HR managers often complain: "Our director is not interested in HR. He does not care about how we can help the company ..." But is this really so? Most CEOs, on the contrary, want to be good clients of HR and use the help of HR professionals but they expect a more strategic approach. This at least is the conclusion of research by Professor Nick Holley from the Henley Business School at the University of Reading, UK. Holley published his findings in an interesting article on the Changeboard website.
CEOs really do not care about HR as such. They expect key HR processes to work well but ignore the details. Usually they start to care only if HR systems somehow fail and thus disrupt business. Instead of trying to promote HR as a function, HR professionals should focus on ensuring the company's business runs well thanks to simple, non-bureaucratic and strategic HR practices.
HR must support corporate strategy
"Indeed what they value most as an HR Director is the Director bit, less the HR bit," Nick Holley thus further explains the way CEOs think about HR. HR directors should master more than just HR itself. Specifically, they should:
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Show the team of corporate leaders the purpose of people-related measures based on the company's strategy.
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Help to shape the views of top managers so that they become more aware of the central role of people in the organisation and in achieving its objectives.
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Ensure the company's leaders do not perceive people-related issues only as a matter of HR.
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Have basic personal qualities such as courage, curiosity, cooperation and communication.
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Bring challenging professional opinions. Have a high IQ and EQ.
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Demonstrate integrity in terms of supporting company management. This includes honesty, the ability to maintain confidentiality of information, discretion, trust and also the ability to prefer doing the right things for the organisation rather than for individual egos or benefits which would affect only the HR function.
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