As HR professionals, I think we’re all tired of the cliché, “HR wants to have a seat at the table” alongside the decision makers and company leaders. HR professionals want to be involved with more strategic decisions that affect the company’s top and bottom lines. We want to work on impactful projects and be seen as more than a cost center. In my opinion, whether you find yourself in an old-school personnel department or you are a part of a dynamic Human Capital team, as HR professionals, we are tasked with the care of the single most important asset any company has – its employees.
Our CEO recently wrote about his passion for the concept of “Betting on People”. I’ve had conversations with countless HR candidates who don’t feel they have enough say in the decisions or direction of the company. I believe that as an HR professional, you hold the strategic direction of the company at your fingertips. If employees are the driving force within any company, it’s extremely important that the company has the right people in the right roles. How is this determined? Through Talent Management – one of HR’s many responsibilities.
Taking it a step further, if you want to capture the attention of your President or CEO, ask them if they think the company has the right ROLES in place to grow to the next level. Organizational Design can make a HUGE impact on top and bottom lines. Struggling with sales? Work with your leader on creating a brand new role that will drive sales from a different angle and affect the top line. Organizational Effectiveness can identify inefficiencies within the company, reduce cost and even increase employee engagement. All of this will affect the bottom line.
Are you tired of feeling like HR doesn’t have a voice in your organization to influence the leaders? Then you may not be focusing on the right things. These three things will catch your business leader’s attention.
- Create a consistent Talent Management process to identify your best employees. Use data, not gut feelings.
- Engage in Organizational Design conversations focused on addressing business shortcomings. Create new roles where the current ones aren’t working.
- Treat your employees like the important assets they are. Listen to them. Don’t make them feel like commodities.
Have you implemented any of these strategies, resulting in capturing your leaders’ attention? Let’s hear about it in the comments below!
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