Successful HR executives from Forbes Human Resources Council offer leadership and management insights.
Human resources departments must ensure that employees meet the needs of a business before they hire them. It's more than just determining if they're qualified — HR departments deal with ensuring those employees bring skills to the table that will improve the business. Because of this, HR departments have a crucial role in ensuring the company meets its obligations in the strategic management planning process.
It's only through a combined effort where all stakeholders are aligned that a company can achieve its goals. Thirteen professionals from Forbes Human Resources Council touch on the essential approaches that HR departments can leverage to ensure that all parties are focused on the same goals.
Members explain how HR leaders can improve their strategic management planning.
Photos courtesy of the individual members.1. Operationalize Workforce Planning
Use market research to identify which skills you may need, then operationalize that within your company. If you're planning an IT transformation project in two years, you should pipeline talent now, so you’re ready to hire before it starts. Talent pipelines will give you consistent access to qualified candidates who are ready to join when immediate needs arise. - Kim Pope, WilsonHCG
2. Understand The Primary Objectives
Understanding the three primary objectives of the organization's strategies matters. Identifying the key priorities will naturally drive alignment among talent, strategic objectives and results. Often, HR professionals overlook the importance of focusing on the key issues that the organization would like the talent to solve. - William Ng, Bed Bath & Beyond
3. Solidify Buy-In From Decision-Makers
Once the strategic management plan is designed, ensure the decision-makers are ready for the implementation. Change is difficult. On the surface, the CEO may be supportive, but when things no longer work the way they used to, will your strategy genuinely be supported? Recognize that new strategies will have potholes here and there. Ensure that decision-makers are committed. - Patricia Sharkey, IMI People
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4. Tie It To The Overarching Business Strategy
Just as human capital strategy needs to be aligned to the business strategy, so, too, the strategic workforce planning must be linked to that overarching business strategy. Talent (along with finance and marketing) are the three legs of the stool necessary for successful operations. Processes must project future needs, and hiring must seek the skills and capabilities of tomorrow. - Russell Klosk, Accenture
5. Review Your Interviewing Process
Review the overall interviewing process as a team so that every interaction with the candidate brings new insights and educates the candidate about the company. Developing a feedback-based interview framework will ensure a consistent interviewing process — assess candidates from multiple perspectives and determine how the candidates can contribute to the culture of cohesiveness and inclusion. - Rachel Lyubovitzky, EverythingBenefits
6. Ensure Diversity Of Thought
Processes of any type can benefit from a diversity of thought. If everyone starts off aligned from the beginning, this should be a red flag that there may not be room for dissenting views. Encourage those who are sometimes hesitant to speak up and share. - Sherrie Suski, Tricon American Homes
7. Get The Voice Of The Employee
It is important to ensure in your strategic planning process that not all the participants voice only the management's view. Getting the voice of the people who are at the ground zero of where work happens and are closer to your customers, included in the management planning process can ensure that it does not devolve into just planning for dollars and cents. - Srikant Chellappa, Engagedly | Mentoring Complete
8. Future-Proof Your Plan
There's no question that companies will have immediate needs to fill in any given year; however, any strategic planning process should incorporate future-proofing your workforce by hiring candidates who will meet the future demands of the business. Employers can do this in many different ways, but one of my favorites is to consider partnering with an educational institution focused on next-gen talent. - Dr. Timothy J. Giardino, BMC Software
9. Conduct A SWOT Analysis
A SWOT analysis is an important tool for HR to consider when setting up or improving the strategic management process to include the entire workforce. The process must begin with an insight of the overall strategic initiatives to assess the current workforce and future workforce competencies to identify gaps, develop and implement talent plans, and continually evaluate and monitor for agility to pivot. - Sherry Martin, Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS)
10. Clarify The Mission And Vision
Invest the time upfront to gather and analyze all pertinent information before setting strategic planning goals and implementing strategy. Do not move forward until all stakeholders have bought into the plan. No evaluation and control tools will be able to save you if you're executing a strategy that does not align the mission and vision of the business. - Bryan Passman, Hunter + Esquire
11. Slow Down To Go Fast
Slow your hiring managers down. All too often, managers and leaders will throw bodies at a problem, rather than thinking it through. Take a step back, work with them to craft a thoughtful business and organizational plan, and then carefully consider what skill sets are truly needed to get the job done. And then take the time to hire the best! - Tracy Cote, Zenefits
12. Keep Employees Engaged
As HR develops and plans the company’s business strategy, it’s important to keep employees engaged as to what the strategy will be and how it should be implemented. By soliciting employee feedback, ideas and suggestions, HR can get a better feel for what will work and what won’t from those who will ultimately execute the strategy, as well as how best to lead and communicate changes. - John Feldmann, Insperity
13. Use Experienced Recruiters
Despite an MBA, marketing skills and being very familiar with my product, I admittedly have poor skills in sensing who upon an interview makes a good salesperson or programmer. It wasn't until I hired experienced senior executives in these areas, who in turn used assessments they trusted to verify aptitudes and knowledge, did we have a consistent record of successful hires. - Eric Friedman, eSkill
