Human resources serve the entire organisation, but their relationship with the C-suite (CEOs, chief operating officers, and more) may be complicated by their respective positions. HR and the C-suite rely on each other to build up a positive feedback loop, bringing harmony to the organisation’s personnel. A strong people-first strategy can bring about increased productivity, workforce wellbeing, motivation, and more – but it requires alignment in both actions and values between HR and the C-suite.
The importance of C-suite support
In a recent strategy report conducted by Lattice, it was found that a significant percentage (44%) of HR professionals feel increasingly scrutinised to prove the impact and importance of their work to the business’s stakeholders and C-suite. However, the majority (67%) of high-performing HR teams that felt successful and confident in their work were receiving continuous support from their organisation’s C-suite.
By securing alignment between HR and the C-suite, HR personnel can more confidently and securely conduct their tasks, assured that they are bringing value to their organisation. When the C-suite acknowledges and invests in HR’s people-first efforts, they benefit from more motivated, and productive employees. The impact of HR’s work extends past the organisation’s bottom line and profit margins, towards the long-term success of the business, the sustainability of its workplace culture, and the wellbeing of its workforce.
How technology can assist in HR and C-suite alignment
The Lattice study found that specialised HR technology can be the key to increased alignment in communication between HR and the C-suite. The right technology is a vital cornerstone in creating an unshakable and very clear positive feedback loop that more effectively links improved business outcomes to HR’s initiatives.
This means building a tech stack that goes beyond the basic tools of coordination, such as email or Google Workspace, where more complicated aspects of projects and the nuances of multi-channel communications between multiple people can be lost. The technologies involved can include a more detailed human resource management (HRM) system with detailed insights and deep analytics (including those enabled by artificial intelligence), such as Oracle.
This type of sophisticated system can work to improve cohesion between the two parties, as well as display the layered impacts of HR’s projects, so that the department can avoid the feeling of needing to ‘justify’ its programmes. HR leaders who are facing this situation should research these potential tech solutions, which target the grey areas in communications or reporting that can lead to misalignment between themselves and the C-suite.
