improve collaboration, modernizing processes ensures compliance, streamlines approvals, and frees up people for higher-impact tasks like in-person meetings.
Supporting talent with training and development programs
Continuous learning opportunities and customized career paths encourage skill-building and innovation. Run leadership development programs for high-potential team members, offer soft skills training to improve communication, teamwork, and adaptability, and provide access to technical courses that align with both individual and organizational goals. Investing in your team’s growth keeps people engaged in their roles, and the new skills can give you a competitive advantage.
Rewarding high performance
Recognizing and rewarding high performance is a tried-and-tested way to boost morale and reinforce a culture of excellence. Whether through performance bonuses, promotions, or public acknowledgment, meaningful rewards show people their contributions matter. Celebrate successes consistently to inspire continued effort and long-term loyalty.
Evaluating employee satisfaction
Understanding your team’s satisfaction is key to creating a positive workplace culture. Regular surveys, one-on-one meetings, and open communication channels provide insights into what’s working and what needs improvement. Acting on this feedback thoughtfully helps people ops maintain high engagement and strengthens trust.
Designing and implementing compensation and benefits strategies
A thoughtful compensation and benefits strategy shows how companies value their people and can greatly increase the recruitment and retention of top candidates. Balance competitive salaries with perks that benefit the person and the team, such as wellness programs or flexible work options. Upgrading compensation and benefits as a reward for loyalty is great for retention and team morale.
Ensuring compliance with laws and regulations
Compliance helps you build a trustworthy and ethical environment. It involves adhering to local wage laws, implementing fair pay practices like gender pay equity, or following region-specific labor requirements. A proactive approach to compliance reinforces credibility and creates a workplace where people feel safe and respected.
How to effectively transition from traditional HR to people operations
Moving from traditional HR to people operations means adopting a mindset that prioritizes people as the core of your strategy. It’s about shifting from focusing solely on processes and policies to creating an environment where team members feel supported and empowered. Instead of prioritizing efficiency at all costs, people operations emphasizes unlocking the unique value each person brings to your organization.
Here’s how to take the first steps toward building a people-centric approach.
1. Identify and embrace the value your team members bring
People operations is about recognizing that every team member has unique contributions to offer. Actively seek input and ideas, celebrate successes in diverse forms, and create spaces that value diversity. Anonymous feedback tools give you honest, actionable opinions, shoutouts recognize impressive achievements, and employee resource groups (ERGs) advocate for underrepresented team members and help your people operations team promote a more positive work environment.
2. Transition from a focus on processes to an emphasis on your people
Instead of simply managing tasks, focus on building relationships, enhancing engagement, and understanding the needs of your team. This might include personalizing communication, offering flexible work options, or designing custom career paths.
3. Approach compensation and benefits on a case-by-case basis
A one-size-fits-all approach no longer meets the expectations of today’s workforce. People operations teams evaluate compensation and benefits in the context of individual circumstances, role demands, and market trends. For example, offering flexible benefits packages or negotiating performance-based incentives can make your organization more attractive and competitive.
4. Integrate training and development into performance plans
Performance plans that include clear pathways for skill development and career advancement help with both upskilling and motivation. For example, performance reviews can include skill assessments and personalized development roadmaps that outline opportunities for learning and growth. Offer a variety of resources such as leadership programs, soft skills workshops, and mentorship opportunities to keep training engaging and relevant.
5. Use the right HR tools and technology
HR software can streamline people operations strategies and amplify their impact. Look for tools that integrate data analytics, simplify workflows, and support self-service options to make life easier for your team members.
Modern HR platforms allow you to automate routine processes and analyze large datasets. This frees up more time for your ops team to spend on human-centric tasks and provides insights for better decision-making across the organization.
6. Streamline payroll and prioritize expediency
Efficient payroll management is crucial for maintaining team satisfaction. Automated payroll processes minimize errors and ensure timely payments. Prioritizing accurate, on-time compensation is a great way to reinforce trust, which is a key component of a successful people operations strategy.
Empower your team with improved people operations
Today’s modern companies are moving away from traditional HR practices and toward people-centric, holistic strategic models. People operations, when managed with clear and realistic policies, support the interests of a company and its people by encouraging interdepartmental collaboration, creativity, and initiative.
Investing in people operations isn’t just a strategic move—it’s the foundation for building a resilient, forward-thinking organization ready to tackle tomorrow’s challenges.
People ops FAQs
What are the main responsibilities of a people operations team?
The people operations team focuses on aligning organizational goals with the needs and experiences of its people. Their responsibilities include:
- Designing and managing the employee lifecycle, from onboarding to offboarding
- Implementing strategies for talent acquisition, engagement, and retention
- Overseeing training and development programs
- Creating compensation and benefit packages
- Staying on top of compliance requirements
- Integrating technologies to streamline processes and improve team member experience
Recommended For Further Reading
How does people operations contribute to team member engagement and satisfaction?
People operations enhance engagement and satisfaction by creating a workplace that values and supports its team members. Initiatives like personalized career development plans, transparent communication, and programs that prioritize wellbeing create a sense of belonging and a happy workplace.
How can people operations support company culture and diversity initiatives?
People operations support company culture and diversity initiatives by contributing to and shaping an organization’s core values. They design and implement programs that promote inclusivity and belonging, such as unconscious bias training and diverse hiring practices. They also work in tandem with leadership to create a culture that values equity and respect, ensuring that diversity initiatives aren’t just policies but become a part of the company’s everyday operations.
