‘Outcomes-driven HR’ – why is it so hard? This CIPD infographic states that only ‘51% of people professionals have clear measures of success to measure progress against agreed outcomes.’
This reveals one of the most complex challenges in HR – and it comes down to the quality of dialogue between HR and leaders.
‘Agreed outcomes’ demands starting with the end in mind.
This means envisioning the future, and this is only possible when you’ve already built a robust, trusting partnership.
Then you can debate what drives what – clarify HR’s contribution and measure the results.
It’s hard to get specific data – to isolate one aspect of HR’s work.
I was involved in a programme where we were able to compare one division with another – a rare opportunity to do a control experiment within a company. We proved that our training improved line manager behaviour, and thus engagement.
The results were persuasive – we’d also delivered improved productivity.
Most HR impact is less precise, less tangible and less measurable. But we must work on that, in order to build HR’s influence and credibility.
Our HR Success Model and skills workshops provide a way to negotiate this path.
What kind of data do you use, to prove your impact?
