Its time for HR to silence the critics

HR is not just about people – It is about the business. Creating evidence-based change that delivers measurable value is what the business is looking for.

TIP – To silence the critics HR needs to evolve how it measures success

The harshest of HR critics say that HR focuses too much on administration and lacks strategic insight.

To change this perception HR functions need to move away from measuring success based on HR activities and focus more on business outcomes.

TRAP – Not understanding HRs real customer

Ask any HR professional who their customer is and you will get one or a combination of the following 6:

1.The Executive Leadership

2.The Managers

3.The Organization's Customers

4.The Employees

5.The Shareholders

6.The Community

To be truly strategic HR needs to make “The Organisation’s Customers” its primary customer.

If you do not understand the customer that pays for the product or service then it makes it difficult to hire employees to who will fulfil their needs and desires.

TRICK – HR must adopt an “Agile Lite” approach

1. Understand that business leaders do not care about prioritising your new HR initiatives

Instead – ask leaders to prioritise their business metrics per department (e.g. ….)

2. Initiate projects that will align to the chosen business metrics

3. HR must adopt an “Agile Lite” approach: Instead of getting one area within HR to own an initiative, form small autonomous cross-HR-department teams

The research: A recent Deloitte survey of more than 10,000 business and HR leaders across 140 countries revealed that nearly all surveyed respondents (94%) report that “agility and collaboration” are critical to their organization’s success
Benefits
It enables "One HR"
It improves capabilities
It improves responsiveness

There is a case for HR to evolve. Adopting an “Agile Lite” approach is a good start in creating a more business focused and responsive HR.