Market the Value of HR

Non-HR employees are unaware of HR’s strategic contributions, with only 38% of non-HR respondents feeling HR is a partner in planning and executing the organizational strategy compared to 51% of HR respondents feeling the same way (McLean & Company 2024 HR Trends Survey, n=1,019 and 125 respectively).
This misalignment is further reinforced as the nature of HR’s value is more visible through long-term intangible benefits (e.g. value on investment), despite key audiences expecting short-term returns on investment.

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Our Advice

Critical Insight

Marketing HR’s value is not about sharing a list of what HR does. Through intentional selection of marketing tactics, HR is best positioned to showcase the meaningful impact of its work on the organization and reinforce positive perceptions across audiences.

Impact and Result

Identify key audiences and the meaningful and measurable impact HR has in meeting their needs to gain a deep understanding of how HR creates value.
Set goals and metrics for measuring the effectiveness of HR's marketing tactics.
Promote HR's value to each audience using segmented HR value propositions and tactics, monitoring and iterating as needed.

Market the Value of HR Research & Tools

1. Discover

Review the changing role of HR and need for marketing HR’s value.

2. Uncover

Identify HR’s audiences and craft segmented HR value proposition statements that articulate HR’s impact on each audience.

3. Promote

Select champions within each audience and tactics for reinforcing HR’s value.

About McLean & Company

McLean & Company is an HR research and advisory firm providing practical solutions to human resources challenges via executable research, tools, diagnostics, and advisory services that have a clear and measurable impact on your business.

What Is a Blueprint?

A blueprint is designed to be a roadmap, containing a methodology and the tools and templates you need to solve your HR problems.

Each blueprint can be accompanied by a Guided Implementation that provides you access to our world-class analysts to help you get through the project.

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Get the help you need in this 2-phase advisory process. You'll receive 9 touchpoints with our researchers, all included in your membership.

Guided Implementation 1: Uncover the value of HR.

Call 1: Review the changing role of HR and need for marketing HR’s value.
Call 2: Identify HR’s key audiences and prepare to examine their needs, experience with HR, awareness of HR’s work, and perception of HR.
Call 3: Define how HR creates value for each key audience.
Call 4: Craft segmented HR value proposition statements.
Call 5: Set segmented goals to guide efforts for marketing HR’s value.

Guided Implementation 2: Promote HR’s value to key audiences.

Call 1: Identify champions to support promoting HR’s value.
Call 2: Select tactics to promote HR’s value.
Call 3: Prepare to empower HR team members and evaluate the effectiveness of efforts to promote HR’s value.
Call 4: Plan next steps to reinforce the value of HR.

Contributors

Manisha Burman, EVP & Chief Human Resource Officer, CI Financial
Jamie Conway, VP, People & Values, Strategic Partner, The Human Equation
Daphne Logan, Chief People and Culture Officer, Erikson Institute
Rajesh Uttamchandani, Corporate Director, Adjunct Professor, and former CHRO