HR can’t afford to be shrinking violets
Originally inspired by commentary on leadership and the role of HR in business and published 14th April 2014.
Updated in April 2026.
Why HR must have a stronger voice in business
Some time ago I read an article by Anthony Hilton in the Evening Standard where he suggested it was high time more managers recognised that business success is ultimately about people.
For someone who has spent their entire career in HR encouraging managers to see organisations through that lens, it was genuinely refreshing to read. Too often, conversations around business performance are dominated by numbers, spreadsheets and financial metrics, with accountants firmly in the driving seat. Of course, financial performance matters. But organisations do not succeed through numbers alone. They succeed through people, leadership, culture and capability.
Seeing a business journalist acknowledge that reality felt like a small victory for those of us working in HR.
The challenge of reactive HR
However, the rest of the article was not quite such a comfortable read. Hilton argued that many HR departments still see themselves as reactive rather than proactive. In truth, there is some validity in that criticism. But in many cases, it is not through a lack of ambition or effort from HR professionals. Often it is because the message is not being heard, because the conversation is happening in the wrong place, or because HR has not yet found the most effective way to influence decision making.
A question worth asking is this: how often do HR teams stop and evaluate situations when things do not go their way?
When initiatives fail to gain traction, do we ask what we could learn from that experience? Do we reflect on what we might do differently next time? This kind of reflection is essential if HR is to move from a reactive support function to a truly strategic partner within the organisation.
Why HR must step into strategic conversations
Many HR professionals will recognise these familiar frustrations:
“Why didn’t that manager ask us first?”
“We could have seen that problem coming months ago.”
“We could have helped them handle that situation differently.”
These comments highlight a common challenge. HR often has valuable insight, but that insight does not always reach the conversations where key decisions are made.
Hilton also suggested that HR professionals rarely venture beyond their own functional territory and are not always present in boardroom discussions.
It is worth asking why. In some cases, it may reflect a skills gap. Historically, HR roles have been heavily associated with managing employee issues, ensuring compliance and resolving workplace challenges. Those responsibilities are important. But they do not always build the confidence or visibility required to influence wider business strategy.
Integrity and professionalism are central to HR, yet those qualities do not always sit comfortably with self-promotion or pushing for influence.
Nevertheless, HR cannot afford to remain the shrinking violets of the workforce.
Learning from other business functions
If HR wants to be seen as proactive rather than reactive, there is much we can learn from other functions within the organisation.
Finance, marketing and operations teams rarely wait to be invited into strategic conversations. They build relationships across the business, develop alliances and actively seek to understand what is happening in other departments. Most importantly, they are not afraid to contribute ideas, challenge thinking and take part in wider business discussions, even when there is a risk of knockbacks.
For HR to increase its credibility and influence, the same mindset is required.
This means building stronger commercial awareness, understanding organisational priorities and becoming more confident contributors in leadership discussions.
Developing the skills HR needs
In some organisations HR departments face intense pressure to manage compliance requirements, handle complex employee relations cases and navigate employment legislation.
Those demands are real. But they should not prevent HR professionals from developing the broader skills required to operate strategically.
Too often we see HR teams who have not taken the time to step back and ask an important question:
Do we have the skills and confidence to influence the business in a different way?
If the answer is no, the next question should be how we develop those capabilities.
Without that development, HR risks remaining outside the conversations where major organisational decisions are made.
Leading by example in HR development
This debate is not new. Research into the HR profession has been highlighting these themes for many years. Both formal research and our own experience working with HR teams consistently show that professionals in the field want to increase their influence and contribute more strategically to organisational success.
That insight led us at Enable-HR to focus on supporting HR professionals in developing the behaviours and capabilities required to strengthen their impact.
Through our work, we have developed tools and frameworks designed to help HR professionals reflect on their current approach, identify development opportunities and build the skills required to influence more effectively.
After all, if HR professionals are not leading by example when it comes to their own development, what message does that send to the managers and employees they support?
For further help and support, please get in touch with the team at Enable HR.
