If you're looking to shed weight ASAP without undercutting the future of the organization, HR is an easy target. Maybe not wise, but you can understand how executives could come to the decision to cut HR before Engineering, for example.
Also, I'd imagine at least some of the decline is for the same reason we've seen decline in lots of other sectors -- HR processes are some of the easier ones to automate (no robotics, often tasks are fairly well defined)
Also, I'd imagine at least some of the decline is for the same reason we've seen decline in lots of other sectors -- HR processes are some of the easier ones to automate (no robotics, often tasks are fairly well defined)