For Human Resources, perhaps more than any other department in the company, the process for picking and choosing strategic goals is more complex than it may appear at first glance.

Simply put, strategic objectives are targets developed specifically to direct organizational activity, moving the business from where it is to where it wants to be within a defined timeframe. Strategic refers to the course set by the organization to be sustainable, competitive or even a future leader in your marketplace. So, when your CEO asks for HR’s strategic objectives, you will be developing measurable activities related to the organization’s future success. No small task. And how exactly do you meet this challenge when you’re the office of hiring, firing and salary management?

Hiring is a highly visible activity within the scope of your responsibilities. But, although you may have influence in this area, you may not have control. The same is less likely to be true in situations related to termination and is somewhat grayer when it comes to salary management. In short, what you do affects departments all across the board, not just Human Resources. This complicates your process; which strategies are the most strategic?

In hiring, the CEO is looking to you to keep all the departments staffed with the best candidates. Strategies in this area should be linked to identifying, hiring and retaining the best talent. And your tactics can include:

• Cultivating relationships with talent not yet on the market. Build a relationship with those folks while they aren’t on the market or even if you don’t currently have an opening, so when the time is right, you are first on their list.
• Setting your company up as the primary potential employer in your industry. To be the employer of choice includes having the managers of choice in place and building a strategy for internal talent management. When your current employees are happy they are going to tell everyone they know how much they like their workplace. Word of mouth remains your best recruiting tool. Look for more on this topic in future articles.
• Develop a wish-list of talent for specific critical positions within your company. When these positions come available you will have an immediate list of potential candidates. These candidates may be internal as well as external.

Developing a long term plan for staying on top of the changing dynamics and demographics of the workforce can be challenging. Keep your focus on the company’s strategic plan, aligning your personnel strategies with the long-term business plan.

Next time: Strategic Objectives for Handling Turnover