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The C-suite has been traditionally reserved for critical business functions, such as finance, marketing, and operations. As a non-revenue-generating function, HR doesn\u2019t always grab the attention of company leaders.<\/p>\nThe C-suite has been traditionally reserved for critical business functions, such as finance, marketing, and operations. As a non-revenue-generating function, HR doesn\u2019t always grab the attention of company leaders.<\/p>\n
But here\u2019s the thing – according to a recent IBM survey<\/a>, while 74% of C-suite executives believed they helped their employees build new skills to work through the pandemic, only 38% of employees agree to that.<\/p>\n Also, while 80% of executives claim to support their workers\u2019 physical and emotional well-being, only 46% of employees believe the same.<\/p>\n These findings highlight a significant gap between company leaders and their workforce. And that\u2019s where HR steps into the picture.<\/p>\n HR leaders and managers are in direct contact with an organization\u2019s greatest asset – the people. It puts them in a position to serve as a bridge between senior executives and ground-level employees.<\/p>\n With roles like \u201cChief People Officer\u201d becoming more prevalent, companies are recognizing the importance of HR leaders in shaping business strategy. And that, in turn, makes them an integral part of the C-suite.<\/p>\n Annual performance reviews are a thing of the past. Modern employees expect constant feedback from their managers. It\u2019s all the more crucial in a hybrid workplace where in-person interactions are limited.<\/p>\n HR leaders are familiar with every performance management best practice<\/a>, from open communication and goal setting to optimizing compensation plans. They can help executives from various departments monitor and measure employee performance better.<\/p>\n Also, they can identify key challenges employees face and suggest suitable measures to improve productivity. They can even derive valuable insights from exit interviews to help various departments improve their processes. That, in turn, can help boost employee engagement and morale.<\/p>\n Mergers and acquisitions (M&As) are often kept as a closely guarded secret until the deal is finalized. But it\u2019s worth noting that M&As usher in significant cultural and organizational changes in both the acquired and acquiring companies.<\/p>\n Bringing HR leaders on board on the day of the deal leaves them with no time to plan a seamless transition for the acquired company\u2019s employees. The lack of an organized approach can cause these employees to disengage and look for other jobs.<\/p>\n On the other hand, when HR leaders are kept in the loop from the start, they can analyze the acquired company\u2019s culture and find ways to merge it with that of the acquiring company. They can even conduct surveys and host team-building events to bridge the cultural gaps between both organizations. That, in turn, ensures frictionless onboarding for new employees.<\/p>\n The role of HR leaders isn\u2019t restricted to the post-merger phase. They can provide senior executives with key due diligence insights before closing the deal. For instance, they can help assess the target company\u2019s stand on issues like diversity and inclusion and gender equality.<\/p>\n Also, they can evaluate the company\u2019s existing process and determine the learning curve for its employees. That, in turn, can help leaders of the acquiring company decide whether they want to follow through with the deal.<\/p>\n The \u201cGreat Resignation<\/a>\u201d and \u201cquiet quitting\u201d are real phenomena that are far from over. Younger generations, particularly Gen Z, are calling out toxic work practices and looking for jobs that value and nurture them.<\/p>\n Attracting and retaining talent in such a scenario requires a rock-solid employer brand. HR leaders can enhance an organization\u2019s employer brand by improving the overall candidate experience, from recruitment and onboarding to offboarding.<\/p>\n Also, HR can help C-suite executives communicate company values and mission to every employee. Similarly, they can identify employee needs and provide them with suitable learning opportunities. That, in turn, will give employees a sense of belonging to the workplace and reduce turnover rates.<\/p>\n Moreover, insights from HR leaders can help marketing teams choose the right style and tone of workplace-related content. They can help marketers highlight the right aspects of the company\u2019s culture in various campaigns. That, in turn, can help build a strong and coherent employer brand.<\/p>\n One of the most significant changes during the COVID-19 pandemic was how organizations started focusing on their employees\u2019 needs. It bred questions like \u201chow do you protect remote workers from burnout\u201d and \u201cwhat can be done to make employees thrive in a time of uncertainty?\u201d<\/p>\n As more companies recognize employees as their greatest assets, HR leaders will become indispensable to the C-suite. When properly integrated, they can provide C-suite executives with a host of valuable information to improve productivity and ensure seamless M&As. Also, they can help strengthen the organization\u2019s employer brand.<\/p>\n Ultimately, all these factors contribute to the company\u2019s bottom line, thus discarding the notion that HR is a non-revenue-generating function.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The C-suite has been traditionally reserved for critical business functions, such as finance, marketing, and operations. As a non-revenue-generating function, HR doesn\u2019t always grab the attention of company leaders. But here\u2019s the thing – according to a recent IBM survey, while 74% of C-suite executives believed they helped their employees build new skills to work… Why HR Leaders Deserve a Seat at the C-Suite Table<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":12249,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"","neve_meta_content_width":0,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12248","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/flevy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12248","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/flevy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/flevy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flevy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flevy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12248"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/flevy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12248\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12250,"href":"https:\/\/flevy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12248\/revisions\/12250"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flevy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12249"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/flevy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12248"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flevy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12248"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flevy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12248"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Redefining Performance Assessment<\/h2>\n
Simplifying Mergers and Acquisitions<\/h2>\n
Enhancing Employer Brand<\/h2>\n
Final Thoughts<\/h2>\n