Business growth requires the obstacles in HR’s way to be removed

There’s plenty of commitment, expertise and drive in the HR function. If organisations removed the obstacles getting in HR’s way – just imagine the growth in profitability that would deliver.

Votes in my recent poll reveal the core challenges faced by HR.

As Asad Husain, 4xCHRO, puts it; ‘To me this reveals a sobering reality of HR’s position: being undervalued by leadership (35%) isn’t just a perception problem—it’s the cornerstone challenge that drives everything else.’

I agree, and perception feels like reality to senior business leaders who don’t know better – or who choose not to be open to new thinking.

This can start at the top. Some CEOs want a CHRO who solves their problems for them, rather than challenges them to partner strategically. That often presents some inconvenient truths.

You could say it’s a choice between keeping HR in its box, or opening up Pandora’s box. For example, empowering HR can involve holding up a mirror to senior leadership.

When HR is held back, there’s a vicious cycle – less involvement, less impact, less credibility – and yet our determined HR community at all levels keeps on trying.

As Asad says, ‘This lack of strategic credibility creates a domino effect where HR professionals compensate through overwork (31%) while simultaneously lacking the infrastructure (22%) to effectively demonstrate their value.’

If you’d like to explore how to break this cycle, I’d be happy to share how we achieve this with our clients. Message me to open up opportunities for your own HR team.