1. Match talent resources with company strategy.
CEOs want HR leaders who understand where the company wants to go and what talent resources are required to get there quickly.
HR leaders need to partner with the CEO to determine the right resources needed in every area to execute on the strategy and maintain balance across the organization. HR should provide the data and counsel to make the organization as efficient as possible.
2. Help attract the best and brightest.
CEOs want the HR department to proactively help find and hire ‘stars’ — not just put up job posts when a vacancy occurs. Filling empty positions is not enough to be successful. Recruiters must help market the company in a way that attracts the best talent in the industry. Recruiting is a continuous sales process, and top-notch HR leaders will embrace it and add tremendous value.
3. Deliver excellence in the onboarding process.
Too many companies hire good people only to let them flounder once they come onboard. Then they’re disappointed when the new employee doesn’t contribute quickly.
HR can end this futility by owning the onboarding process. Quality onboarding includes making the new hire aware of company history and general industry knowledge and having him or her attend meetings with key stakeholders, in addition to the obvious job-specific training.
These actions have multiple benefits such as driving high performance, creating a common language across the company and building a strong culture through shared experiences.
4. Focus on employee engagement.
Most companies don’t measure employee engagement, much less manage it. This is yet another area where the HR leaders can and should take the lead by:
- Measuring engagement through tools such as our CAI employee pulse survey or Gallup’s Q12 survey.
- Creating and executing action plans on issues surfaced.
- Supporting the entire management team in efforts to engage employees.
It’s especially critical for HR to coach and give feedback to first-line managers, many of whom aren’t well trained and lack skills that are critical to keeping employees engaged and motivated.
For more details on this and other strategic topics, check out Catapult’s website.
Written by a Catapult Advisor