How can you better collaborate with other HR functions?

In HR, it's crucial to have a passion for people's well-being and a deep understanding of HR functions and their interconnectedness. This understanding is essential for effective communication with the business, ultimately improving employee relations and contributing to organizational success.

Employee relations maintain a positive relationship between organization and employees. HR functions play a crucial role and contribute in fostering positivity. In order to better collaborate with other HR functions, you need to build a rapport based on mutual learning and growth. You can look for opportunities where you can engage cross functional teams in projects such as surveys, process improvement areas, engagement activities and practices. Share ideas and seek their opinions, keep them in loop while handling crucial matters to avoid fire fighting. It is an on-going process. So, keep doing it.

in my experience: Establish clear communication channels for efficient information sharing. Assign roles and responsibilities to prevent duplication and enhance focus. Share training materials and best practices to boost productivity. Collaborate on cross-functional projects for diverse perspectives. Actively seek feedback to improve processes collaboratively. Ensure alignment with organizational goals for maximum impact. Regularly review performance to pinpoint areas for enhancement. Foster a collaborative culture that values teamwork and mutual support.

1. Cross-Functional Training regarding HR 2. Clear Communication 3. Define Roles and Responsibilities clearly 4. Shared objectives the company mission and vision 5. Technology Integration for better reporting and sharing information 6. Regular Check-Ins with the bosses to share ideas. 7. Flexibility and Adaptability. Be open to change 8. Continuous Improvement to see where changes are needed. Collaboration among HR functions not only enhances the department's effectiveness but also supports the organization's overall success.

It’s important that we understand our role as people professionals and not limit our understanding or need to add value to a particular function or domain. Moreover, it’s imperative that the needs of the workforce and focus on quality of the relationship between employees and organisations, underpins our overall HR strategy.

I always insist upon Continues Learning. This is very important for HR professionals. They must not keep themselves limited to learning and must have a curiosity always about how the other HR functions work with their own organization as well as outside their organization too. Clear communication, teamwork is essential if the HR functions need to perform well in the organization. It is not about how an individual performs in a HR function but it is more about how well the individual performs within the HR functions as a team. Inspiring other HR team members through continues learning and cross trainings is essential to keep the productivity at its best and this will help HR professionals for the professional development as well.

Like other fields,HR is also something where everyday process is a new learning process Hrs now needs to be update too daily with new upcoming trends and other components

HR is a very broad-scope profession, because of that, there can be areas that you rarely or never touch upon in your role/career. It is important to be able to clearly articulate to your stakeholders where your specific expertise lies, whether it be ER handling, business strategy, payroll, L&D, Comp & Bens, legal compliance, etc. The more you learn about the HR functions you rarely perform, the more clearly you will be able to articulate where your individual strengths lie - and the more credibility you will build with your stakeholders.

To better collaborate with other HR functions, one should first understand what the business' objectives and needs are. Once that is identified and understood, an HR professional or specialized function should understand their role in those objectives or needs - do they need additional resources, what are their strengths, what are their opportunities? When that is understood, the HR professional or function should reach out to other HR functions to see how they can help fill in the gaps and support the business' needs. By demonstrating collaboration, a growth mindset, and building respect, you can break out of silos to achieve better results.

We should be able to have frequent and efficient communication throughout the wider department, and the wider business if needed. If organisation goals are clear and in line with employee role profiles, it should run smoothly. It's helpful to track this through KPIs and appraisals.

Collaborative projects between HR functions are of the essence to forge trust and mutual dependency on each other. Armed with the bond that develops, HR functional leads must be firm on cohesiveness between team members. In case of friction on any assignment or when carrying out daily activities, HR leads must communicate with each other, placing the Company’s interests above their own. With regular communication, any misunderstandings can be nipped in the bud. The CHRO carries a huge responsibility in this regard wherein he/she communicates the larger objectives and motivates the team to function as a single unit.

HR functions are more about establishing a culture of trust and fostering healthy relationships within various HR teams in the organization. Coming together as a whole HR function and working towards achieving common goals is equally important. This is achievable only when there is mutual respect for each of the team members and functions and when collaboration is made together for learning together. Here the role of HR Managers or HR Team leads are equally important as it is rightly said that the learnings always come from the top down approach and team looks at these leaders as inspiration.

Building trust and rapport is critical for cohesion and impactful cross-functionality. Coming from the Talent side, I value dedicated time to engage with hiring leaders across all business units and actively listen. Without a dialogue, there would be too many ambiguities, yielding in a breakdown of process, potentially making the wrong hires, or misaligning with team values and needs. Regardless of where you "sit" on a team, you bring something of value to the table, whether you're a SME or not. Every conversation can be a learning experience!

To enhance collaboration with other HR functions, it is critical to prioritize building strong relationships and fostering trust. This can be achieved through open communication, active listening, and showing respect for others' expertise and contributions.

Never underestimate the importance of community as a people leader. It can feel that we’re expected to have all the answers at times, but the truth is - we are constantly re-imagining and navigating unknown and in some cases new and never seen before territories and complexities. Particularly true of the current landscape. Without a trusted community how do we discover and scale solutions that add meaningful, tangible value? Being in the room isn’t enough. Where you can (we all have different skills to bring), make meaningful contributions, nurture your community. It all starts with trust. The ability to be invited to contribute doesn’t come for free! Once you’re in the room, the journey is only just beginning. Seize it. It’s precious.

As HR we wear many different hats. Proving we are good leaders is vital if we want to implement procedures such as development plans or recognition schemes.

Collaboration is only possible on the foundation of trust. So trust has to be built as a first and foremost criteria regardless being across different HR functions or with other employees. Building trust and rapport across all parties will contribute to the success of any potential collaboration effort.

Seeking opportunities and initiatives is proactive and vital for growth. Set clear goals, network, stay informed, and embrace challenges. Volunteer, seek mentorship, and assess your skills regularly. Propose initiatives, take calculated risks, and be adaptable. Persistence and documenting achievements are key. This proactive mindset fosters career advancement, innovation, and leadership.

Actively seek collaborative opportunities. A Diversity & Inclusion initiative, for instance, can be a joint effort with Employee Relations to ensure a healthy, inclusive work environment. Talent Acquisition can collaborate with Employee Relations to gather feedback from exit interviews, helping refine the hiring process.

I have always felt that when you respect the work that others do, you automatically get into their minds and the they start trusting you. This enables easy opportunity to take part in the initiatives they take. They resort to you when they have a problem or when they need a helping hand.

This can be tracked through regular reports and KPIs. Appraisals are the classic way of gaining feedback, however my suggestion is creating an open door policy. Honesty works best. Treat the employees with respect and they will tell you what needs to change to improve.

It is a continuous process vital for growth. Set clear goals, regularly assess your skills, and seek feedback. Use data and metrics, reflect on experiences, and embrace learning opportunities. Mentorship and action plans help guide improvement. Prioritize high-impact areas, adapt, and establish feedback loops. Celebrate achievements and review progress iteratively. This proactive approach fosters personal and professional growth.

Once initiatives are in place, it’s vital to jointly evaluate their effectiveness. This not only measures success but also fosters a culture of continuous improvement. A company introduced a mentorship program in collaboration between Learning & Development and Employee Relations. Regular evaluations showed a decrease in training-related queries, pointing to the program’s success in bolstering skillsets.

Collaboration always runs on improvement and evaluating how you can collaborate better allows you to improve on the areas like communication, team work, mentorship, leadership etc...When you evaluate and identifies the area improvement and work on it, that not only enhances the collaboration, it also provides you with opportunities to grow.

The significance of the Employee Relations function is pivotal in boosting both employee engagement and performance. In a large organisation with diverse business segments and geographical locations ,the seamless operation of functions like Talent Acquisition, Learning and Development, Compensation & Benefits, and the Employee Relations team is essential. It’s crucial for the Employee Relations team to grasp the exact needs of managers and employees, working in close partnership with specialists to create and implement tailored interventions. Recognising the importance and value of the role as an Employee Relations specialist is important to build the credibility among both employees and specialist functions for better collaboration.

One rule of thumb that works very well across the maturity grading of organizations is having a seasoned HR leader who has experienced all aspects of the function. Promoting cross-discipline rotation for all HR professionals, driving large scale interventions with cross-discipline representation and the basic principle of keeping and adhering to internal SLAs within HR as we follow for business and employees can go a long way.

To better collaboration with other HR functions, one must understand them, why are they there, what is their role, values and uses in the organization. You also need to know the challenges and responsibilities of these functions before it can be effectively integrated for it uses.

Holistic human capital management is a sum of its parts. While each HR function has its own priorities, they overlap in many areas. By recognizing the interconnectedness, understanding the value each brings, building trust, seeking collaboration opportunities, and continually evaluating outcomes, a more comprehensive and effective approach to HR becomes possible. This not only benefits the organization but also ensures the well-being and growth of every individual within it.

To enhance collaboration with other HR functions, establish clear communication channels, share relevant data, attend cross-functional meetings, and align goals to ensure a cohesive approach in employee relations initiatives.