An Impactful HR Strategy Focuses on the Future, Not the "Here and Now," Says Global HR Firm McLean & Company

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Nov 13, 2024, 13:52 ET

In a newly updated industry resource, global HR research and advisory firm McLean & Company outlines a four-step process to guide HR teams' forward-thinking planning by implementing new ideas and driving impactful organizational changes for the future of work.

TORONTO, Nov. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - In the future of work, HR's role in shaping a positive organizational culture is increasingly recognized as a key factor in driving organizational success. To enable HR's strategic contributions, global HR research and advisory firm McLean & Company emphasizes the importance of developing a robust HR strategy that is aligned to organizational objectives and adapts to evolving business needs. HR key capabilities are essential for maintaining operational efficiency and driving strategic priorities. The firm's newly updated research-backed blueprint, Create an HR Strategy, was designed to support HR leaders in developing an impactful HR strategy that will guide their organizations into the future.

According to McLean & Company’s updated blueprint, Create an HR Strategy, an impactful HR strategy should originate from and align with the organizational strategy. Employing a macro environment and industry scan and a current-state assessment ensures priorities are in line with the organizational strategy, rather than being driven by HR’s own agenda, and enables more effective and aligned success. (CNW Group/McLean & Company)

In the research, McLean & Company explains that an HR strategy links HR management directly to the strategic plan of the organization, creating a competitive advantage that drives organizational success. In fact, as revealed in McLean & Company's HR Trends Report 2024, organizations are 1.8 times more likely to be highly effective at quickly changing at scale to capitalize on new opportunities and 2.7 times more likely to be highly effective at generating and implementing new ideas when HR is a strategic partner compared to when HR is not involved in organizational strategy.

"In today's future-focused landscape, HR must contribute as a thought leader about where and how HR can add value and then deliver on those areas as a strategic partner," says Kelly Berte, practice lead, HR Research & Advisory Services at McLean & Company. "An impactful HR strategy is fundamentally aligned with broader organizational objectives, enabling HR to prioritize initiatives that drive outcomes and guide the organization into navigating the future."

To guide HR leaders through the process of creating an aligned and future-focused HR strategy, McLean & Company has created a straightforward four-step process they can follow. The firm's process is outlined below:

Step 1: Assess the current state. In the first step, HR leaders need to identify the key players of HR strategy development, ensure understanding of the organization's strategy, and conduct an internal assessment of HR alongside an external scan. This is supported by analysis of existing workforce data as well as an assessment of HR's alignment with the organization to uncover HR's current state.
McLean & Company offers several tools to help assess the current state of HR, including the HR Organizational Alignment Diagnostic and the HR Management & Governance Diagnostic.
Step 2: Establish strategic pillars and HR outcomes. Step two involves HR defining areas of focus that will support the achievement of organizational strategy, identifying strategic pillars, determining outcomes that will support the pillars, and validating the pillars and HR outcomes with key players.
Step 3: Identify HR initiatives. The third step provides insights into assessing current HR initiatives to determine alignment with the strategic pillars identified in step two, evaluating gaps to identify new HR initiatives, and assessing HR's capability to achieve them.
Step 4: Create an action plan. In the fourth and final step, HR leaders will need to assess the effort and impact of each initiative to inform priorities, define metrics for each HR outcome, and plan to measure progress. Next, they should communicate HR's priorities and initiatives, identify the budget, skills, and resources required to complete the chosen initiatives, create an action plan for the HR strategy, and plan to revisit the strategy quarterly.

McLean & Company advises HR leaders that an effective HR strategy is not a one-time program and must evolve alongside the organization. The firm therefore encourages HR leaders to not limit the articulation of what HR must become based on what is true about its capacity or resources in the present day, further emphasizing that the strategy is not about the "here and now" but rather about where the organization is headed.

To access the full resource, please visit Create an HR Strategy.

McLean & Company workshops offer an easy way to accelerate HR projects. To learn more about the Create an HR Strategy workshop, please visit the workshop page.

To explore the publicly available archive of recorded sessions, please visit McLean & Company's webinars page.

Media interested in connecting with McLean & Company analysts for exclusive, research-backed insights and commentary on generative AI in HR, HR trends in 2024, the future of work, and more can contact Senior Communications Manager Kelsey King at [email protected].

About McLean & Company

McLean & Company pairs evidence-based research and immediately applicable tools with deep HR expertise to position organizations to meet today's needs and prepare for the future. The global HR research and advisory firm's member organizations enjoy comprehensive resources, full-service diagnostics, workshops, action plans, and advisory services for all levels of HR professionals, from executive leadership to HR leaders to HR team members, that help shape workplaces where everyone thrives.

McLean & Company is a division of Info-Tech Research Group.

Media professionals can register for unrestricted access to research across IT, HR, and software and hundreds of industry analysts through the firm's Media Insiders program. To gain access, contact [email protected].

SOURCE McLean & Company