4 tips to be a better HR leader

If I had a nickel for every article I’ve read arguing that HR has a critical role to play in impacting the bottom line and fostering the growth of the businesses in which we work, I’d have a huge bag of nickels! I’d like to think that everyone agrees on this now, but this isn’t the attitude that a lot of companies have about their HR teams here in the Asia Pacific region. Here, many companies still view their HR teams as “personnel” who simply administer payroll and do a bit of recruitment. Don’t believe me? I had a conversation with a potential client just last week who was suffering through this kind or narrowminded viewpoint from her new CEO. If your senior leadership team has not worked with a strategic HR partner before they may not understand how you can add value. But honestly, it’s pretty easy to convince your leadership team that your viewpoint is worthwhile. 

When I was an HR business partner at a large investment bank, I successfully followed these tips to build trust with my business stakeholders. But it didn’t happen overnight. It took time for them to trust me and feel that I could add value beyond just the basics of HR. But before long, they were confiding in me about struggles with their clients, successes on deals and aspirations for the future of the business. Most phone calls involved strategy, consultation and coaching instead of just transactional requests. It was a truly rewarding partnership and one I hope each of you can replicate in your roles and companies.

Read on for four tips to be a better HR business partner who is viewed as a true partner (and asset) to your business.  

1) Metrics - Hit them with the numbers! Business people use metrics to assess the strengths and weaknesses of all aspects of their business. Therefore, they expect to see the same type of informative content coming from HR. They understand metrics and appreciate analytics that not only look at past trends but can also be predictive about the future.  As they say, what gets measured gets done! If you can show your business some hard data to support your recommendations, you are halfway there.

2) Cost Savings - Business people care about the bottom line.  HR is not just a cost center. If you can bring forth ideas to save costs or find ways to get better returns on HR investments, this type of creative thinking is highly valued. In some larger organizations, this might be challenging since many processes are global and require multiple approvals. But sometimes even a piloted, local initiative can have a big impact. At smaller organizations, you may have more control over your budget and can find ways to save costs, such as reducing your spend on job boards or outsourcing some payroll processes. 

3) Business expertise - Understand the business in which you work. Attend management meetings, have informal catch-ups with division and product heads, read industry news, maintain relationships with headhunters, review compensation benchmarking, stay abreast of how technology is disrupting (or could disrupt) your business. Show you are engaged and that the business is just as important to you as it is to your business stakeholders.

4) Continuous development – The world of HR is always changing and you need to keep abreast of the latest developments. Especially with the push for AI and the disruptive impact of technology on HR processes, you’ve got to remain at the forefront of trends. Attend conferences, maintain a wide HR network, listen to podcasts, sign-up for professional development courses or even consider an advanced degree. The more knowledgeable you are, the more your business will trust you.

As HR guru Dr Jon Younger says, HR leaders are business people with a specialization in human resources. We not only need to have an interest in the businesses we work in, but we also need to have an HR expertise. HR is not a referee in someone else’s sporting event; we are players on the field. What other tips do you have for becoming a strategic HR partner with your business? Please share them here!

I work with female senior leaders in Human Resources who feel stuck to help them love their work or find work they love. Like this newsletter? Please sign-up, share + follow me if you found this interesting. I write about:

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