Blog: 5 ways CHROs can create equity in a new workplace

Strategic HR

5 ways CHROs can create equity in a new workplace

The equity of the HR leader translates into the equity of the individual member and vice-versa. Hence, it’s important that HR organization is created and aligned with the needs of the business organization.
5 ways CHROs can create equity in a new workplace

In my previous blog, I explained Why equity of the HR leaders matters. And in this blog, it is imperative to discuss about exploring the different ways in which the HR leader can create equity for him in a new system. This list may not be exhaustive, but it attempts to bring out the areas where the ‘missed-the-bus’ syndrome is frequently demonstrated by many HR leaders across many organizations. 

Drop off your baggage

Many HR leaders get into the delivery mode immediately upon taking the new assignment, and are obsessed with showing results at the earliest. They are pre-occupied with their experience and similar success stories elsewhere in their network, and work towards replicating them in the new environment. The Business organization is smart enough to figure this out, and passively kills time treating all initiatives as a passé. A key to escape this trap is to drop-off your complete baggage before you start a new assignment as HR leader, and to go into a problem finding mode rather than a solution finding mode to begin with.

Treat every system as unique

One of the fundamental implications of the systems theory is that every system is unique and idiosyncratic. On this premise, all equity that we are talking about is highly system specific i.e. this equity is created, managed and destroyed only while the HR leader is part of the organizational system. Hence, all efforts of the HR leader should be directed towards understanding the particular organization system, its constituents, the dynamic relationships, the possible interplay of the HR system with the larger organizational system, etc.

HR initiatives should be system specific and not generic

The HR initiatives should come out of the latent needs of the system, and not what is widely employed in the industry. Generic HR initiatives like Employee Engagement survey, Reviewing the Employee Related Expenses, Revamping the Performance Management Process, etc., just for the sake of it, might create a lot of noise and visibility but do not serve any good to the equity creation process. It is extremely important for the HR leader to demonstrate the causal relationships between the problem areas in the system and his HR initiatives, in order to be able to command equity with his Business leaders.

Trust building with individual stakeholders

Trust, according to me is best created and experienced between two individuals, than between any other entities. And Trust and Equity have a symbiotic relationship, wherein the more of one enables more of the other and vice-versa. It is essential that the HR leader builds a trust-based-relationship with all Business leaders and other key stakeholders. The automatically translates into significant amount of intangible equity in a short span of time.

Create and align the HR organization accordingly

As I discussed in the previous blog, the equity of the HR leader translates into the equity of the individual member of his HR organization. Similarly, any equity created by any individual member of the HR organization feeds back into the equity of the HR leader. Hence, it becomes important that the HR organization is created and aligned in line with the needs of the business organization. The individual members of the HR organization should be capable of appreciating and delivering the above, with respect to their stakeholders in the organizational system, thereby creating equity for the entire HR organization and the Leader himself.

Though I have kept in mind the HR leader while creating this blog, I intend to communicate this message to all HR professionals closely engaged with their respective business stakeholders.

Read full story

Topics: Strategic HR, Leadership, C-Suite

Did you find this story helpful?

Author

QUICK POLL

How do you envision AI transforming your work?