Just how important is HR? Given the events of the past year, the timing of this question could not be better. The pandemic. Remote work. Layoffs. Return to work. Increased profits. Decreased profits.
Unknown future. DEI. Social justice issues.
And that’s just the beginning.
We have worked with numerous organizations on understanding the current state of HR, diagnosing pain points, and ultimately, creating a customized roadmap. Why does taking a step back and developing an HR roadmap help organizations? Take a look at our top 5 reasons.
The Top 5 Ways a Strong HR Roadmap Improves Your Company
Narrowed down to 5 key areas, we break down the impact an HR roadmap has within an organization.
1. Culture, Culture, Culture
Having a roadmap ensures you have a solid culture, which is critical as all HR/talent programs build upon the articulated culture. HR alone does not create the culture for the organization.
By having just two people in an organization, the culture is set. However, the harder work around clarifying and communicating the vision, mission, and core values is the collective effort of leadership. HR helps the organization develop and communicate the culture to employees by:
- Facilitating dialogue
- Creating draft materials for revision
- Encouraging alignment and agreement
2. HR Goals are Driven by Business Goals
Setting goals is important. What’s even more important is that the goals defined by HR must be based on the goals of the business.
We often hear business leaders struggle with seeing the value of HR beyond compliance, employee relations, and more tactical work. True partnerships between business leaders and HR are reliant on a mutual understanding of the business goals.
With this in place, HR serves as a strategic function by ensuring their goals support the business objectives going forward. HR roadmaps are a guiding force upon which goals and their associated actions are defined.
3. Sets the Foundation for People Practices
Having an HR roadmap sets the foundation so that the business can walk before it runs. While it might be more fun to focus on employee engagement programs, it is necessary to have the right culture and policies in place first.
This foundation is necessary to build the organization. We all know what happens when the foundation is unstable. Once established, the fun and higher-level employee engagement programs can then be developed.
4. Alignment Between Strategic Partners and Business Leaders
Similar to business goals driving HR goals, having a roadmap ensures a mutual understanding through shared priorities. A strong partnership between business leaders and HR is key to the success of HR and the organization as a whole.
Once the roadmap is developed (in partnership with business leaders), there is a shared awareness of what the focus is for the year. At that point, things can really get done!
5. Prepare for the Future with ROI/Metrics
Following a roadmap is an ideal way for HR to set the course for the year while accounting for inevitable changes. Simply living in the here and now is not enough for HR professionals. HR needs to show the ROI and metrics on all of its programs.
HR can articulate the facts – qualitatively and quantitatively by explaining the cost (using business language, not HR jargon) to business leaders if they choose to take or not take action (i.e., lost revenue, decreased productivity, increased turnover, lower engagement).
Speak in terms of metrics and ROI and see what a difference that makes with the relationship between business leaders and HR.
Implement an HR Roadmap to Achieve Sustained Success
Businesses have sales, product, and marketing plans, but an HR plan or roadmap is often missing. HR is critical to the success of the organization and being able to outline a 12-month plan clearly shows the company that HR is focused on the business.
A clear and competent HR roadmap in 2021 makes all the difference between a company that is simply surviving to one that is thriving.
Learn more about how great HR practices can impact your company. Connect with us today.