Closing the Great Corporate Divide: Business and HR

Its been a curve ball moving from business/IT to HR for the past few years. While it has been a fulfilling path in many ways and at many levels, it has also been very eye opening.

Conversations with many HR CXO's and professionals, with phd holders and CEOs / execs from business around the globe, has set some baseline understanding that I wish to call out and hope to share across organisations .

Possibly do use this as a quiet checklist for understanding if there is a divide in your organisation . Making you aware is making you empowered :) All the best !

1.Business and HR need to be married well together.

Business and HR need to be seamless joined for all decision making . HR should add the people angle while understanding the constraints of the business. Business may not afford to be the big brother anymore as we evolve technologically in a space where the human advancement - innovation and creativity- becomes paramount.

Some KPI's should be interchanged too:) Give business some KPIs on managing people and HR some KPIs on getting work done.

2. HR needs to be consistently updated with the ever changing business landscape and business needs to be consistently updated with the ever changing HR landscape.

For HR and Business to find an appreciation for each other and create a common language. Maybe even fight out their views over a lengthy debate. Just not indifference or sweet talk.

Most organisations compensate by having a business personnel head the HR. This is an effective solution since the language is common and not much is lost in translation.

It is not effective when it sometimes carpets the problem and the subtle people needs, with HR eventually giving way to the business needs . It does not do justice to its role then.

3. HR needs to be re-branded and redefined.

Big time and in most organisations. Am surprised we are still calling it Human Resources .

Please, HR cannot be created, run or sustained as an admin function. It is lot more strategic than recruitment and placement, compensation etc.

It should not only be respected for the value it bring or can bring but held to that. There is no value greater than that of a human being living his/her highest potential. Technology and all other advancements came from there and not vice-versa. That has to be the bottom line understanding across the organisation.

4. Business creates the lifestyle which creates the symptoms that HR then has to solve.

Most often the lifestyle of the associate is crafted to its perfection by the business, including time at work, shaping the behavior through daily accolades/penalty, appreciation for work and life , motivations and ambitions, setting the precedent for people management and customer management.

Later, if there is a concern, it is an impossible diagnostic task for HR. HR may need to be involved while the lifestyle is being crafted.

Needless to say, HR should have the backbone well empowered to make those tough stands where needed or negotiate with business to build in the de-stress accupressure points accordingly. HR seen as being in cohoots with the business takes away the trust in it as a balancing function.

5. HR needs the same kind of exposure, investment and technological advances that business/IT get.

Sure HR does not produce profits but it cannot be treated as a cost center either.

HR , not being the core offering of organisations, may not be getting exposed enough - to clients , international travel, technological advancements and challenges, industry equity- making it difficult for them to up skill themselves holistically. This does sometimes render itself to insecurities and less innovative or lateral thinking as a function.

Also, upgrading HR is critical. Organisations may want to look at using technology like AI, Data Analytics etc for HR to enable them to focus on people instead of systems and processes. HR is one place where (I feel) too much optimization can create disadvantage if not thought through well.You lose connect, you lose the human and all that is left in the organisation is the resource. Use optimization to save time and reduce frustration. Use that time to connect and customize your approach.

Organisation that are not internally transforming their HR will lose out in the long run just like one wheel punctured does to a car.

6. (Might I dare say) HR is the feminine force of the organisation .

Much like Yin and Yang. HR may be considered to be the feminine side of the organisation. It is primarily responsible for nurturing and nourishing.

In turn then it needs to be nourished as well. Sometimes, one cannot give, on a sustained basis, what one does not have in abundance itself.

Respect for the feminine side (and not just its gender ) and its emotional perspective is also one diversity we need to encourage.

7. HR is lost to numbers.

This may be the HR fault .

1 is a number in the records but a person on the ground. Each of that number is capable of changing the world. It is great that business needs numbers to make things work and yet, it is your job to ensure that there is balance of perspectives. Don't lose what you wanted to do and your purpose of helping people to numbers. Policies and processes are great way to align and yet don't let people fall in between the fine print. May the spirit and not the print, when clashing, guide you forward.

Losing that perspective, that voice, that empathy is really losing HR .

Lovely being able to share this in open-ness and authenticity. Disclaimer: The views are my own and may change as I get mature:) . For now, if they helped, happy to be of assistance.

Showering you with lots of energy and open-ness to accept what is working and what is not, to take charge of what can be made better and putting your energy there !

Each of you, in whatever position you are - have to be the beacon for business and for HR. These are not separate functions, these are separate hats each one of us have to wear always.

Hugs !

Nidhi