You’ve probably heard it many times by now: the HR role is in the middle of a shift. From a support function to a strategic one. From keeping the wheels turning to contributing to the business in a meaningful way. But how do you make strategic HR happen in practice? We take a closer look at the most important building blocks, and share six questions that can help HR gain greater mandate from leadership.
On many workplaces, there is a strong ambition to work more long-term and business-oriented with people-related issues. At the same time, days are easily filled with other things: administration, quick decisions and urgent matters that need to be resolved here and now. HR often ends up in a middle ground, where strategic work is the goal, but operational tasks ultimately consume most of the time.
The difference often becomes noticeable only when something starts to go wrong. When sick leave rises sharply, dissatisfaction grows, or a department loses several employees in a short period of time. Then it is easy to focus on quick fixes. Recruit replacements, fill the gaps and move on.
Operational HR makes sure today’s problems get solved. Strategic HR pauses, lifts its gaze and asks different kinds of questions. Questions that are not only about what is happening right now, but why it is happening and how the organisation can work more proactively going forward.
Technology as an Enabler of Strategic HR
Is it about mindset? Yes, absolutely. But it is also about having the right conditions. The tools, structure and time that make strategic work possible. Here are three reasons why technology is crucial.
It frees up time.
Digital systems handle routines such as time reporting, payroll and absence management. This frees up time for HR to focus on people and strategy instead of administration.
It makes patterns visible.
When key metrics such as employee turnover, sick leave and engagement are tracked in real time, it becomes easier to see what is happening, and why. With the right data, HR can target initiatives such as improved onboarding, clearer career paths or leadership support, while reducing both costs and the risk of losing critical skills.
It develops people.
Tools for employee surveys, eNPS and one-on-ones help capture engagement and wellbeing in everyday work. Support for skills management and training plans makes it easier to identify potential, build career paths and secure future competence. And with well-structured on- and offboarding flows, the entire employee journey becomes smoother, for both managers and employees.
Read more: Guide: How to calculate ROI for a new HRM system.
Three tips: How to Gain Mandate and Trust from Leadership
As mentioned, it is easy to talk about strategic HR, but much harder to make it happen in everyday work. When calendars are full and operational tasks take over, long-term initiatives are often pushed aside.
To make a real impact, HR needs both the space and the trust to drive the issues that shape the future. Here are three ways to get there:
- Link HR to the business. Show how investments in culture, leadership and engagement impact performance, customer satisfaction and profitability.
- Work data-driven. Use facts and figures, instead of gut feeling, in discussions about turnover, engagement and skills supply.
- Be proactive. Highlight risks and opportunities before they turn into problems, such as skills gaps, leadership needs or early signs of declining wellbeing.
💬 Six Questions to Bring to Your Next Management Meeting
To move from operational to strategic HR, the right questions need to be asked, at the right time. Questions that shift the focus from quick fixes to long-term impact. Here are six questions that can help HR take a stronger position at the leadership table:
- Which HR and payroll processes take the most time but create the least value, and which could be automated?
- How well does our current skills profile match the business goals we want to achieve over the next 12 months?
- What does our data say about engagement, turnover and sick leave, and what does it not say?
- Is our compensation and benefits strategy competitive and fair? And does it meet increasing requirements around pay transparency?
- How do we ensure that our managers have the right conditions and tools to lead effectively?
- How can we work more proactively with health, balance and sustainable performance across the organisation?
Want to Make it Easier to Manage Everything Related to HR and Payroll?
Ready to spend less time on administration and more time on strategic HR work? Flex HRM supports both day-to-day routines and the bigger questions that help organisations and employees grow. Everything smoothly brought together in one system.
Curious? Get in touch, and we’ll be happy to tell you more.
