During the Covid-19 pandemic, we saw HR teams rise to the challenge of supporting organisations across all sectors with issues such as furlough, vaccination programmes, isolation periods, shielding and workforce availability.
If we fast forward just a couple of years since that time, we see examples of CPOs not being as present around the table, or their roles being reduced to reporting into another member of the executive team. This is undoubtedly disheartening.
Read more: Moving on up: Where next on the HR career ladder?
If HR professionals truly want to prove they are worthy of that seat around the table, there are five things they need to consider.
1. Are we bringing data, insights and expertise? HR professionals often bring data to the board, but not always much insight and alignment to how it’s impacting the business. For example, HR teams report sickness absence data, but that isn’t aligned to associated temporary staffing spend, or what impact that absence had on productivity.
HR should also be aligning people data to any quality issues that have arisen.
Likewise, employee relations data can be used to drive improvements in the EDI space, as we know that disciplinary proceedings disproportionately impact those from BAME communities.
2. Do we think strategically enough? I’ve always thought that good HR people understand HR, but great HR people understand the business. How often do we see board papers that make no reference to any real long-term planning, despite the early risks being widely known about.
As an example, how does an organisation know that the academic institutions are training enough people for the future, in the right roles? Are we aligning strategic workforce plans to future demand profiles? Or profiling future workforce risks relating to things like retirement planning?
By not doing this, we simply recruit to roles when people leave, rather than planning for 5-10 years down the line. This presents quality and safety issues that we then have to respond to in real time, which is only ever a sticking plaster.
3. Are we embracing technology? When you mention digital solutions or automation to some HR professionals, the drawbridge comes up and often we can get defensive despite the fact that technology has enhanced many of our personal lives. Why? Because there is an assumption that digital solutions means a need for less people.
We need to be honest and say that might be true, but what is equally true is that there are other areas of HR that require more people investment, so in fact technology can also bring new opportunities. How many CPOs are sitting down with their CFO and CIO to develop a digital roadmap for people services? The benefits are tangible, with financial savings alongside improvements in efficiency, and experience.
4. Are we building the skills of the future, and aligning them to future operating models? While many workplaces have people-related development programmes in place for future managers, we must also look at the development of future skills requirements. Training managers on sickness absence, and performance management is useful, but why are we not seeing more training in areas like AI and digital transformation?
It is the role of HR professionals to horizon scan, and assess the future skills requirements of the organisation, and ensure that their organisation is building resilience within the workforce to meet the changes of the future.
5. Do we listen with fascination? We spend a lot of time and effort on recruitment, but significantly less time on retention. Sure, organisations do exit surveys, but the person has left by then. Many organisations will do pulse surveys, but how do they convert that to leaver avoidance? How do they put feedback into action? If HR teams don’t do it, then who else are we expecting to?
Read more: Let's stop pining for board seats
The HR profession has evolved significantly over the last decade, and it will continue to. To be involved in key decision making, and be seen as a true and credible partner to the business, we need to reflect on how well we are supporting the organisation to prepare for the future, as well as deal with the challenges we face today. It is time to ask, are we doing enough to keep our seat at the table?
James Devine is UK lead for health and care workforce at KPMG
