There is no doubt that the HR department plays a major role in the development and growth of a company. In fact, the HR department might be the only one that deals with virtually all aspects of a business. HR professionals are at times involved in financing, recruiting, training, compensation, resource mobilization and succession among others. In this regard, HR pros have always been seeking a seat at the C suite/company board meeting.

Luckily, today’s HR professionals are embraced as business partners rather than as extensions of the administration department. Due to their expertise, knowledge, and experience in managing a company’s most important resource, they deserve a seat at the table in order to offer advice on various strategies that would help in company growth. HR is no longer a passive member at the board meeting but has a role to play in the development of the company. Instead of appearing as a representative of the employees and their needs, HR professionals should bring in their expertise and show the management that they have the power to change things around the company. In this regard, there are five main areas that HR professionals should focus on when invited to a company board meeting.

Talent acquisition

What HR professionals are given a chance at the table, they should focus on advising the board members on the best ways to acquire talent and maintain it. In this regard, they should bring in their expertise in talent acquisition and showcase their knowledge in the field and how it can be used to improve systems in a company.

When comes to talent acquisition, there are many things involved which may include budgeting, technologies to be used and deciding the job description as well as the qualifications that match each job posting. Furthermore, the HR should be in a position to understand the evolving needs of various talents in order to retain them.

Training

HR professionals should be able to link talent to the company’s objectives and goals. In this regard, they should be in a position to strategize on how to train various talents in order for them to come in line with the company objectives. In this regard, the human resource department should understand the importance of training and advise the management on the short-term and long-term benefits of the same.

Company culture

It’s important for the human resource department to be involved shaping the company culture. The company culture plays a major role in employee motivation and productivity. In this regard, HR professionals should bring in their expertise and knowledge in the field in order to offer viable short-term and long-term solutions in regards to company culture.

For instance, HR professionals should be able to analyze the company culture and compare it to its competition and trends in the industry. Understanding the whole concept of the company culture and linking it to company growth is important for HR professionals and they should bring this information to the table.

Company organization

Competent HR professionals should be able to come up with a viable company organization and succession strategy. Company organization does not only involve titles but goes deeper into understanding each function and how it contributes to the overall well-being of the company.

HR professionals at this point should understand why key job functions are important in a company and how to ensure that they are effective. Furthermore, they are also concerned about compensation for various job positions in the company and the smooth flow of communication. Basically, they should come up with the hierarchy that works best to achieve the company goals especially due to communication issues.

Employee engagement

Employee engagement is an important factor when it comes to company growth and productivity. There is no doubt that engaged employees lead to happy customers, profits and eventually company growth. In this regard, excellent HR professionals should be able to introduce this topic at the table and showcase their understanding of the subject and how it should be implemented to fit the company goals, culture, and objectives.

In the end, HR professionals should come in prepared to represent the interests of the employees as well as the shareholders. In short, they should try and fuse the company goals with employee contributions. Looking for board services? Talk to us.