Speaking at an HR Most Influential event in London, Hughes-D'Aeth told HR magazine roles in HR involve "constantly supporting the business you work for", especially in the "war for talent".
"Every organisation is different, each has different needs and requirements," she said. "HR needs the ability to translate that business strategy into what’s needed in terms of the support for the people and the people strategy, and then, of course, must deliver on it.
"It's important not just to talk about the strategy, but actually to implement it and follow through on that. And that in effect can hopefully make a difference to the organisation."
Hughes-D'Aeth added that there are "several key areas" where there is a shortage of talent within business, and HR professionals need to understand the wider business world to be effective in solving this.
"My advice would be to first of all understand the business world, so ideally get a good solid business grounding behind you," she said.
"And then obviously focus more on the HR interventions and things you could do to support the organisation. But it is really, really important that people understand the business, first and foremost, and then bring people solutions to bear for the company.”
Hughes D'Aeth is ranked third on the HR Most Influential Practitioner list.
She is speaking at the HR magazine Future Leaders Forum next March. To find out more, click here.
