How HR can Get a Seat at the Table

"Getting a seat at the table" is the new catch-phrase circulating in human resource circles. It means, simply, getting the attention and respect of those at the top of the corporate food chain and becoming a viable part of the decisionmaking and strategizing process. Numerous experts have put forth theories about how best to go about snagging that coveted "seat at the table," but as far as I´m concerned, there´s really only one way: You must earn it.

Earning a seat at the corporate table means demonstrating your understanding of the broad business issues and goals of your organization and showing the ways in which you and your department contribute to the advancement of those goals. You must prove your worth in language your CEO understands - hard numbers with a direct correlation to the company´s bottom line.

That´s all well and good for the sales department, but how does it work for HR? The fact is, human resources departments have seldom used the same kinds of measurements and metrics employed by other departments. After all, sales figures tell a clear-cut, concrete story. But it´s not that easy to prove the value of sound hiring practices or comprehensive training as related to the company´s bottom line. HR deals in "intangibles" - training, knowledge, stability of the workforce, people -things that aren´t easily quantifiable. That´s why HR hasn´t typically been driving the strategic decisions of companies. HR´s seat at the table has been unoccupied.

It´s maddening for HR professionals because, in recent years, the value of human capital has risen into the stratosphere. One study of the Stradmore & Poor 500 rated a breakout of capitalized value of tangible assets (stock price, bricks and mortar) versus intangible assets (people) of their companies. Employees nationwide were surveyed in 1982, 1992 and again in 2002. In 1982, 62 percent of employees said they valued the tangible assets of their companies more than the intangible assets. In 1992, that number dropped to 32 percent. In 2002, only 15 percent of people in the workforce valued tangible assets more than the intangibles. That means a full 85 percent of the work force believes that people are the most valuable asset in the workplace.

HR professionals need to be on the forefront of devising ways to quantify intangibles. It means restructuring the human resources function with an eye toward becoming a strong, strategic partner in running a business.

How best to do that? Start with setting goals and - here´s the key - implementing measures to show that you´ve met those goals. It´s a powerful way to display your department´s efficacy to management. The result will not only create a stronger HR department, but a stronger company as a whole. It´s about outlining HR practices, HR deliverables (the results of those practices) and the business outcomes.

First, devise a list of goals related to your typical HR practices that have direct impact on your company´s bottom line: streamling the hiring process, reducing costs of training, decreasing the rate of turnover.

Next, create the measurements that will show you have achieved the goal. How have you streamlined the hiring process? By interviewing only the most qualified applicants from the pool, thereby saving time and resources. How have you reduced the cost of training? By hiring people with the proven cognitive ability to easily grasp new concepts, thereby reducing the training time for X  position from three weeks to two.

Finally, create the action steps that you will take to achieve the goals. How do you hire people with the proven cognitive ability to grasp new concepts? By testing your job applicants.

Add numbers to the mix, showing in black and white how much money was saved via the reduction in training time that resulted from your decision to hire only those with the cognitive ability to grasp new concepts easily.

Compile it all into a report aimed at upper management. Using concrete, quantifiable measures to prove you´ve achieved your goals will earn HR that coveted seat at the table.

Charlie Wonderlic is the President and CEO of Wonderlic Inc., a premiere provider of employee recruitment, selection, development and retention solutions. To learn more about Wonderlic, visit www.wonderlic.com