Connecting Talent to Business Strategy: The Ultimate HR expertise

There are many very effective HR Business partners frameworks and HR competencies models out there designed by reputable HR groups or experts. Many of these models effectively capture the key competencies or key responsibilities that HR professionals should have to
effectively succeed in their role. This article is not an attempt to provide another HR model. We encourage you to check out the HRBP models from Gartner, SHRM among others.

The approach described here is a simple way to present how Senior HR professionals can, in practice, go beyond providing routine HR solutions, to increasing their business impact for their organizations and contributing in a major way their value addition to their organization success, be it a profit or a non-profit one. The suggested approach does not come from a theoretical model learnt academically or in training, rather from years of practice in HR, and years of witnessing tangible impact made by peer HR leaders around the world. 

All organizations have a business goal and a business strategy to achieve this goal. That goal may change periodically along with the business strategy that is adapted to reflect the new business goal. 

Departments in the organization, including HR Departments, each have a pre-defined role to play and are expected to contribute to the achievement of the overall organization business goal. While some departments in the organization play this role in a vertical manner, by adding value within their respective fields and produce outputs that are easily visible and directly linked to the pre-identified business goal (Operational Departments ie. Commercial, Sales, Business Operations, etc..), others play their role in a transversal manner by adding value that cuts across the entire organization, often feeding into other departments’ value addition (Service Departments such as HR, IT, etc..). Therefore, the output of these transversal departments may not be directly visible or linked to the Organization business goal. Consequently, there is a risk that the type of work performed by service department professionals take their eyes off the final business goal, not because they deliberately want to, but simply because it is difficult to realize or remember how an input that came into play far back in a chain, leads to a final product, as opposed to the hands that put the final touch to the output.

For example, when you watch a great TV channel that you love and silently praise the presenter of a TV show, appreciate the producers or the variety of programs offered, how often does it occur to you that, attracting and selecting the right people to lead or work for the channel and making sure they stay, are creative and thrive in a positive atmosphere, or ensuring that people on screen are dressed appropriately, or that lighting is good on stage, etc… has played a huge role into the greatness of this channel? If it does not occur to you naturally, imagine the people who are behind the whole outcome and do their part daily behind the curtain, day after day, month after month, year on year. It is not easy for them to remain connected to the outcome or end goal, they do very well what they do best and the more experienced they are, the better they can continue to deliver, eyes closed if you will; Yet connection to the end goal matters tremendously, in fueling creativity, proactivity and solutions to make the end goal better, and even better. Ask TV show hosts and they will tell you that their final performance is fueled by meeting or exceeding the end-goal: audience. There is no way they can take their eyes off that end goal.

How should senior HR professionals keep their eyes on the end-goal? How should HR leaders connect talent (or people) to the business strategy, in practice? Throughout the next 2-3 months, we will share experiences across the globe on best practices, techniques, and initiatives where a strategic impact was made by HR leaders around the globe.

Come back often!

D. Manou-Assoko