HR Leaders in the past might have felt like the wedding guest stuck at the table in the back by the banquet kitchen door or the “adult” assigned to the “kid’s table” at Thanksgiving – sure, you were in the room, but you might have felt more like an afterthought than a focal point.
In today’s business world, however, senior HR can (and should!) play a pivotal role in shaping an organization’s success.
Gone are the days when HR was solely seen as a support function – HR leaders can elevate their position within the company and become strategic partners in driving business transformation.
“One often overlooked aspect of the senior HR role is the question of how to elevate the position to be on par with leadership and equivalently tasked with transforming the business,” wrote Ani Banerjee, Chief HR Officer for KnowBe4, security awareness training and simulated phishing platform provider. “As a self-described sector head, if I'm looking at my peer group, how am I understanding their business challenges? How do I get a seat at the table and contribute to what they're trying to accomplish?”
To achieve this, HR leaders must align their goals and actions with broader organizational objectives, working closely with top leadership to contribute to the company's growth and success.
Banerjee in The SHRM Blog article explains it is helpful to start with the “why” behind human resources.
He says to think beyond the day-to-day tasks and administrative functions of HR and look at the “why” behind HR. For him, the existential answers are:
“It's important for HR leaders to build the relationships of trust with their business clients and understand the real root causes of what they're trying to accomplish,” writes Banerjee. “Real business partnering is structured from the outside in, where we start foremost by aligning with the organization’s goals and objectives.”
Think of it as a tug-a-war and HR can help the team succeed – but only if they firmly have a grasp on the rope and are pulling in the right direction.
When senior HR leaders see their function as part of an overall organizational effort – and not simply providing services in a vacuum – then they can provide value to their company and become integral to the business transformation.
Here are some strategies HR can employ to become essential members of the leadership team that guides your company to success:
Banerjee says: “HR leaders need to demand they are part of their organization’s management team and its strategic planning efforts.”
Banerjee says: “It’s important for HR leaders to continually monitor what’s happening internally and externally and to remain alert to how these shifts can impact the business.”
Banerjee says: “With today’s technology, HR leaders have the opportunity to use data to make accurate predictions related to turnover risk, to identify employees with the potential to move into higher-level positions, to improve the employee experience, and more.”
Banerjee says: “HR leaders can’t just work quietly behind the scenes. They need to ensure that leaders know the valuable work they do contributing to the bottom line.”
HR leaders have a unique opportunity to become catalysts for business transformation. By aligning HR strategies with the broader organizational goals, staying informed and innovative, adopting a data-driven approach, focusing on talent development, and fostering employee engagement, HR leaders can elevate their position within the company.
This will not happen, however, without a concerted effort.
“For HR leadership to succeed, spend time with your key business counterparts having empathy for what's transpiring in the organization. Know the key issues driving the C-suite, communicate regularly and build those relationships. Discuss strategy, leadership, HR delivery, and how we show up as a team and work together as thought partners,” concluded Banerjee.