There is a difference between the qualities CEOs say they want in an HR director and what they actually want, according to head of consulting at The Storytellers and ex-Fitness First global HRD Piers Robinson.
Robinson said that while CEOs typically report wanting an HRD business partner who will challenge board decisions, in reality many still opt for a more reactive function.
“The whole idea is that CEOs want HRDs that are commercial, but when it comes to it they want to save money. They want a safe pair of hands they can trust who’s not going to rock the boat,” he told HR magazine, adding that there is often an element of not wanting an HRD to step on a sales director’s toes.
“There’s a difference between the rhetoric and the reality of what CEOs talk about,” he added. “You have to think, does a CFO always want an HRD to ask them difficult financial questions?”
Robinson described this disparity as a “massive conundrum” for HR. He said HRDs aiming for more boardroom sway need to tread a balance between challenging business decisions but doing it carefully and sensitively. “Yes be business savvy, but be interpersonally savvy too,” he advised.
He added that female HRDs often exact this balance most successfully: “Often those particularly good at HR are women, because they are much smarter at asking the question. They’re not bulldozers but [are] rather persuasive.”
Robinson said that despite confusing signals over what the role should entail, HRDs should aim to be the voice of those lower down the business and should be enablers of change.
“HRDs talk about coaching but I’m not sure many are good facilitators,” he said. “My experience is HRDs are great supporters to the CEO but they are not necessarily enablers of change.”
He added: “The HRD has to be the voice that says the executive team don’t have all the answers; to say ‘there’s someone on the frontline who’s 21 and can see better where things are going, let’s listen to him.’”
A good HRD should also help the senior leadership team communicate the business’s purpose to employees, Robinson said.
“Most companies tell their story through a series of charts that people can’t connect with,” he explained, adding that it’s crucial to communicate authentically with staff: “It’s helping the executive board to communicate that ‘we have a great business but we've got some challenges here'. Don’t hide the challenges of the business.”
