HR has won many battles to secure its voice at the top table, but now the pressure to deliver has never been higher.
Many debates have been had about HR’s wider value and how best to position it as such, to ensure its rightful place at the boardroom table.
With its place at the top table firmly secured in most organisations, it’s now a case of continuing to raise the bar and demonstrate value through contributions that are as tangible in their impact as the other business functions.
Badenoch & Clark’s HR Recruiters’ Forum recently discussed how HR professionals can better demonstrate their value. Outcomes included considering current reputation and positioning, as well as how best to position oneself for the future, the identification of skill gaps, and recognising and developing key relationships. View the full presentation here.
Delivery of value can take many forms depending on the specific area within HR, but one thing’s for sure: whilst specialist HR skills are still required, they need to be backed up by strong transferable business skills and a clear commercial mindset.
For HR recruitment professionals, there is currently a lack of quality candidates, and with budgets being squeezed, it has never been more important to identify and attract the top talent.
Tom Godber from Badenoch & Clark’s HR specialism comments “Organisations currently expect to be dazzled by a candidate before making an offer, with candidates often expected to surpass the quality of existing employees.”
“Whilst this makes good business sense, it also helps to reaffirm the value that HR can bring to an organisation, be it related to cost savings, higher calibre of new recruits or ensuring tangible return on investment (ROI) from learning & development activity, to name a few.”
From a candidate’s perspective, demonstrable commercial contribution as well as qualifications which support strategic thought (such as MBAs at leadership level) will help to distinguish them as commercially ‘savvy’, with the intellectual rigour to challenge the status quo and ensure future business success.
In return, amongst other things high calibre recruits are given far-reaching opportunities to be actively involved in challenging and high-profile projects, ensuring that their capability is used to its full effect as well as being further developed.
Whilst HR’s quest for excellence and tangible ROI can lead to delays in, for example, in the hiring process, it is seen by many organisations and HR teams as a small price to pay for tangible boardroom results. HR professionals are now expected to make a positive difference.
Are you an HR professional who works for an organisation with a strong focus on ROI? What sorts of aspects do you report on to ensure HR maintains its position as a valuable business specialism?
Or are you a candidate who has been through a rigorous selection process and successfully secured a new role? What sorts of skills did you have to demonstrate to achieve this? Share your thoughts here.
