Does HR Really Matter? 3 E’s to Establishing Credibility

Does HR Really Matter

Does HR really matter? Yes! The cost of employee turnover varies from organization to organization, and role to role.  It’s clear that it’s not free, and the annual price tag is in the billions. You can evaluate the Employee lifecycle, make recommendations, implement new policies, train, and have the best documentation. But, if HR isn’t monitoring, reinforcing, and playing a pivotal role throughout the lifecycle, your organization’s bottom line is suffering.

Two Key Factors

As an HR representative, you want to make a difference in your organization, so you work through the employee lifecycle to set up the right documentation, procedures, and systems. Sometimes you get discouraged because, despite your best efforts, you feel left in the dark and out of the loop. You can’t help if you don’t know what’s going on, which is why accountability and support are critical and the two distinguishing factors in most successful HR organizations.

  • Accountability: Employees and managers are accountable for involving HR. There’s a continuous dialog between everyone involved, with HR consulting and providing resources and support along the way.
  • Support: Management reinforces HR’s role by continuing to educate others about the importance of their function, directing them to HR, and supporting recommendations.

Of course, having accountability and support is easier said than done. It takes diligence and effort to have a voice that others listen to.

Three E’s to HR Credibility

Culture plays a huge role in every organization, and it must be taken into consideration and navigated appropriately. To establish credibility, you have to do your job well, and then go above and beyond. Here are three things to consider as you work to gain additional credibility in your organization:

  • Expertise: Know your organization inside and out including what business you’re in, how it makes money, and how you contribute to its success.
  • Education: Continue to educate yourself by going to conferences. While you’re there, build a network of other HR professionals that you can rely on for best-practices, questions, and support.
  • Engagement: Engage with upper-level management. Show them the numbers, especially the cases where your involvement reduced expenses, increased productivity, and improved the bottom line. You are your best advocate, and you have more control over the bottom line than you realize.

Does HR really matter? Someone in your organization is asking this question. Maybe it’s you, or perhaps it’s upper management. Regardless of who’s asking it, do you have the answer? We can make sure you do. Give us a call today.