When we say HR should have a seat at the table, we don’t mean a silent chair in the corner, or a personnel function remembered only for transactional tasks. We mean influence, insight, and strategy. In fact, the notion of HR simply “having a seat” is already outdated. The real question: how well is HR shaping the table itself?
When human resource strategy is deeply aligned with business goals, by design, not by default, it becomes a powerful driver in helping the organization achieve success and competitive advantage. But alignment doesn’t happen by accident; it requires a shared understanding of what the organization is genuinely in the business of doing, along with clarity on culture, capability, and what makes it different. Achieving an excellent level of integration between HR and business strategy demands frameworks, feedback loops, and a willingness to challenge the status quo.
HR Alignment: By Design, Not by Default
Strategic alignment doesn’t emerge organically. It requires clarity about the core business, intentional connection between priorities and people systems, and the courage to challenge embedded routines, practices, and processes. And increasingly, organizations that get it right are outperforming those that don’t.
Take HMC, for example, a progressive, multidisciplinary clinic in Ontario. When they first opened their doors almost 10 years ago, their focus was clear: to offer timely, patient-first care in a community setting, centred around the ethos of the care of the patient being the first concern. But behind the scenes, they were already building something far more strategic. From day one, HMC aligned its HR practices with its clinical and operational goals. They hired based on shared values and adaptability. They structured the teams to support flexibility and continuity of care, and they embedded data-informed HR decisions like performance metrics and workload forecasting into their business planning cycles.
Today, HMC continues to evolve its model. Whether it’s through digital automation to ease administrative burden, or through staff recognition and wellness programming aligned to retention goals, HR is not an afterthought; it’s a key enabler and a boisterous member at the strategy table.
And it’s not just healthcare. The same principles hold true across other sectors and are scalable across any size of organization.
Three Strategic Levers for HR and Business Alignment
1. Define your strategic identity, then build HR around it.
HR alignment begins by answering: What business are we in? This includes:
- Clarifying purpose, priorities, and value proposition
- Understanding core customers and service channels
- Assessing whether your current structure and people systems support future goals
Without this strategic anchor, HR may focus on excellence, but not necessarily relevance.
2. Position HR as a strategic partner, early and often.
HR should not merely respond to strategy; it should inform it. This means:
- Embedding HR leaders in business planning cycles
- Designing talent systems that anticipate future capability needs
- Tracking people metrics alongside financial and operational key performance indicators
As Holbeche (2009) notes, the most effective HR teams don’t just serve the business, they help define its trajectory.
3. Use change management as the glue.
Even the best aligned strategies fail without thoughtful execution. Change is where alignment is tested. Sustain it by:
- Equipping middle managers as champions of both people and strategy
- Leveraging structured frameworks
- Embedding alignment in performance conversations, reward systems, and team norms
Kateb and Ahmadi (2018) emphasize that alignment is as much about feedback loops and culture as it is about planning tools. Strategic alignment is more than linking HR initiatives to business objectives. It’s about embedding HR thinking into the very logic of how the organization operates, grows, and adapts.
So yes, HR should contribute to the strategy table in a boisterous manner using a sound and pragmatic voice that shapes the agenda, asks the hard questions, and builds the capacity for the organization to deliver on its promise.
About the Author
Lola Obomighie, an accomplished HR professional and healthcare executive, is the Vice President of People, Culture and Organizational Effectiveness at a regional healthcare organization. With nearly 20 years of experience in England and Ontario, she brings extensive expertise across sectors. She is a keen and enthusiastic people leader who believes organizational strategy is achievable through engaged and empowered people. A passionate advocate of equity, diversity and inclusion, Lola holds an MSc in HR Management and multiple certifications, including MCIPD, CAPM, CHRE, and CHE. Enrolled in the Rotman Global Executive MBA for Healthcare and the Life Sciences, she also serves on the Board of Governors at an independent private school and is a proud graduate of the Queen’s IRC’s Labour Relations certificate.
Lola is the lead facilitator for the Queen’s IRC Aligning HR and Business Strategy and HR Metrics and Analytics programs.
References
Holbeche, L. (2009). Aligning Human Resources and Business Strategy. Routledge.
Kateb, M., & Ahmadi, A.A. (2018). Aligning human resources and business strategy. Management Science Letters, 8(2018), 1399–1412. https://doi.org/10.5267/j.msl.2018.9.001
