HR's strategic focus

- Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Atlantic Airlines,…once said that he's always felt that…the only mission worth pursuing in business…is to make people's lives better.…This perspective is evident…in the company's mission statement, which is,…"To embrace the human spirit and let it fly."…Clearly, the focus of Virgin's mission is the people,…and who better to help craft a mission like that…than the HR professionals whose focus…are the people in organizations.…

In HR's early days, workers processed paperwork…and reacted to employee issues.…Today, HR has evolved into a strategic business partner…that provides proactive counsel to business leaders.…To begin to understand HR's role as a strategic partner,…you must first grasp what is meant by strategy…and strategic planning.…A strategy is basically a thoughtful plan of action…aimed at achieving a company's goals.…Strategic planning involves analyzing…what's going on inside the company…and the external market,…then using that knowledge to establish goals…that help a company achieve…