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companies, it has a form reminiscent of the procedures of ministries of foreignaffairs in relation to other countries.n 2. 3. 4. New challenges for people managementConsidering the unprecedented changes of an economic, social, demographic,and technological nature that the world has undergone since the beginning ofthe new millennium, and which are naturally reflected in the businessenvironment, the current professionalisation of HR management is no longersufficient to effectively help companies respond to these changes and solveproblems associated with them. A new stage will have to be moved towards,with a qualitatively different professional ambition.In this context, Ulrich et al. (2014) and other authors insist on the need for amore significant connection of the current level of people management withwhat the company deals with and what feeds it, i.e. with its business. Theessence of business is connected with the external environment, with theinterests of key stakeholders and with the company%u2019s strategy. All those whoparticipate in HR management, HR department managers and employees, aswell as line managers, must be sensitive to the external reality of the companyand take it into account in their decisions and actions. The management of HRwill only bring meaningful and sustainable value to the entire enterprise when itis closely linked to its business, that is, when its bearers will resonate, decide,and act depending on the external context of the enterprise. This idea, or thelogic of the mentioned authors, outlines in a certain way what possibleprofessional ambition a new stage of HR management could develop(historically the fifth), in which HR management would move to a qualitativelyhigher level: creating added value in the sense of business itself. With thegiven ambition, it might be able to accept and fulfil the new challenges facing itand satisfy these key business needs:%u25aa emphasising the common goal of economic and human activities,%u25aa innovations aimed at releasing energy, initiative and creativity,%u25aa satisfying the specific needs of Generations Y and Z.Pointing to the common goal of the economic activity of the company andthe human activity of its members means satisfying the need for meaning,autonomy, and the personal development of individuals through their workactivities. Fulfilling a given need requires a combination of two driving forces,namely the individual%u2019s professionalism in the form of knowledge, abilities, andskills, i.e. competencies, as well as a change in behaviour and attitude, saysG%u00e9linier (1999, p. 238). Professionalism becomes the way to a higher degree ofautonomy, or independence in the work process, if it develops and deepens972.3 Managing People in Europe