Instead we should be focused on how to get HR a seat at the executive table! We bemoan the fact that HR is often excluded from the leadership team and that it isn’t part of the strategic processes in an organization. While we claim to be focusing on developing the skills and strategic initiatives HR needs to be taken seriously at the highest levels in a business, we don’t walk the talk.
When I encounter an example of how HR professionals undermine those activities, I literally boil. A recent example was on a highly regarded and well-used list serve this week. A referral was requested by a small non-profit for assistance on HR policies and general HR consulting. One of the respondents, the former President and CEO of the Society for Human Resource Management, literally suggested that the organization buy a software package and “Save your money if you feel you know enough about HR to edit these policies”. And equally disconcerting was the lack of a response by other organizations or HR professionals to dispute the notion that doing it yourself to save money was a good idea!
Here at TPO, we work tirelessly to help clients see the benefit of being strategic with their human resources and making HR a driver of business results. We know that leading-edge HR practices lead to growth. That belief is backed up by data. Multiple studies, including those from McKinsey, demonstrate that companies with great HR provide a far greater return on investment to their shareholders than firms that simply do what’s required. It is time for the old guard not just to retire, but stay off the list serves, too. It is time to let the new generation of HR professionals demonstrate what great HR can do for a company.
