How HR Intelligence Can Help Bring Change

Professionals who work in HR often see lots of opportunities to improve hiring and other processes within an organization. While being proactive in looking for those opportunities is important, simply pointing them out is not enough to bring about change. In order for change to occur, all relevant stakeholders within an organization need to get on board with an initiative. And even when an organization says they're open to supporting these types of efforts, actually making things happen can be quite a challenge.

If you are an HR professional in this position, you need to use everything at your disposal to create momentum for your initiatives. To do this, it's important to understand a reality about HR, as well as use what's arguably the most valuable tool you have available.

How Others May View HR

Although it's not always the easiest thing to do, professionals in this field can greatly benefit by understanding the fact that not everyone has a positive view of HR. Whether it's because of something they experienced at another company or an incident that took place with a former member of HR, this type of perception can be difficult to change. That doesn't mean you shouldn't try. It simply means you should have realistic expectations about how long it may take and not allow yourself to get overly frustrated when people take longer to get on board than you would like.

The Power of Intelligence Data

Data has always been a powerful tool. And within many organizations, it's becoming something that's used even more frequently. One reason that data is so powerful is it gives people something concrete to get behind. Another element that makes data so appealing is even though there can be biases, it's much more substantial than individual opinions.

If you have an initiative and are trying to get momentum for it, using data to support your efforts is the obvious way to go. However, there's actually another way that HR professionals can use data to their advantage. Most people who operate in this type of role have the opportunity to work with cross-departmental teams. This provides chances to learn about people's perceptions of HR and other relevant topics.

By making a point of paying attention to things like who's resistant to change, who's threatened by HR's goals and who has a competing agenda, you'll be in a better position when the time comes to move your own initiatives forward. Gathering intel whenever possible means you'll have accurate insights into everything from who's the real decision maker to what objections are likely to be raised.

Although it may still take quite a bit of work to move your efforts forward at the speed you want, having intelligence data on your side will put you in the best position to find success with initiatives and influence strategic direction.