For decades now HR have complained about not having a seat at the top table and about how they are only brought into events after the decisions have been made. They complain that they are not listened to and lack credibility in the eyes of other Board members, such as finance. So, what should HR do more of or do differently to get more credibility and gain a seat at the top table?

Read here how 3 visionary HR Professionals made their way to the top table and what they had to do to get there i.e. Sue Yell (Warburtons Ltd), Alyson Fadil (Missguided), Neal Chamberlain (University of Manchester). Hear what a famous, international academic, Dil Sidhu (Alliance Manchester Business School) has to say about HR and Boards.

 

IS HR MISSGUIDED? – Alyson Fadil

Alyson says that it is not about HR being on the Board but about building good relationships with Board members who can champion the people agenda. “People are the business, so I make it my business to find out what is going on in the organisation, so I can influence it”. She suggests 4 key actions that HR People need to bear in mind if they want to influence successfully at the top:

1, I ensure the People agenda is aligned to the business measures. Meaning that every discussion around; Customer, Technology, Financial, Product or compliance leads back to People.

2, It’s about overcoming the ‘so what’ response. You must understand the language of business and be able to talk the same language as Directors from other Departments.

3 Don’t be afraid to use data to demonstrate the impact of what you are achieving.

4, The behaviours to be demonstrated would be strong and resilient to gain credibility to be heard by the Board and for them to keep listening.

 

CAN HR KNOCK OUT THE BREAD?  – Sue Yell

“Building credibility across the business is crucial. When you get to Board level, you are more valued for your expertise as a Director than for your HR knowledge. HR suffers from a PR issue, in that it is seen as something pink and fluffy. Being credible is about demonstrating competences like: Risk Taking, Bravery”. Sue says that HR people need to build broad experience by getting involved in business projects. She suggests 5 criteria for getting to the top:

1, Know what you need to do for business success

2, Have a clear purpose and people plan

3, Build relationships and trust- you should be seen as a business leader

4, Develop a good relationship with the MD where you can offer constructive challenge and build confidence

5, Hold the line to account for people matters. Operationalise all HR processes.

 

YOU’R ONLY AS GOOD AS YOUR LAST MOVIE – Neal Chamberlain

Neal comments that at senior level “It is all about relationships and building trust, confidence and rapport. You have to recognise the vulnerability of the MD and Directors. Acknowledge this and seek opportunities to act as a sounding board. This will provide a great opportunity to start building trust and credibility”. He suggests four points to take on board:

1, Recognise how you can add value and how you can support/drive the strategic agenda

2, Go beyond your brief and take an interest in other business areas. This will help demonstrate your understanding of the wider business, i.e. showing a capability beyond your brief.

3, HR needs to demonstrate its value by focusing on business outcomes rather than output. The emphasis should be on improving productivity and performance, aligned to organisational strategy.

4, You are only as good as your last movie i.e. you have to earn your seat on the Board, year on year by demonstrating your value to the business.

 

SHOW ME THE MONEY- Dil Sidhu

Dil says that it is all about monetising what HR does and putting a cash value on it. He talked about research demonstrating that culture is more important than strategy in achieving business success. HR are the ones who drive culture change but they need to continually demonstrate the monetary savings/profits that they are producing through their efforts.

He says that it is essential that HR people understand: profits, brands and the markets that their organisations operate in. If they can do this, then they be seen as having a real grasp on business metrics and achieve greater credibility within the organisation.  He acknowledged that the attitudes of other Board members can act as obstacles to HR reaching the top. He believes, however that the key lies in building good relationships with Board members and having the opportunity to influence.

 

I CAN’T BE ARSED WITH A SEAT AT THE BOARD!

Dil concluded by saying that the question should not be so much about how to get a seat at the top table, but how to keep it. He also offered further food for thought by asking if HR needed a seat at the Board.  The implication being that if HR had good relationships with Board members and business credibility, they could have a wide influence on organisational matters and strategy. This feeling was echoed by some of the participants leading to the wonderful comment at the top of this paragraph.

 

IN SUMMARY

HR does not have to have a seat at the top table but it does need to build strong relationships and Trust with the board.

HR people need to:

• Understand what makes the business profitable and be able to show the monetary impact of their efforts.
• Talk the same language as other Departments and know what is going on in the business
• Help Board members understand the people agenda
• Recognise how they can add value by focusing on business outcomes
• Remember that, however hard getting a seat at the Board may be, keeping it will be more of a challenge.