Series 3: Becoming a Strategic HR Professional

HR Insights

HR Insights
Series 3: Becoming a Strategic HR Professional
Apr 21, 2022 Season 3 Episode 9
Elliott Scott HR

This week on HR Insights – The Podcast, Stuart Elliott chats to Andrew Bartlow, CEO of People Leader Accelerator, a preeminent development program for start-up HR leaders. Andrew has 25 years of Human Resources and Talent Management experience across a wide spectrum of organisations varying in size and industry. He is also the co-author of ‘Scaling for Success: People Priorities for High Growth Organisations,’ and leads Series B Consulting, which helps businesses to articulate their people strategy and accelerate their growth, while navigating rapid change. 

In this episode Stuart and Andrew discuss how HR Directors: can take their career to the next level, how to partner with the CEO and strive to work at the strategic level of an organisation, operating in effect as a management consultant.  

Key Timestamps: 

  • 6:56 – What Andrew likes about working with HR Professionals 
  • 8:50 – How HR professionals differ from those in Finance/IT/Sales 
  • 10:34 – The coaching and guidance Andrew typically gives to HR Directors  
  • 13:45 – Do CEO’s care about HR? Is HR ever at the top of the agenda? 
  • 16:17 – Do CEO’s know what ‘good’ looks like in HR? 
  • 19:35 – How long it takes to get the CEO to start thinking strategically in partnership with their HRD 
  • 23:33 – What do small companies or start-ups tend to get wrong in terms of growth? 
  • 30:40 – Work environment changes as a business grows and appreciating the seasonality of tenure 
  • 32:22 – Common flaws demonstrated by CEO’s who are trained into the position, not the founder of the business 
  • 34:49 – Key advice to senior HR professionals looking to step up and work at the strategic level with a CEO or board  

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