Maya Angelou, measurable impact, & making HR a strategic business partner

“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

These words from Maya Angelou, the late poet and civil rights activist, might seem out of place in a boardroom. Yet, they encapsulate a truth that’s reshaping the role of Human Resources in today’s business landscape: the power of human-centric leadership.

In my previous two columns, I’ve argued that CEOs are increasingly looking to HR as a strategic driver of business success. Having examined some of the ways in which HR is stepping up to this exciting challenge, let’s look at how we can measure its worth.

HR’s impact is growing—but how can we demonstrate it?

HR can’t be a strategic driver without having a deep knowledge of the business and subsequently having a demonstrable positive effect on business performance. It is vitally important to track and share the impact of the HR initiatives that align with your business outcomes so that they can be measured and adapted as required.