HR for HR: Do senior HR professionals actually “call the shots”?

Caroline Green asked a group of senior HR professionals who is really responsible for steering the organisational ship, and about the role of HR in translating high-level strategies into actionable plans.

Informing vs delivering organisational strategy

In the past, HR may have been seen as a support function focused on tasks such as hiring and firing. In today’s dynamic business environment, however, it has transformed into a strategic partner tasked with aligning workforce initiatives with broader organisational goals. While HR may not always lead strategic decisions, it plays a crucial role contributing to them or translating them into actionable plans and highlighting potential challenges.

By aligning HR strategies with business priorities, whether improving employee engagement, reducing turnover or developing leadership, the group of professionals I spoke to felt that HR can demonstrate its value to the senior executive team and fellow senior leaders.

Some of the group argued this might be easier in smaller organisations, where HR could actively engage across the whole business and decisions could be made quickly. However, regardless of company size, they felt the critical fact was securing a seat at the C-suite table. Without this involvement, as one HR professional, Sandra, pointed out, “Lip service is paid to values and other initiatives with no real commitment or conviction behind them.” It is by these means that HR is able to help drive change forward.

Sitting at the C-suite table

So how does HR secure that all-important seat at the C-suite table? The group felt that building a strong network and displaying your worth as a strategic partner was key. Mohammed, a chief people officer, said, “Building trust and credibility with decision-makers will always increase HR’s influence within the organisation.” However, it’s not just about expanding your network, it’s also about understanding the needs of each stakeholder. HR leaders should focus on grasping the challenges that key decision-makers face and offering HR solutions that directly address those.

To understand those challenges, the group felt senior HR professionals should focus on expanding business knowledge, and understanding financials, key performance indicators and industry trends. In doing so, they could also align with the language of the business and better connect its strategies with organisational goals, offering insights that resonate. Naomi, an HR director, agreed: “HR leaders who can articulate how people strategies impact the bottom line are much more likely to secure a voice in strategic decision-making.”

While this approach is ideal, it doesn’t always result in HR being given a vote. However, Nicola pointed out, “Even without this, understanding how decisions are made is just as important as executing them once they are made.” It’s not just about influencing decisions, but also listening to the challenges and concerns so you can address them proactively.

Translating this at operational level

Establishing trust and respect with your employees is also key to demonstrating your credibility, as it provides you with a clear sense of employee sentiment and shows that you are connected to the business. It also assists HR in going beyond just contributing to strategy discussions – it’s about making those strategies a reality.

Once senior HR professionals understand the C-suite’s vision, the next challenge is to translate that high-level strategy into actionable, practical plans for the whole organisation. This is where HR’s true value shines, and where senior HR professionals can support the organisation’s goals by ensuring the HR team not only buys into the vision but is also equipped with the skills to make it happen.

The group felt that HR leaders must also prioritise their team’s wellbeing and development, as a motivated and engaged HR team is key to achieving business objectives. As their leader you should ensure they have opportunities for growth and to maintain work-life balance, and are supported in their roles.

In addition to managing their own team, many of the senior HR professionals in the group emphasised the importance of a strong link to line managers in order to turn policy into practice or rhetoric into reality. As Amelia shared: “Managers who don’t work in HR can sometimes find it difficult to see the importance of our work and implementing it in everyday processes, which makes progressing HR policies and practices quite difficult.”

As a senior HR leader, it’s essential to help line managers understand the value of these strategies and how to execute them effectively. However, balancing the needs and wants of the workforce against the business reality is not always straightforward. Naomi felt that sometimes you just have to accept that: “You can only keep communicating and explaining the situation.”

Taking an evidence-based approach to sway your audience

Providing feedback is a vital part of HR, and using empirical data and evidence can significantly strengthen your approach. The HR people in the group emphasised the importance of backing up your observations with solid data when introducing new policies or management practices. This evidence provides a clear, objective foundation for your recommendations and helps make a compelling case for change, whether you are feeding into strategic initiatives or supporting the organisation to action them.

However, Ayesha, an HR leader, also said: “It’s important to share both empirical evidence but also the stories around it. Really bring that data to life.” By combining data with narrative, HR leaders can create a more engaging and relatable picture of how the evidence supports their initiatives. This approach not only makes the data more impactful but also helps to illustrate the real-world implications of the changes, making it easier to gain buy-in from decision-makers.

Senior HR professionals may not always be the ones to set organisational strategy, but they play a crucial role in ensuring its successful execution. By earning a seat at the executive table, understanding business needs and aligning HR initiatives with organisational goals, HR leaders can have a significant impact in determining the company’s direction.

While they may not always “call the shots”, their ability to turn strategy into action and gain buy-in through data-driven storytelling makes them essential to the organisation’s success.