Thought Leadership in Profile: Tips & Thoughts for Building a Strong HR Department
Erica Young - The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)
Welcome to part two of our Thought Leadership series on building sustainable and forward-thinking HR departments in the social sector. If you missed part one on talent recruitment and people management, you can revisit it HERE. In part two we continue our conversation with Innovation Catalyst, Erica Young, whose background in nonprofit work includes AmeriCorps and managing large scale volunteer departments for one of Washington DCs top nonprofits.
Currently, she works with Paragon Labs an innovation branch of SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) where her team bridges the digital divide between workers, employers, and their audiences. Young has a Master of Professional Studies in Industrial and Organizational Psychology with a certification in Instructional Systems Design.
Part Two: Building a Strong Human Resource Team
When building an HR team within a nonprofit, what are personality traits or skillsets a leader should be looking for?
Good question! Actually, SHRM has built the Body of Knowledge and Competency (BoCK) to answer this exact question. SHRM has identified the top competencies, or combination of knowledge, experiences, and skills, needed for HR professionals to excel.
As an example, “Business Acumen” is one of the behavioral competencies listed. This refers to HR professionals acting as business partners, so they can strategically drive their greatest asset (people) to meet the needs of the business.
Taking the BoCK to a more granular level, some skills that are basic requirements include:
Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively, concisely, and confidentially, at times.
Empathy and strong listening abilities. HR is equipped to listen to organizational woes and find solutions. The only way one can effectively solve problems is by listening and researching to diverse and adjacent perspectives.
Future- thinking approach to planning and organization.
Strategic thinking, such that they can match business needs with employee strengths and capabilities.
Strong problem-solving and innovative thinking. HR leaders are thrown problems by the minute, they need to be able to effectively and efficiently work through them while minimizing the negative effect on their people and culture.
How can HR become a strong thought leader for not only their team but also other nonprofit professionals in this field?
It will vary person-to-person, but I think the key is gaining respect and influence. And the million-dollar question is-- how do you get respect and influence? Through trust. We trust others when they demonstrate empathy, understanding of our point of view, and a desire to help others (and the business)
I think HR needs to find ways to demonstrate their capability, by listening to colleagues and making innovative changes. And, HR professionals should share their knowledge with other professionals, whether it be through the SHRM networks or others. We all grow stronger together.
Should we get used to seeing a shift away from HR and more of a shift towards People and Culture operations? Is this a good thing?
We are seeing a variety of different language changes as it pertains to the field of HR-- People, culture, human capital, etc. are all used to describe aspects of HR.
I don’t know if “HR” is going away, rather, I just think it’s expanding. Even just 5 years ago most businesses thought “HR” was only responsible for compensation, benefits, and firing people. Now, HR has exploded to include many roles, which has sprouted new language to describe it. Every company names their HR functions differently, but I do think it’s safe to say we will continue to see greater innovation in how we name these functions. And I’m glad!
I’m glad to see companies putting resources toward enhancing culture, development, people analytics, inclusion, acquisition, etc. These are all relatively new roles in the world of business, so I expect the language to continue adapting. With each adaptation, we get more roles, and therefore more information about how to enhance our workplaces. --E
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