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HR teams play a crucial role in driving organizational success. By strategically aligning talent management with business objectives, HR professionals can unlock the full potential of their workforce and drive growth.
To do this, it's essential to attract and retain top talent, as well as foster a culture of continuous improvement and innovation. Below, Forbes Human Resources Council members explore more ways HR teams can help their employers add value ultimately leading to sustained revenue growth.
1. Invest In Leaders
Develop leaders. HR teams facilitate training and development programs to enhance leader’s skills and capabilities. By investing in leaders, HR helps improve frontline productivity, efficiency and retention all of which can contribute to revenue growth. - Denise Triba, Ingenovis Health
2. Keep Up With Digital Transformation
In the age of AI (and more generally digital transformation), a big "skills rethink" is necessary. According to our recent survey of 700 business leaders, 78% worry their organization can’t train employees quickly enough to stay updated with technology developments in the next three years. HR teams—with support from external HR services experts—can help in up/reskilling. - Denis Pennel, World Employment Confederation
3. Become A Strategic Partner
Too often, HR is a utility, not a revenue driver. If there are areas an HR professional sees that would allow great efficiencies—or, conversely, new revenue streams—create a brief position paper that can be shared with sales to drive revenue or with finance to drive efficiencies based on the experience of the HR team. Become a strategic partner, not a utility. - John Pierce, John Pierce Consulting
4. Shift To A Performance Focus
The tech industry has shifted from employee experience focus to performance. As a result, my team and I are pushing ourselves to think outside of the traditional HR box to drive performance and productivity: aligning our metrics to ARR, using our expertise to help drive site traffic with thought leadership pieces and working with leaders across the business to drive process efficiency. - Priti Patel, G2
5. Track Value Of Each Program
HR needs to track the value delivered by each program. HR writes business cases for initiatives, saying, "By doing X, we will have an ROI of Y." However, when programs are approved, no one baselines the metrics needed for a post-implementation review or measures ongoing the value delivered. HR needs to measure programs and show their value; if the program isn't showing value, it needs to be cut. - Trevor Higgs, Catalyzr, Inc.
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6. Embrace Agility With Complex Challenges
HR needs to rethink the way it identifies value to start and reinvent the HR operating model to be more agile. Agile helps HR take on complex challenges by splitting them into smaller, doable tasks. It helps us figure out which tasks to tackle first based on their value and makes it easier to explain what we’re doing for the business and why it’s important. Do less. Do it well. - Greg McCaw, Berg Kaprow Lewis
7. Build A Culture Of Continuous Improvement
Building an innovative and continuous improvement culture is one way HR teams may support revenue growth. HR can guarantee that the business stays flexible by hiring someone who not only meets the demands of the present but also foresees future obstacles. By funding training and upskilling initiatives, employers can guarantee that their workforce stays abreast of emerging trends and technology. - Jawad Gilani, Packages Group
8. Curate Upskilling And Reskilling
In the new age of digitalization, businesses must adapt their employees’ skill sets to continue adding value as the workforce changes. By creating curated upskilling and reskilling opportunities for employees, HR teams can ensure workers are best positioned to do work efficiently and effectively—further helping to add value and grow revenue through streamlining employee work streams. - Laurie Chamberlin, LHH
9. Focus On REAP: Retention, Engagement, Attraction And Productivity
The HR team should be focused on what I call REAP: Retention, Engagement, Attraction and Productivity. Everything should be directed to these four precepts. Too much time is spent on administrative issues. With the onset of AI, much of this will go away, but it’s not here yet. The culture of the HR department is determined by the CHRO. If the focus is on the business, everyone will REAP the benefits. - Richard Polak, American Benefits Council
10. Align HR With Business Strategies
Know the business. Align HR strategies with the business ones that generate growth. Understanding the direction of the business to ensure the talent is there to support, either through hiring or upskilling, when it'll be needed will help business leaders develop their product offerings and know that HR has their backs. In summary: Be there and be ready. - Philippe Dorion, Aptum Managed Services
11. Be A Growth Partner
HR professionals are growth partners. They translate business plans into people strategies, build high-performing teams, foster an environment of engaged employees and create a culture of innovative thinking. This translates to an efficient workforce, higher productivity and engaged employees and ultimately leads to robust revenue growth. It's about time that HR is not seen as a cost center. - Subhash Chandar, Laminaar Aviation Infotech Group
12. Collaborate On Problem-Solving And Track Initiatives
At my digital banking company, we focus on leadership development to drive outcomes related to setting measurable goals, aligned with our overall strategic initiatives. We teach collaborative problem-solving at all levels to ensure successful goal completion when cross-functional work is required. We track strategic initiatives to focus on the key areas that propel our revenue growth. - Julie Hoagland, Alkami
13. Guide Change Management
HR experts guide senior management regarding change management and ongoing practical difficulties. HR professionals take a holistic approach, considering more than immediate tasks and deadlines. They prioritize long-term goals and outcomes. Consequently, the role of HR in providing guidance on cultural transformations and fostering exceptional talent enables firms to increase their revenue. - Dr. Nara Ringrose, Cyclife Aquila Nuclear
14. Strategically Target Top Talent
Make strategic hiring decisions. People are every organization’s most valuable asset, and hiring the right talent is critical for business and revenue growth. For HR teams, this is not just about filling open roles but about strategically targeting and recruiting top talent that is deeply aligned with a company's vision and can help drive its business goals forward. - Casey Huebsch, South End Partners
15. Administer Surveys And Evaluate Results
HR can work more effectively to tie people analytics (e.g., employee survey data) to the financial performance of teams. For example, they can look at sales teams by region and see what differs in employee survey results between the top-performing and bottom-performing teams. They can look for factors that are unique in the top-performing team and work to make sure they are present across the entire culture. - Sanja Licina, QuestionPro
16. Prioritize Operational Efficiencies And Accountability
HR teams can boost revenue by attracting top talent that drives innovation and operational efficiencies. They also play a crucial role in fostering a culture that prioritizes performance and accountability, directly impacting productivity and profitability. Investing in employee development ensures we have the skills needed to meet evolving business demands, further enhancing our competitive edge. - William Stonehouse, Crawford Thomas Recruiting
17. Ensure Employees Are Mentally And Physically Healthy
HR teams that foster workforce health can contribute to the bottom line because employees who are physically and mentally well are often more productive and engaged at work. Preventing illness through better nutrition, increased movement, stress reduction and reduced substance use can also reduce healthcare claims costs, which in turn improves financial performance. - Michael Held, LifeSpeak Inc.
18. Build A High-Performing Talent Pipeline
HR teams drive revenue growth by building a high-performing talent pipeline. They attract and retain top talent, empowering them to optimize their impact on the bottom line through continuous learning and innovation. This fosters a culture of engagement where employees see and contribute to their short and long-term impact, ensuring a competitive, adaptable workforce delivering sustained growth. - Michael D. Brown, Global Recruiters of Buckhead
19. Utilize Data And Reporting Tools
Take a data-driven approach to HR. Use analytics and reporting tools to identify employee trends regarding engagement, turnover, well-being, pay equity and other key and strategic employee experience metrics. Analyze results and distill actionable insights to be shared with business leaders. Set action plans to close gaps and improve scores, making them highly visible via manager dashboards. - Laci Loew
20. Optimize Staffing Levels And Skill Development
HR teams can drive value and grow revenue by aligning workforce planning with business goals and leveraging HR analytics. Optimizing staffing levels, skills development and succession planning enhances organizational efficiency, productivity and profitability. Data-driven HR practices further enable organizations to maximize their human capital investments effectively. - Donnebra McClendon, Dayforce
