Does it help, in HR, if you care? I’m hearing great stories about HR going the extra mile for people right now. You can be effective and businesslike as well as caring, and it won’t help you manage those tricky situations if you lack empathy. But business leaders want HR to be business-savvy, credible, tough. How can HR people manage this balance?
Our own research does indeed show that HR people are most confident in areas where empathy is key – such as building trust, coaching and being responsive. Thought leaders agree that this is highly valued by business leaders.
However, it’s also true that the areas where our respondents feel less confident include those with a harder edge, such as measuring HR’s focus, understanding business priorities and using data – and thought leaders agree with that too. They want HR people to be more business savvy. We researched what this actually looks like, and broke it down into behaviours and activities that can be developed and measured. Our framework, and our development options – now virtual – show how you can balance all these complex requirements.
Contact us for a free self-evaluation and coaching session if you’re in HR and feeling challenged right now.
