HR’s Voice Isn’t Always Heard. Here’s How to Amplify It

HR professionals sometimes find themselves in a paradoxical position within their organizations. People are arguably the most valuable asset to any company, said Patricia Zulic, SHRM-SCP, regional HR director with Efficient Edge HR and Insurance Services, at SHRM25 in San Diego. Despite this, HR leaders may be sidelined in critical business conversations. 

Most professionals can likely recall a time when their insights were undervalued. For HR leaders in particular, this may derive from executives’ lack of interest in the HR job function, according to Zulic. 

“You do a presentation. You present the data. You tell the story,” she explained. “You talk about the hows, whys, and everything else, and by the time you’re done, not one person has asked you a question. No follow-ups. In fact, there’s sidebar conversations happening with other management and executives in the room. They’re all looking down at their phones. ‘OK, thank you, HR,’ they say, and then move on.”

This experience can take an emotional toll on HR professionals and may cause them to become disengaged with their work, she said. 

Address the Barriers

Businesses tend to prioritize financial and operational concerns over people strategy. They may view HR as less important than other divisions, such as finance or sales, and wind up undervaluing HR’s role in supplying top talent to these departments, according to Zulic. 

“How is it that the team responsible for talent, the most expensive and important asset of the business, is often treated like an afterthought?”she asked.

Miscommunication also plays a significant role in muting HR voices. HR professionals sometimes struggle to align their insights with business metrics and priorities, making their proposals less appealing to leadership. This disconnect prevents HR professionals from being perceived as drivers of organizational success, Zulic said. 

Practical Strategies for Amplifying HR Insights

HR professionals can counter this trend and demonstrate the value of HR by supporting their assertions with actionable information. 

“Unmuting ourselves means speaking at the appropriate times, in the appropriate ways, where people will listen to you and understand where you’re coming from,” Zulic explained. “It’s about getting people to actually digest what you’re saying because it’s the best thing for the organization.” 

Tailor communication. HR professionals must present their insights using metrics aligned with organizational goals. Frame HR recommendations in terms of measurable outcomes that resonate with leadership priorities.  

When HR’s perspective is based on accomplishing core company objectives and reaching key performance indicators, executives and other key stakeholders are most likely to listen and see the value in HR’s input.

“Understand the different pillars of your organization, including sales, marketing, and other key operations,” Zulic said. “Learn to speak the business language of profit and loss and remember the most expensive line item is the people.”

Toolkit: Managing Organizational Communication

Build relationships. Trust and credibility are critical for fostering meaningful engagement with executive teams. HR professionals should explain their role as a means for employees to amplify their own voices, Zulic said. When interacting with other key stakeholders, take the opportunity to explain how HR’s goals align with their own, and brainstorm ways to accomplish those goals together. 

“I tell employees, ‘Even though I’m part of the HR team, I am hired to be your voice,’ ” she said.

Leverage storytelling. Compelling narratives can illustrate the impact of HR initiatives on employee engagement and business outcomes. Real-world examples are effective in capturing leadership’s attention and illustrating HR’s direct impact on objectives. Provide examples of other companies succeeding with similar initiatives to supplement your proposal, or search for previous successes in your own organization. Start by meeting with your team — perhaps one of your co-workers has previously implemented your plan, either at a previous employer or at your current one, to great effect. 

Frame your insights around their relevance to capture the attention of important stakeholders. “When you train managers, bring up lawsuits and case studies. It wakes them up,” Zulic said.  

Incorporate analytics. HR leaders should be prepared to back up all recommendations with internal people metrics and even outside research. This level of preparation adds credibility, and keeping analytics top-of-mind will help HR professionals design HR initiatives that lead to measurable outcomes. Describe how your proposed programs will benefit retention rates, employee satisfaction, or other core metrics.  

Do your homework — be prepared to explain why the statistics you offer predict the success of your HR initiatives. This will help redefine the department’s role in their colleagues’ eyes, demonstrating HR’s relationship to improving performance metrics. 

“You need to be firm and matter-of-fact,” Zulic said. “Explain your narrative and have data [to] back it up.”

Toolkit: Practicing Strategic Human Resources