In the past, the HR department was viewed as an internal organization that handled functions such as personnel requisitions, hiring and firing, onboarding and training, and payroll and benefits. Today’ job market has placed HR professionals at the forefront of filling open positions with qualified candidates and are crucial to keeping companies competitive and growing.
Robert Hicks, in a recent article for Personnel Today, believes that because HR’s function is so vital today to running a successful business that they should be involved in steering the organization. Here are some suggestions on how HR teams can become more involved at the C-suite level for their organizations.
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To gain a seat at the table, HR needs to earn its place to be there. Talk to other board-level decision makers and find out what their concerns and needs are. Once the determination is made, make it a priority to helping them solve these issues.
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Get comfortable with being uncomfortable by asking for feedback. If something isn’t right, you want to know how to make their experience better to help them solve problems and make their jobs easier.
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An integral part of being in a position of leadership is to know the business and share any insights with others on the team.
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Prioritize on objectives for the business and do what you can to make it happen. This may mean being in on client meetings and in other aspects of the company that is not strictly HR related.
Being agile in other areas of the company can help make HR a more valuable part of the organization and earn HR teams a place at the boardroom table when it comes to a decision making process.