Over the past decade, the role of Human Resource Manager or director in boardroom discussions has evolved from administrative support to a strategic business partner.
Once sitting outside the executive committee or reporting through finance, HR is now recognised as a critical enabler of growth.
Job titles have evolved from HR director or HR manager to head of people and culture, reflecting this transformation.
Today’s CEOs expect HR leaders to provide insights on talent pipelines, succession planning, and people strategies that directly support business goals.
At the board table, discussions around culture transformation, diversity and inclusion, and employee engagement increasingly require HR to drive strategic initiatives and supply data-driven insights to guide decision-making.
HR is also viewed as the custodian of employer brand and reputation, placing it at the centre of how organisations attract, retain, and develop talent.
Eva Lubowa, Director of Human Resource and Administration at the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority, observes: “Without HR’s involvement at the strategic table, there is a critical missing link between employee initiatives and the organisation’s overall goals. This limits the company’s ability to fully leverage its workforce as a driver of success.”
Leadership shifts shaping the conversation
Cultural and generational shifts are pushing HR further into strategic territory. Millennials and Gen Z employees now prioritise purpose, flexibility, and alignment with values over pay alone.
They remain loyal to organisations that offer meaning and belonging. As a result, employee experience, engagement, and culture have become essential to retention and performance.
Lubowa explains that HR plays a central role in designing workplaces, policies, and programmes that meet these expectations, ensuring that talent remains motivated, productive, and aligned with business goals.
For example, during digital transformation, HR often leads initiatives around flexible work models, purpose-driven onboarding, or career development pathways.
When aligned with business strategy, these initiatives drive engagement, innovation, and productivity, shaping competitive advantage and long-term growth.
Sound strategy understanding
Although HR may not always sit on the board, its influence on board decisions is undeniable.
Francis Kamulegeya, a board member at Old Mutual formerly UAP Old Mutual, notes that decisions such as salary adjustments or restructuring cannot proceed without HR’s input.
“The head of HR must have a good working relationship with the board despite not sitting on it,” he says.
Kamulegeya adds that the HR must understand shareholder expectations and appreciate that talent is a strategic resource, the factor that defines competitiveness.
Therefore, HR must evolve to be more strategic and less operational.
The aloof CEO
Not all CEOs, however, recognise the importance of HR’s voice at board level. Some still view HR as peripheral, even though it manages the people who generate the numbers.
Milton Owor, HR director at NSSF, observes that many CEOs focus solely on profits and losses, failing to connect the dots between human capital and financial performance.
“Being in the right place means that human resources buy into the strategy and deliver exceptional quality.
“They champion innovation that drives your product line, and that is what sustains profitability,” Owor says.
To gain credibility, HR leaders must engage CEOs on financial and business matters, not just HR processes.
Thus, Kamulegeya says CEOs should support HR to present their perspectives to the board:
“Some CEOs want to be the sole management entity interacting with the board. That’s a bad practice,” he warns.
Building business acumen
Henry Kibirige, HR practitioner and founder of Sofos Consults, notes that HR leaders must speak the language of business and finance.
This is by getting some knowledge on finance and accounting to understand profits, losses, and key performance indicators.
With this knowledge, the HR can link people strategies with productivity and use technology to present data-driven arguments.
This positions HR as a credible, evidence-based voice in strategic discussions and redefines it from an administrative function to a driver of business growth.
Connecting talent strategy to growth
Boards that make decisions without considering people risk weaker outcomes.
Yet, as Owor notes, the invitation of HR input to the board table is not automatic, it must be earned through clarity and metrics that demonstrate impact.
HR leaders must show how initiatives such as training, engagement programmes, or compensation adjustments directly influence productivity, innovation, and profitability.
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Lubowa notes that HR contributes to shareholder value and revenue growth by ensuring the organisation attracts and develops the right talent.
When learning and development initiatives align with business goals, the workforce evolves alongside market demands—creating measurable value.
A case for smaller businesses
The argument for HR’s strategic role is often clearer in large organisations, but small businesses need it too.
Lubowa notes that in smaller setups, tight budgets often cause CEOs to view HR as a cos centre rather than a growth driver.
To gain influence, HR must build credibility through integrity, accountability, and consistent performance.
Owor notes that in very small businesses, HR may need to double up, handling another role such as logistics, until the company grows enough to support a dedicated HR function.
Overcoming pushback
Resistance to HR’s influence remains common, especially in organisations that still see it as administrative.
Department heads may resist culture change or dismiss engagement programmes as unnecessary, but Lubowa advises persistence.
“Respect is earned when HR demonstrates a deep understanding of both HR and the wider business, including finance and operations,” she says.
By linking culture, talent, and workforce insights directly to business outcomes, HR secures credibility as a growth driver and shifts perceptions from support to strategy.
Balancing global and local priorities
In multinational companies, HR leaders often report to global headquarters while engaging with local boards, a dynamic that requires diplomacy.
Lubowa notes that global offices may introduce new initiatives that local boards find disruptive.
The HR leader must balance these tensions, maintaining local trust while leveraging global best practices.
A changing global agenda
People remain every organisation’s greatest asset, and boards must keep pace with the evolving global HR agenda.
Automation and artificial intelligence are reshaping work, demanding new skills and reskilling programmes.
Well-being and mental health have become strategic imperatives, closely tied to productivity and performance.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion now drive innovation and brand reputation.
Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) priorities are also reshaping investor expectations, while flexible and hybrid work models continue to redefine how organisations are structured.
Boards must engage HR to ensure people strategies align with these new realities, balancing growth with social and environmental responsibility.
Measuring HR’s impact
Ultimately, HR’s credibility at the strategic table depends on measurable results.
Strategic HR leaders translate corporate strategy into people-focused objectives and align performance with organisational goals.
Lubowa explains that HR now provides boards with predictive insights on workforce performance, talent risks, employer brand health, and cultural transformation.
When such insights shape decisions and resource allocation, HR’s value as a strategic partner becomes undeniable.
Impact is evident in leadership continuity through effective succession planning,and improvements in employee engagement and retention.
That is coupled
with clear evidence that people strategies contribute directly to revenue, efficiency, and growth.
At that point, HR is no longer a support function; it is a driver of organisational success.
