In part 1, I highlighted several reasons why I feel an incoming CEO and leader needs to develop a creative, collaborative and trusting relationship with HR and its leadership. In this second part, I will provide additional reasons why I feel this is essential to success.

Face to Face wins over any thing else

Depending upon the size of the organization, make every effort to personally meet with every individual who reports to your HR leader, if possible during the first months following your arrival. You want to ensure that you are supporting the culture you'd like to develop through behavior and walking the integrity walk. In addition, your 'fit check' of individuals who are in these positions, or the one's who are just about to be hired at this particular managerial level is essential. It gives a clear signal to the rest of the organization that HR is not 'out there', but is an integral part of the organization. Of course you discuss your 'findings' with the HR leader on an ongoing basis.

Ask and it will be given to you

Request for a HR specific questionnaire, for example using Zoomerang®, to be prepared and distributed to all personnel. Although these questionnaires are usually being managed by HR and send to the rest of the organization, you want to start with HR and obtain valuable employee comments on how HR is currently being perceived. Starting with a HR questionnaire, provides focus and allows a preview of your communication style; open, direct and inviting to all. You show organizational accountability and present the HR team as a "key and important business area." 

A few examples of questions you could use (suggest you use 10 questions or less):

- How are HR's goals linked to our strategic company and your personal goals?

- How does our organization measure HR's effectiveness?

- What do you need, want or wish from HR to support your goals?

- HR leaders in our organization are usually?

- What can you give, provide to, or do for HR to support their goals?

Of course, you will provide the organization with full access to the data of the questionnaire in a practical, non-threatening and non-blaming fashion. You avoid this will become one of those executive 'Boomerang' questionnaires. In these cases, people honestly and dutifully complete a questionnaire and remain forever in the dark about the data and the possible related actions. However, they do know that in 'their world' nothing has been done - for nothing has changed.

Policies, Procedures and Quality

I suggest for you to agree with the HR leader on an independent professional review of all (corporate and country operations) HR policies and procedures, with the aim of reducing the number and complexity. Through this action you promote transparency, clarity of action and removal of bureaucracy. 

You want quality (= method preservation), defined as committed to working to the highest ethical, scientific and quality standards and ensuring compliance with all regulatory requirements, applied everywhere in the organization. You require 'HR business based,' critical and risk based thinking in all of your organization's leaders and team members, not 'just' in HR.

It is all about synergy

Agree with the HR leader on the creation of cross-departmental "synergy teams," composed of operational and junior-to middle-leadership, being led by one of your direct reports. The teams address better ways to achieve the strategic and tactical goals and the removal of barriers to accomplish the work. Make it a priority to meet with these teams every month over breakfast for the first six months and invite team members to bring all you need to know to the table. The only rule is, no gossiping and no trashing of coworkers and leadership. Team meetings will have no formal agenda and you will distribute action item reports to your executive team members, to the rest of the organization and to the governing board - creating full transparency.  Your openness and interaction about this with HR leadership is critical - HR is your partner and show this to every one through openness and active collaboration.

Conclusion

As a new leader you undoubtedly have been mandated to drive organizational and business growth. Inherently this will imply a culture transformation. Your efforts are significantly affected by the quality and the type of support you mobilize from HR and its leadership. 

From experience it is vital as a leader to accept accountability for HR. When you choose to lead, you decide to find and use the "hidden power of HR." In doing so, you will be well on your way to be supported by a vision sharing HR leadership. This will collectively move you and the organization closer to the short-term successes and long-term goals.

You are well aware that: "You cannot change your destination overnight, but you can change your direction overnight" - Jim Rohn

Best regards,

Johan

In my work, I am regularly challenged by actions of leaders who seem to underestimate the power of Human Resources (HR). The HR leader and its organization can either help you as a new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to become a leader, or to become a lagger. 

Collaboratively Creating Value

Incoming leaders are wise to invest in the relationship with the HR leader by spending quality dialogue time together. As CEO you want to carefully present your values, mission, vision and short- and medium-term goals and the mandate given to you by the governance board. You also like to learn about the HR leader and its organization, and welcome a strategic view, one which goes beyond personnel records and fringe benefits. Also, as an incoming leader you are advised to meet with every one who touches the talent acquisition chain of events.

You need to address and review how the existing organization has been staffed.  How does the organization comply with applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations? 

Discuss and explain why you want transparency and full disclosure on all existing and future issues. You want the organization to be ethical (100% of the time), compliant (100% of the time) and have systems in place protecting the company and its workforce, such as;

- A professional and properly documented background check of all people in the organization, including contractors and "1099" contractors. If not available, require for a reputable outside firm to handle this and complete soon. 

- Require independent review of a random and representative sample size of employee records. You like to include for example, how a file is structured, what is filed where and by whom and who has access? If you have drug and alcohol screening as part of the hiring process (highly recommended!), require for example a report on how the data is managed and what experiences the companies has to date. 

- A proper ethics and compliance program. If not in place, discuss this at an upcoming board meeting and suggest proper organization and staffing of this function. Remind the board about its shared accountability and the potential liability of not handling ethics and compliance properly. 

As an incoming leader, do these 'minimal checks' shortly after arrival in the company, so you are informed and accountable.

Independence is Key

Require a direct organizational and hierarchical reporting relationship and communication line with HR leadership. You can let the HR leader act with independence and be in full control, yet you have influence where appropriate. You show support to innovative, positive and business constructive HR activities, in line with the companies mission and vision, strategic goals and unambiguous and accessible to every one.

Professionals Create a Professional Environment

Ensure well qualified and trained professionals and people who fit the organizational culture are active in HR and will be considered for future roles. You assure the HR organization is staffed and managed with professionalism and integrity. You lead and further build a sustainable, credible and trustworthy organization, a place where people like to work. 

Although professional training may not be seen as a guarantee for success by some, from personal experience I can share that hiring the alternative is often counter productive to success. A lack of professional standard in HR may over time become a liability to you and the organization.

Focus Magnifies Results

Nowadays, HR leadership often includes oversight of many functional areas. Many of these functional areas are specialized functions and may not be considered directly related to HR's core activity. Some may lead to potential conflict of interest. I suggest to avoid this pitfall by envisioning and collaboratively creating a focused and functional HR organization. You like to create a focused HR team that for example;

- Continuously monitor the labor market for workplace trends

- Adaptation of candidate sourcing styles based upon need and market trends

- Establish vision and supports hiring the best person for the role at the best cost with the shortest lead time

- Develop alignment of the human capital planning with strategic goals

- Create metrics that clearly define contributions to organizational goals

- Continuously build on the need for increased transparency and a reduction of bureaucracy within the organization

- Constructively collaborate with colleagues, suppliers, partner organizations and the market 

You require a HR leader with focus to add measurable value to the executive leadership team. You ask for an innovator, a visionary leader with business and people representation, direct and extended community focus and the right balance of advocacy and inquiry. An executive, a colleague, able to support you in an evolving organization and market. 

HR is part of your every day accountabilities and your decision to take this seriously, may soon result in, what some times is referred to as "defining leadership moments".

In part two of this article, I will provide additional suggestions on how you and the HR leader can creatively collaborate and build success.

Best regards,

Johan