HR leaders report a lack of perceived value around their department’s work, according to McLean & Co. research.
That’s at least in part due to the shifting nature of HR’s role, researchers and analysts from the organization said in an Oct. 3 webinar. And the downsides are significant: A lack of perceived value can curb the department’s influence and access to resources.
So how can HR be recognized for the strategic function that it is? McLean’s experts outlined several steps.
1. Identify HR’s audiences
HR has both internal and external audiences, the panelists said. Internal audiences are those individuals or groups employed by the organization who interact with or benefit from HR work — boards of directors, executives, leaders and individual contributors. External audiences include job candidates, investors, shareholders, alumni and members of the public.
HR departments must first define their own audiences, the McLean experts said, allowing it to tailor the efforts that follow to each group.
2. Define HR’s value for each audience
HR departments must not only identify each audience but also understand what each group needs from HR and how they currently perceive the department, the speakers suggested.
“It’s unrealistic for audiences just to see the value in every task of HR’s day-to-day work,” said Alex Zawora, project manager for HR research and advisory services, said. “So to maximize the impact of HR’s promotional efforts, it’s critical that HR speak to how their work connects to and has a meaningful impact on improving each audience’s experience with the organization.”
To that end, HR can create value proposition statements that highlight the meaningful work it does for each audience, she said.
3. Set goals
Goal setting will help guide HR’s marketing efforts and ensure the team is focused and aligned on why it’s aiming to promote value, the panelists said. Goals also allow for the department to track its progress over time.
For example, the speakers said, an HR team may decide to focus on increasing awareness among employees of the work it does to ensure that total compensation packages are competitive.
4. Start communicating
Next, HR can tackle its goals through communication. Value proposition marketing should come in clear, direct and tailored messages, they said. It can take many forms, however. Communication can include measurable outcomes, success stories, audience testimonials and more — but it shouldn’t be a list of everything HR does.
And the higher up in the organization HR goes, the more tailored messaging should be. “It’s important to tailor tactics for each audience, but when you’re promoting HR’s value to executives and senior leaders, it becomes even more important that tactics are tailored for each individual so that you can maximize your impact,” Zawora said.
Messaging also should be inclusive and made available in accessible formats, and it should be transparent in an effort to build trust, the speakers said. This means HR should avoid jargon and think outside the email inbox.
The entire HR department should be tasked with these efforts, advised Lexi Hambides, director of HR research and advisory services. Consider mentoring HR representatives on using these tactics in their interactions with the organization, she said; this “enables every HR team member to become a brand ambassador for HR.”
5. Keep at it
HR should work to continuously inform its audiences of the department’s impact, the McLean speakers said.
In addition to strategic monthly or weekly touchpoints such as town halls or update meetings, HR representatives should keep these goals in mind at other times such as onboarding, promotion and more.
HR team members also can walk a production floor or mingle with other departments at company meetings while engaging in active listening to better understand workers’ needs and to establish personal relationships.
6. Track progress
Finally, ensure that there’s a process for monitoring progress, the speakers said.
HR leaders should monitor progress made toward the goals identified, but also continue to review the value propositions and tactics being used. This should happen annually, at a minimum, and also when there’s a disruption, such as an industry shift, or an internal change in HR strategy.
“Regularly assessing how HR is perceived allows us to address any misalignments quickly and proactively,” Hambides said. Tracking is crucial for “making sure that HR’s current and future work reinforces the stated HR value proposition statements that you’ve created.”