In addition to what we are getting right, there are businesses that KNOW that a key differentiator from a good business (or a business at all) to a great business is to recognize, embrace, and implement key effective HR practices – that directly contribute to the bottom line.

Furthermore, businesses both large and small, make it point to focus on the bottom-line contributions that HR brings.  HR Magazine (September 2006) states that “Small businesses that invest in formal employee selection, management and retention strategies see direct, quantifiable results on the bottom line.” This insightful article concludes with a powerful quote by Christopher Collins, associate professor at Cornell University and conductor of the study: “. . . we’ve proven that specific human resources strategies have a meaningful, and statistically significant impact on small business financial performance.”

One of my favorite works, “The HR Scorecard” (Becker, Huselid, Ulrich) – the almost timeless classic – unearth findings still relevant today, seven years after its publication.  This formal study provided a framework for companies to implement bottom line HR strategies by highlighting the studied companies financial performance (those that got it right and those that didn’t), making the case for implementing the right mix and relevant HR strategies, which have proven to play an invaluable role in their financial success.

So the question in my mind is not, “Will HR find its way?” Or, “Will HR finally get it right”.  Nor should the HR professional, in my opinion,  continue to question what is more cliche than true.  The fact is that we are valued business partners; the organizations that get it right in terms of financial performance and long-term business success prove to us that we are getting it right.   We, as HR professionals, and the accompanying-relevant strategies that we bring to the table are entrenched in the fabric of the most successful companies, both large and small.  The question (or statement, depending on how it’s vocalized) is: “Does YOUR organization value the role of HR?”  The follow-on question I have for you is: “What are YOU doing to ensure that this continues (or starts) to be the case.

Various tools (to include Web 2.0) are enablers, which allow HR professionals to share best practices and give informal case studies on what is working (or not working) for their organizations.  It is now common wisdom that strategic (and functional) success comes in the form of an effective HR structure, aligned within your organization’s strategic framework.  If your HR practices point toward improving only HR effectiveness, can you blame your organization for not listening?  However, if you point to the specific benefit that your organization derives in a key business, bottom line method then backs straighten, conversation-dialogue takes place, executable plans are developed, and our prized and loved profession participates in key business activities to include formulating, communication, and executing our relevant roles within the larger, overall business strategy – if not, than it’s not the function; it’s the culture of your organization and if you haven’t made your case by now within it . . .competence, role-focus, openness should come to mind.

So instead of laying out “guidelines” and “what-to-do”, let me say what we’re doing right (what-to-continue to-do):

1) Continue to build upon the HR infrastructure and framework that you have tirelessly worked on.  That framework you’re building upon is consistently answering the questions that include “What metrics and measures provide the necessary analytic/data that drive key business decisions?”

2) Continue making the case for workforce planning and development.  If there is a business outcome that links to workforce planning, continue making your case, even if it sounds redundant.  Believe me, your counterparts don’t have a problem in making a consistent and oft repeated case.

3) Continue to be prepared by having expert insight into various scenarios on business decisions/proposals.  We need to continue to have the impact, trade-offs, pros and cons of scenarios that face our organizations in both the short and long-terms.  This scenario-based planning can be directly related to our function, such as the impact of hiring freezes, implementing-offering “voluntary turnover” packages/incentives, revising sourcing strategies, or actively recruiting in local or national labor markets.  Or the insight can be indirect such as decisions to expand product lines, expand (or contract) R&D, prepare for divestment of business unit/line, etc.  Whatever the scenario or proposed action – continue to be prepared.

4) Continue to communicate as a key change agent.  Even organizations where change occurs on a more slow-paced scale (read incrementally) are experiencing change.  Continue to embrace your role as an invaluable agent of change.  Continue to drive the relevant messages through your organization while pushing the communication up (feedback), pushing the communication down (objectives, goals, policies, etc.), and spreading it all around (key internal/external stakeholders).

5) Finally, continue to focus on service delivery.  Whether you are making relevant and smart use of enabling technologies such as ERP, self-service applications-software, or SaaS, your ability to continue to focus on delivery of HR services are and will remain critical.  Keep it up!  These enabling, technological tools will continue to grow as a whole and mature individually.

So HR professionals, give yourself credit.  For every argument you hear that we are not doing enough or we are missing the boat yet again, realize that (a) our profession has made considerable in-roads since the heyday of introduction (early 20th century and our days of being the “Personnel Department”); (b) the most effective companies get it – it’s not always about you – sometimes it’s actually the perception of your function or the wiliness for your company to realize the valuable role HR plays and contributes to business success (and survival), and (c) you are the reason that we are gaining interest and have become a very creditable profession – because you have demonstrated the ability to show inside and outside  your organization, that HR is a critical business function and deserves credit.

Anytime you doubt anything in this post, I want you to ask yourself? “What other profession do I want to be a part of?”

Is HR the answer?

I thought so.