Ep. 86: Strategic HR with Hermie the HR Hermit Crab

In the latest episode of the Harmonious Workplaces podcast, Episode 86, “Strategic HR with Hermie,” host Ben Kleinman (BK) welcomed a very special guest co-host: Hermie the HR Hermit Crab. Hermie, who stepped in to give Rich Cruz the morning off, joined Ben to discuss a topic central to his latest book: the critical role of Human Resources in strategic planning and execution.

The premise of Hermie’s new book, “Out of the Loop, Into the Fire or HR Hung Out to Dry,” is the puzzling trend of HR being excluded from the strategic process. As Hermie points out, if a company’s strategy relies on people to carry out the tactical work, it makes no sense—it’s a “shell scratcher”—to leave the function managing those people out of the planning.

Strategy: More Than Just Goals

Hermie and Ben began by establishing a clear definition of strategy. Strategy, according to Hermie, doesn’t start until the fundamentals are established. Everything stems first from the Vision—what the organization is trying to attain. This leads to the Mission, which is guided by the company’s Values. Only after the Objectives (the goals for achieving the vision) are set does strategy come into play.

For Hermie, strategy is essentially the work breakdown structure or package—the necessary work required to achieve each objective. Ben added that strategy sits in the “nice juicy middle section,” acting as a bridge between the high-level mission and values, and the detailed, day-to-day tactical activities (operationalization).

The Four Essential Functions of HR

To illustrate HR’s strategic importance, Hermie outlined the four basic functions covered by Human Resources:

1. Staffing: This involves more than just hiring; it’s about getting the right people into the right places to do the right things. Staffing requires HR to conduct a Work Analysis (understanding the overall jobs needed) and a Job Analysis (defining the processes, characteristics, required skills, and tasks for specific roles). Ben drew an analogy between this internal focus and the external marketing concept of understanding the customer’s “jobs to be done”.
2. Learning and Development (L&D): This function encompasses training, development, and creating a learning organization that helps spark innovation and sets an organization apart from the competition. The conversation highlighted how the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the need for new learning and communication methods, moving organizations toward adopting Learning Management Systems (LMS) and leveraging expanded online learning platforms (like Coursera or LinkedIn Learning). L&D professionals are increasingly focused on feeding different learning styles—using written communications, video, infographics, and interactive meetings—to meet varied needs across the business.
3. Motivation: Motivation is a key function of HR, though organizations sometimes fail to include HR in this part of things. Motivation is fundamental to an organization’s culture and directly contributes to resilience. HR professionals must recognize that motivation varies significantly among individuals—for instance, between the company CAT and the gerbils—and address these differences strategically.
4. Maintenance: Often viewed as the “nuts and bolts,” this highly important function focuses on retaining current employees. Maintenance includes safety measures, benefits administration, performance evaluations, and performance analytics. This supports the staffing, L&D, and motivation functions by ensuring a healthy, functioning workforce.

Swimming in Strategic Waters

Hermie stressed that the breadth and interconnectedness of these four functions prove why HR cannot be omitted from strategic talks. If HR is left out, Ben noted, “the cost of cleanup is always gonna be more expensive than the cost of doing it right the first time”.

HR professionals are uniquely suited for strategic leadership because they must simultaneously operate at two levels:

1. High-Level Strategic Thinking: Considering group dynamics, broad organizational goals, and industry factors.
2. Individual Understanding: Recognizing the types of people in the organization, what motivates them, and the individual differences that exist.

An HR professional must be able to “swim in both types of waters,” helping managers identify and manage differences for the betterment of the company.

The One Strategic Step You Can Take Now

When asked for one thing listeners could do immediately to ensure HR is involved in strategic planning and execution, Hermie offered practical advice:

1. Make a business case for Human Resources. Show the dollars and cents value of early HR involvement.
2. Form a guiding coalition: Put together a “planning and implementation team” or a social group to support healthy change.

This coalition can ensure that the needs of the workforce—the people who execute the strategy—are considered from the very beginning, preventing costly operational messes that Rocco the Rat, the custodian, doesn’t enjoy cleaning up.

Make Change Your Friend!

If you want to understand more about the ridiculousness that happens when HR is left “out of the loop,” get Hermie’s latest wisdom.

Get Hermie the HR Hermit Crab’s new book, “Out of the Loop, Into the Fire or HR Hung Out to Dry,” now!

Find the book, download Hermie’s cartoons, and even submit a question to be answered by a certified human resources crab by visiting:

www.harmoniousworkplaces.com/hermiehrcrab