Engaging executive leadership requires a unique set of strategies – from experiencing the frontline to learning how to speak the C-suite’s language. 

For many HR professionals, getting through to the C-suite is a challenge. It’s one matter to have extensive knowledge of your field – but another to position yourself as a strategic partner within your business.

This requires building credibility with senior leadership, which, in turn, requires formulating and executing a range of strategies. These include getting to know your business at the frontline, being proactive in aligning your strategies, speaking the business’s language, backing your claims with data and building strong internal relationships.

To gain insights into what it takes to engage the C-suite in a meaningful way, HRM spoke with Jonathon Woolfrey FCPHR GAICD, founder and Managing Partner of talenting., an HR solutions provider. During his career, he has held multiple executive and leadership roles in corporations, not-for-profits, and state and Commonwealth governments. 

1. Get to know the business at the frontline

Building credibility with the C-suite doesn’t begin with meetings over coffee and cupcakes in the offices of senior leaders.

Rather, it begins at the frontline. HR practitioners must get to know the business from the ground up, says Woolfrey. 

“You have to take every opportunity to get your hands dirty – to understand what workers and managers experience on a day-to-day basis, what their work looks like, how they feel, and how they talk,” says Woolfrey. 

For that, you have to leave your desk behind and visit the place where most of the business’s work is done. 

“Be visible in that workplace. Ask lots of questions. Look for opportunities to be hands-on – to engage in the work,” says Woolfrey. 

The way in which this engagement might occur differs from organisation to organisation. 

“If you work in a business with lots of call centres, then go to them, butt in, and listen to their calls. Speak to the team members and coaches about what’s expected, about how they measure performance, and what challenges they’re facing,” says Woolfrey.

“If you work in a school, get into the classroom. Talk to the teachers about what they’re working on, and how the students are going,” says Woolfrey.

Experiencing your business at the frontline will give you insights that empower you to build credibility with the C-suite in two ways. First, you’ll be in a better position to create HR strategies that align with business’s goals. Second, you’ll be able to understand – and, most importantly, speak – the business’s language. 

2. Be proactive in aligning HR with the business’s goals

You might have the best HR strategies in the world; but, if they don’t clearly align with the business’s goals, then you’ll have trouble selling them to the C-suite. 

Often, the first challenge HR practitioners face is the goals themselves. HR-related matters are frequently absent.

“HR [practitioners] often come to me and ask, ‘How am I meant to be strategic if there are no people issues in the strategic plan?’” says Woolfrey.

“But it’s not the organisation’s job to dump people-related issues onto their strategy. It’s the organisation’s job to define its strategy, and HR’s job to put a people lens over every initiative.

“HR should assess the business’s initiatives and [anticipated] outcomes, then identify the people-related challenges [arising from them] – then lead that conversation. Don’t wait for the C-suite to tell you what to investigate.”

“You have to take every opportunity to get your hands dirty – to understand what workers and managers experience on a day-to-day basis.” – Jonathon Woolfrey FCPHR GAICD, Founder and Managing Partner, talenting.

For example, if a particular goal would likely increase the administrative burden on middle management, then HR could come up with a strategy to make life more manageable. 

“A business that deals with challenges by putting increasing pressure on staff ultimately drives down performance,” says Woolfrey. 

“A good workplace should improve the lives of [employees] by creating opportunities for meaningful work.” 

If you’ve taken the time to experience the frontline and speak with managers and workers, you’ll be in a strong position to determine what achieving the business’s goals might mean for its people.

3. Speak the language of the business

Communicating in the language of HR can be useful when working with your colleagues. However, when it comes to engaging the C-suite, it’s the language of the business you should be speaking.

To begin, this requires simplifying. Executive leaders are time poor. They don’t have time to read long, jargon-filled documents, or listen to complex, hard-to-decipher speeches. 

Focus on being clear, rather than sounding important. Use plain English when speaking and writing. Reduce your strategy to a single, easy-to-read page, and put it in front of your executive leaders. Keep presentations to a minimum – in terms of number and content.

In addition, ensure your language emphasises solutions rather than problems.

“The HR leaders who do well are the ones that focus on solutions,” says Woolfrey. 

“You must understand the business context and the risks, but you must bring answers, taking into account your experience from a people perspective. 

“If all you do is present problems, and things that can’t be done, then you won’t get buy-in with the C-suite.”

Read HRM’s article on getting executive buy-in for HR initiatives.

This focus on solutions should be delivered in language that repeatedly and directly links HR strategies to the business’s goals, both commercially and more broadly. 

For example, if your solution would relieve middle management of an administrative burden, consider how this would affect the bottom line. Would it increase efficiency? Might it reduce staff turnover? Could it attract talent? Would it help the business achieve a particular goal more quickly or with fewer resources? 

4. Use data to back your claims

Executive leaders love hard data. However, not all data is good data. Just as executive leaders don’t want to be overwhelmed with jargon, they don’t want to be worn out with data overkill. 

So, be selective. Choose a few data points that are linked to your strategy and relevant to achieving the business’s goals. 

“[For example], call centres have certain KPIs that must be met for various reasons, whereas in a school, the goal is ultimately improving educational outcomes for students, [which might be] measured in various ways,” says Woolfrey.

“It’s really important to show how your data directly links to these [measurements and goals].”

Further, HR faces the particular challenge that proving an immediate impact can be difficult. 

“This can lead the [C-suite] to question the effectiveness and efficiency of a strategy,” says Woolfrey. 

So, he advises to look ahead. 

“[Instead, point to] the long term. Articulate the anticipated benefit in the future. You might need to draw on research, such as AHRI studies, to do this.”

Read HRM’s article on using data to make your presentations more impactful.

5. Build strong relationships

Last but certainly not least, gaining credibility doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time, and requires strong foundations in the form of productive relationships.

“Building great relationships is about showing genuine interest in, and curiosity about, someone’s work and what they’re trying to achieve,” says Woolfrey. 

Often, analogue methods of communication can be most powerful. 

“This might sound old-fashioned, but I really encourage [HR practitioners] to pick up the phone or meet in person and ask [the leader] what problems they are trying to solve.”

In the conversations that arise, focus on listening and taking a positive, proactive approach to addressing challenges.

“That way, you’ll build respect and trust. Ultimately, you want to become [the person the leader] knows they can call and invite down at the earliest opportunity when a problem comes up.”

Want to take your HR career to the next level? AHRI’s HR Certification program is designed to increase your influence and visibility across your organisation.