Cat Rickard from Orion Partners looks at what the public sector must do to deliver on leadership and, in particular, HR leadership and talent? Not just in the future but today.

This question has been dogging talent managers and leaders across the civil service for several years now. More external recruitment has been one answer; developing in-house talent, through initiatives such as the Civil Service Capability Group another. In both cases, having a clear understanding of the leadership skills needed is critical.
Recent research from Orion Partners into what makes a successful HR leader pinpoints some critical traits that distinguish ‘the best’ from ‘the rest’. If you are looking to recruit or develop HR leadership talent in your organisation, or are looking to make the next step in your own career, read on.

The ‘Right’ Experience Counts

Building on the ‘HR Business Partner Success Profile’*, Orion worked with an initial group of over 35 HR leaders from a range of industries across the public and private sectors in Europe, America and South Africa. All held senior HR leadership positions at HR Director level and a number of similarities were immediately obvious.

• 73% had held a senior HR leadership position elsewhere prior to their current role. So making that first step on the ladder really counts
• 64% had relevant business experience outside HR. A common trait within home grown public sector talent but something to focus on if you’re currently working in the private sector. Look for opportunities for secondment to other business areas within your existing role
• 50% had worked in multiple industry sectors and/or had been based outside their country of origin. If your experience is primarily within one organisation, think of the steps you can take to broaden your horizons
• 46% held no formal HR qualification. So don’t be put off if advertisements express a preference for specific qualifications – it won’t necessarily hold you back

‘Mindset’ is Key

Amongst great HR leaders their ‘mindset’ is typically more important than the technical skills and knowledge. Four defining characteristics in particular emerged so, when considering a move into a new leadership position, ask yourself:

• Do you have a clear sense of purpose? Clarity of vision about what you are to deliver for the business through its people and a willingness to go to the edge in order to achieve it are key
• Are you business focused? Do you define yourself as a business person first and hold yourself accountable for creating business success?
• Do you have the drive to build a fit-for-purpose HR function and the ability to lead it to deliver success for the business through the people agenda?
• Are you self aware, with a clear understanding of your own values? A strong self-belief, appetite for continuous learning and the ability to manage your own energy and motivation are essential.

Establishing Credibility

One of the keys to success as an HR leader is establishing credibility and respect with all stakeholders. Only then will you be able to influence the organisation’s direction. Typically HR leaders approach this from three angles.



Each of these approaches can be useful and effective in different contexts – the key skill is to be able to deploy all three styles flexibly and adapt the best style to the organisation or individuals within it. Relying on your preferred approach will not deliver the results you need.

Making it to the top

Many HR leaders come to the role through the HR Business Partner route though not all great HR BPs become successful HR leaders. Both share a deep-rooted self-belief and confidence but HR leaders exhibit a notably higher level of reflection and self-knowledge. A sense of purpose is also common to both roles, but the complexity of creating and maintaining that vision at the enterprise level is far greater for the HR leader. The different nature of the relationship with the business means there is a significant shift in moving successfully from Business Partner to HR leader.

If you would like to find out more about what makes a successful HR leader and would like a copy of the Orion Leading HR Research, please go to www.orion-partners.com or contact elaineabel@orion-partners.com

* For more information, see Orion’s published study results, “High Performing HR Business Partners: A Model for Success”, available as an essential guide on the above website


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