The calls for HR to change have been heard around the world for years now. The statistics continue to show that attracting and retaining top talent priorities for the CEO. The pressure is on for HR leaders to drive and deliver organizational objectives.
We ran a study of HR professionals and found the trend indicates a huge conflict. The conflict: while the demand for HR to raise the bar of strategic delivery is high, the support and commitment from senior leadership seem to be very low.
Here are 3 reasons why reinventing HR won’t work and what can be done about it.
- Lack of leadership commitment:
It is almost comical to find management teams who demand a better HR service from the function such as quicker onboarding of talent but yet block improvement efforts. But sadly that dysfunctional mindset among management teams exist. Separate from the dysfunctional managing teams that would just assume throw HR under the proverbial bus, but there is also a lack of support regarding the HR budget allowing the development of HR team members.
If you are a leader reading this who wants to take reinventing HR seriously consider reevaluating all things that might be impeding improvement. Look beyond just the HR team themselves but also look at organizational practices, mindsets and yes the budget too. Take a strong look in the mirror and see if your words or actions truly align with stated commitments towards “people being your greatest asset.”
If you are an HR leader struggling to raise the bar of delivery consider taking a step back and objectively audit all things that are blocking improvement. Take a serious look at your team and assess skill and motivational levels towards change and take a look at external roadblocks. Put together the plan and draw up a business case to start communicating and gaining buy-in from leadership for why commitment is an absolute must.
2. Lack of clear and effective vision
A lack of clear and effective vision is quite common. By clear and effective I mean a clearly communicated and consistently aligned. An effective vision calls for all practices, mindsets, processes, and systems to be aligned in order to propel the vision forward. When everyone is doing their own thing or there are conflicting systems in place, it really is hard if not impossible for an HR function let alone any other function to deliver results.
If you have a bold vision that the organization is depending on for survival consider taking a vision alignment review. Take a full and honest look at all things in the organization that may impede or propel the vision and creates a strategic plan.
3. Lack of execution
It is easy to sit at a table and talk about what needs to be done. But it’s quite another story to actually effectively execute on a plan.
As with everything there is more than just having a plan. It is also about making sure the organization has the capacity to effectively execute on the plan. This is where 1 and 2 above and leadership having an execution mindset and a strategic HR mindset come into play.
As an HR leader taking the strategic plan and assessing the organizational capacity to execute becomes a critical step. Then again, making the business case for change where applicable is necessary for buy-in and support.
There are many other opinions about reinventing HR and workplace effectiveness. This will provide a great start towards diagnosing organizational challenges and ultimately reaching a successful outcome.
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