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How should business owners approach people planning when looking to grow?
People Directors Paul Gordon, Rory Buchanan and Conal Scholes share thoughts on how business owners should look to approach people planning as they grow
How should business owners approach people planning when looking to grow?
Growth is an ambition of most businesses, but it’s essential to consider how the people within the business can play a part in achieving it.
Growth requires change. And change is not always easy to manage. That’s why it’s so important to have a people-focused plan in place which aligns with your business strategy to support that growth and the people within the organisation.
“It’s about being aware of the risks that are currently going on and it’s being able to pivot around what your current operational model is.” Conal Scholes, People Director
There are many steps to consider in your growth journey, as outlined in the video above, where three of our People Directors reflect on key parts of the process which business leaders need to focus on in order to lay the right foundations for growth.
The foundations for sustainable growth
While every business is unique, there are certain universal areas which will need to be focused on to achieve ongoing growth and sustainable development over time. These include:
- Clarify vision
- Identify goals
- Create a plan
- Be aware of the risks
- Listen to and observe your people
- Develop the responsiveness to pivot when needed
- Define your hiring strategy
- Determine what roles are needed to support growth
- Understand company culture
- Review regularly and be open to learning
With a core policy of “plan, do, review” in place, as Paul suggests, learnings can be regularly identified and implemented to create a culture of continual improvement and organisational (and individual) self-awareness.
“My key mantra is “Plan: Do: Review.” The important part is the planning and the reviewing – the doing is the easy bit.” Paul Gordon, People Director
Putting people at the heart of the plan
The people within a business will always be its most powerful asset. Ensuring that your strategy for growth keeps people at its centre is a great way to protect the long term future of your business. It is not always easy to take an impartial view of what’s needed for the future, when all your energy has been directed to getting you to this very point.
Yet what’s got you to where you are, as the saying goes, is not always what will get you to where you’re going.
“Business leaders have to understand what the priorities in those roles that they’re trying to hire are, what the requirements are in terms of competencies and skill sets, so that they can search in the right places to identify that talent.” Rory Buchanan, People Director
With the external perspective and experienced guidance of an established People Director, you can be confident that you have the right people in the right seats, aligned behind the right goals. Once you’ve got those foundations in place, you will be in a strong position to grow and to keep growing as your business evolves.
