9 Extraordinary Powers of a Business-Oriented HR Professional

What is the raison d'etre of HR?

Some may say that it is to care for the people in an organization. Others that it is to care for the organization and its success. In reality, it is both: the business + the people. That's why HR exists: to be the advocate and the agent that facilitates the success of a business and the success of the people who work in that business. In fact, the greatest HR functions know a fundamental truth about their purpose: there can't be organizational success without people success, and there can't be people success without organizational success. This would is unsustainable and, frankly, an illusion. They are two sides of the same coin. They need from each other and they reinforce each other.

An HR professional who wants to see the people he or she is serving thrive and flourish must, consequently, want to see the business succeed as well. And that's what I call a business-oriented HR professional: one that cares for the business and the people, and the people and the business.

Now, what is the anatomy of a business-oriented HR professional? What makes them stand out from the rest? How can someone in HR become business-oriented? More importantly, will a business-oriented HR professional "abandon" the people and "give up" on their people-centered values if they become more business-oriented?

Here's the deal.

You can't be pro-people if you aren't pro-business. And you can't be pro-business if you aren't pro-people. As I mentioned above, they both are two sides of the same coin.

An HR professional who wants to see their people grow, flourish and thrive MUST want to see their business grow, flourish and thrive as well. We know that this is not necessarily true for some non-HR business leader who seemingly care little for the people and all for the business. But, what they don't see or fail to accept, is that by caring little about their people, their people will also care little about the business. And that's a mess, for the business (but also for the people). That makes a business highly susceptible to many challenges: high turnover, decreased attraction of great talent, low engagement, among others.

HR as a function doesn't exist in a vacuum in it for itself. HR, just like any other business function, exists to help the business succeed. That is: become more profitable or impactful, sustainable and long-lived. If the business fails there is no HR, and no people working for that business either.

The difference between HR and other business functions is that HR focuses on helping the organization succeed through the success of the people. HR knows that the answer to address business challenges and opportunities is one and one only: people.

A business-oriented HR professional, therefore, is one that is focused on helping the business succeed while wearing the HR or people hat and helping the people succeed. A business-oriented HR professional knows that to generate more revenue you need more productive and innovative people. A business-oriented HR professional knows that to respond to business challenges you need more creative ideas which requires... more inclusion... of the people! See? All goes back to... people as the means, leverage, springboard or whatever you want to call it, to help the business succeed.

Now, what makes an HR professional one that is business-oriented?

Here you have 9 extraordinary powers of a business-oriented HR professional.

By now you must know based on what we've said that when we say "business-oriented HR professional" we mean one that cares for the business and the people. Caring for the people without caring for the business creates an illusion, a mirage of success. Caring for the business without caring for the people is a short cut to nothingness. A business-oriented HR professional deeply cares for both and acts accordingly.

Power 1 - Mindset: It's about what and how you think

It's all about the way you think and approach challenges and opportunities. As a business-oriented HR professional you start to think like a great business leader. But you happen to be the one wearing the "HR" (or people) hat in that leadership. For you, business challenges have people solutions. You focus on helping the business succeed through the success of the people. More importantly, you know that one depends on the other, and one can't be without the other. The so-called (and I hate this expression) "seat at the table" is earned (yes, some haven't earned it... but don't mind about them for now) by thinking and acting like a business leader. Nobody wants to have the "HR person" in that table. They want to have the "business leader" who offers people-oriented solutions. See the difference?

Power 2 - Skills: It's about what you nurture and learn

It's all about what you are learning, and this matters a lot. When you think and act like a business leader, or a business-oriented HR professional, the skills that you learn start to shift from just "HR stuff" to "business stuff". This means that you invest your learning time in skills that may not be part of the traditional HR portfolio. Instead, you start learning: marketing, tech, sales, operations, finance, etc. I love HR very much, but it's hard for me to see many exciting things happening within the confines of the traditional portfolio of HR (mostly administration and transaction). It is at the intersections where I see the most exciting stuff happening: people and marketing; people and digital transformation; human experience and reputation and branding; etc. That's why you have to learn what you haven't from outside HR. That'll give you a vantage point that no one else would have!

Power 3 - Alignment: It's about how you connect the dots and make the whole unbreakable

It really is about alignment. Nobody and nothing is totally essential, but there are things that are less essential than others. If your peers at the business leadership level don't see the value in what you do they will cut it out the minute they have to. So, as a business-oriented HR professional you build a direct and very strong line connecting your strategies, initiatives and actions in HR with business goals and priorities. The purpose of a business-oriented HR is to help the business become more successful with people, but you have to connect the dots and make the connection unbreakable. Right now, think about all you are doing in HR: can you trace a line connecting what you do with a business priority? If yes: good. If no: why not? Is it because you haven't connected the dots, or because the dots can't be connected? This thinking will help you question what you do in HR and how to turn it into business-oriented thinking and acting.

Power 4 - Understanding: It's about knowing like nobody else knows

Yes, nothing and no one is truly essential, like I mentioned before. However, you want to make sure that you are on the upper limit of that spectrum: as essential as possible. So, what is it that you do that nobody else can do as well and wonderfully as you? Ah! Good question, isn't it? As a business-oriented HR professional you focus heavily on cultivating and nurturing the deepest understanding about the business you work for and how the people contribute to helping that business succeed. Nobody else understands this connection as well and deeply as you do. Nobody. Really, not even the CEO. That understanding is powerful and... almost totally essential. That makes the value you create for the organization and the people truly unique.

Power 5 - Opportunities: It's about what you "see"

I used to say that the greatest leaders of all times have two things that the rest don't: they believe the "unbelievable" and "see the invisible". The first means that when you have an idea (because of data or gut feeling, or both) that tells you that something may happen, get ready for it to happen. The worst thing that can happen is that it doesn't happen. But you will not have wasted your time, but instead you will have increased your preparedness. The second thing, "seeing the invisible" is seeing beyond the horizon, which is as far as everybody else can see. No, but you are not everybody else. You are special because you are a business-oriented HR professional and, as such, you can see much further. You can "see" what's invisible to others. That's why as a business-oriented HR professional you identify valuable opportunities to step in and solve business challenges or work on potential opportunities, but you do this with a people's approach. You bring the "people" component to the table and connect it with the resolution of those challenges. You "see" this powerful connection that is invisible to most. But you see it!

Power 6 - Language: It's about how well you communicate with those who don't speak HR

It is well known by now that speaking more than languages not only makes you smart, but it also allows you brain to create beautiful, unimaginable connections. In addition, it gives an extraordinary vantage point: your ability to communicate effectively with people that otherwise would need translations - and things get lost in translation. I speak English and Spanish. And I enjoy thoroughly understanding both and the chaos that happens in my mind when I am thinking in one language and speaking in another. It's amazing. As a business-oriented HR professional you MUST speak the language of the business, which very often is not the language of HR (you care about "engagement" - finance cares about how much it is costing to replace employees who leave because they don't enjoy their work). Please, don't expect the business and others to learn your language. Yeah yeah: "oh, but that's so unfair1 Why do I have to learn their language? Why don't they learn mine"? Frankly, "whatever". You want to dwell there, you lose. Sorry, I don't want to be this blunt. But, don't dwell in the things that you wish would happen but never do. That's going to disappoint you and frustrate you. Instead, act and make them happen! You win when you become a business polyglot. And when you win, the business and the people you represent win, too!

Power 7 - Collaboration: It's about bringing others on the journey

You can't go at it alone. You can't. No way. So, this one is really essential: as a business-oriented HR professional you have to build opportunities to collaborate with business leaders and people outside of HR. Traditional HR practitioners operate only within the confines of the HR cocoon. However, most value is outside it. You must venture outside and explore new territories by co-creating, co-designing, cooperating and/or collaborating with others. This is fundamental. And it has a LOT of ridiculous amounts of value: it allows you to learn from them; they learn from you because they trust that you do what you do for the right reasons for the business; you don't do everything alone; you share success, but also failures. Bring others on the journey with you!

Power 8 - Value: It's about adding value or waste, and that's a question

This is the most blunt I will be in this post, but I have to say this. With your work in HR you are either adding value or waste. You are either contributing to the achievement of the goals of the organization and the people, or hindering them. There is no in between. An "in-between" has been already slashed or will be, especially when things get a little cloudy with the economy. Why is it so important to think in these terms of "value or waste"? Because when you do you examine your work with a sharper approach. As a business-oriented HR professional you acknowledge and embrace a powerful business truth: you are either adding value or not. This is a simple, but hard truth. This means that you have to scrutinize everything you do in HR under the light of one question: is it adding value to the business (and people) or not. I invite you to do this exercise: think about the processes that your HR function has in place. Now, examine and scrutinize them and, with full transparency and honesty toward yourself, your business and your people, think what adds value and what doesn't. Begin there.

Power 9 - Influence: It's about making it happen because of your unique influencing abilities

HR isn't powerless. Yes, there are a lot of organizations that don't give HR formal authority or empower them with decision-making freedom. But, that doesn't mean HR is powerless. Rather, it means you have to double down on maximizing another source of power, one that is more sustainable and sublime: influence. As a business-oriented HR professional you care for the business and the people. Other leaders don't necessarily care for the people as much as you do. This is your opportunity to influence them and help them see the value of thinking in terms of both. Do you want to make things happen for the business and the people, but don't have much "formal authority"? Cultivate your influence. Be the best of the best at influencing others. Then, having "formal power" will matter less, because you will have already cemented your "informal power" and authority through your influencing abilities.

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By Enrique Rubio, Founder at Hacking HR