There are a lot of articles being written today about the need for a change in direction for Human Resources and perhaps HR leadership. At this point, even Boards appear to be aligned with the need for a more strategic vision around talent, leadership pipelines, and a strategic vision aligned with the business initiatives. This is really not a new challenge for HR leaders since there has been clamouring about HR strategy and moving away from being too administratively focused for the last 8–10 years. The idea of Human Resources as a “partner” may have actually hurt the function since it was not necessarily viewed as strategic or a value add component of how we can support the business. And, other functions were not referred to as a “partner”.
In my opinion, the opportunity for HR leaders today is to not only balance the strategic and tactical requirements of the role but primarily focus on the resources, talent, employee branding, engagement, and alignment of HR disciplines required to support the business initiatives. Not only do we need to build strong relationships with the senior leadership team, but it is imperative that we are involved in strategic planning, understand the needs and direction of the business, and collaborate on delivering the best solutions for the organization.
It is critical today for HR leadershp to contribute to building an agile organization that can quickly respond to the needs of internal and external constituents. The business does not always understand what it needs, but by delivering a tool box of strong analytics to better understand opportunities, including productivity, retention, engagement, and skill gaps, HR can position itself to be a valued thought leader and have a big voice of influence with credibility. That voice means taking credit for what you have done and communicating and securing alignment with where you are going.
As you position HR for the inevitable and exciting transformation of our function, ask yourself and your team what you need to stop doing in order to be the change agent of tomorrow focused on the right key business initiatives. Solidify yourself as a member of the executive team paving the way to success! The future is bright, and there are a lot of talented HR leaders that are working on integrating flexibility, choices, and development into their corporate culture.
