Isn’t it time we saw more HR professionals taking a full role in key decision making at companies around the world? After all, it is well-known by those in the discipline that the people strategy is fundamental to business growth and can often be what sets a company apart from its competitors – we just need business leaders to get on board with this too. That is why the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) has partnered with Cranfield School of Management and Grant Thornton UK LLP to create an Executive MBA for the talent management and HR sectors. This prestigious qualification in Human Capital aims to equip professionals with the key skills that will elevate themselves and their company, boosting their chances of earning a well-deserved seat at the C-Suite table.  

Why has HR been left out of the boardroom?

Despite being excellent people professionals, many fail to make the step up to senior management or board level because they have had a specific role within the company, where they have not needed to know or learn the ‘language of business’. To begin making an impact on organisational strategy, today’s leaders in human resource management, staffing and talent not only need subject expertise but also broader leadership and business skills, as well as the ability to draw on data and technology to support a talent strategy.

Technology is changing expectations

CEOs may fail to see the full value of having HR on the board if they aren’t provided with quantifiable and measurable results. Historically, this has been a challenge for HR, but now with technology integrated in every aspect of business, including talent management, there is a wealth of hard data that can be utilised within the boardroom. This means that it is not just the HR agenda that today’s human resource leaders need to worry about. A senior strategist also requires the ability to interpret this data and have the same level of commercial acumen as other business leaders. Unfortunately, this is not always human resources’ strongest point, as according to  PwC’s 2017 HR Technology Survey, only 14% of employers are very satisfied with their HR analytics technologies.

Reshape the role of HR at your organisation and win a seat at the C-Suite table

Cranfield School of Management’s Executive MBA in Human Capital, which is supported by APSCo, is the first and only EMBA in this field, and meets the requirements of the UK Level 7 Senior Leader Master’s Degree Apprenticeship Standard. It is designed to give middle to senior managers the ability to make strategic change in their company and help direct their firm to meet its business goals. The degree combines academic insight and commercial application to help HR professionals make a real and demonstratable impact on the bottom line.

What the Executive MBA will teach

The concept of employee engagement has really shifted in the last few years and is becoming increasingly more crucial for business success. The Executive MBA is designed to help professionals develop in this area and on their existing skills while also expanding their business and leadership attributes. By the end of the two-year course, HR specialists will have the knowledge and toolkit to lead their organisation to the next level. The students will have a new understanding of the core elements of managing a complex organisation and will learn to see the business as a whole by taking core modules in Operations, Marketing, Strategic Management, Data Analytics, Leadership and Finance, before specialising in a number of specific modules in the area of human capital. For firms with Apprenticeship Levy pots, two-thirds of the cost of the EMBA in Human Capital can be covered through the initiative.

For too long, HR professionals have not been recognised for the impact their function has on organisational objectives. However, through business education, they can better communicate their value, grow their credibility and boost the professionalism of their role in the eyes of senior decision makers.