Diana Blancone
Chief People & Talent Officer
Omnicom Media Group
Episode 295
Break the HR Silo: Link Talent Strategy to Business & Financial Success
Current chapter: Built by People podcast features insights from world's top HR leaders
Built By PeopleFebruary 18, 2025 · 12:41
Thesis
“To be truly effective, HR leaders must integrate deeply into core business operations, understanding financials, client deliverables, and overall strategy, rather than operating in a departmental silo.”
Show notes
Curiosity and Business Savvy: HR Leadership Insights with Diana Blancone
In this episode of the Built by People podcast sponsored by Previ, the host welcomes Diana, an accomplished HR leader with a background in fashion retail and media. Diana shares her career journey from fashion production to HR, emphasizing the importance of understanding core business operations, fostering curiosity, and being a proactive business partner. She discusses integrating learning and development with career progression, the significance of data-driven decisions, and the need for HR professionals to engage deeply with business strategy. Diana also offers advice on shadowing programs and maintaining cross-functional relationships to drive organizational success.
00:00 Introduction to the Built by People Podcast
00:16 Sponsorship Message from Previ
00:45 Guest Introduction: Diana's Career Journey
02:07 Transition to HR and Talent Recruitment
02:53 Becoming a True Business Partner
04:37 Involvement in Business Strategy
06:51 Connecting Learning and Development to Career Progression
08:49 Effective Coaching Strategies
10:20 The Importance of Cross-Functional Relationships
11:27 Final Advice and Conclusion
What you'll take away
- 1Prioritize a deep understanding of business financials, trends, and client deliverables to ensure HR initiatives are strategically aligned.
- 2Proactively engage in core business operations, such as client meetings and pitches, to gather vital context for talent strategy and development.
- 3Design learning and development programs that are directly linked to skills-based career paths and organizational objectives to boost internal mobility and retention.
- 4Coach HR team members to adopt a 'business leader' mindset by encouraging curiosity, data-backed solutions, and building strong cross-functional relationships.
- 5Consistently push personal comfort zones, learn the 'language of leadership' (finance, metrics), and utilize data to support and articulate HR's strategic value.
What most organizations get wrong
- •Challenges the notion that HR responsibilities are narrowly defined, stating that not understanding core business deliverables makes HR 'of no service or benefit to anyone.'
- •Suggests that feeling like 'the stupidest person in the room' when entering a new domain is a positive sign of evolution and necessary for growth.
In Diana's words
“I am of no service or benefit to anyone if I don't truly understand what we're expected to deliver on, in our case with clients.”
This quote highlights the critical need for HR to deeply understand business deliverables to be effective.
“L&D can't exist or should never exist in a vacuum. It must be tied to career growth, business objectives.”
This emphasizes the strategic integration of learning and development with broader organizational goals for maximum impact.
“Back it up with data and back it up with context in terms of why we need to do certain things or how we have had success in certain areas and building on that success.”
This stresses the importance of data-driven decision-making and storytelling to strengthen HR's proposals and influence.
“You need to make a seat for yourself at that table.”
This is a direct call to action for HR leaders to assert and secure their strategic importance within the organization.
“You feel like the stupidest person in the room, but that's a good thing. You need to feel that way in order to evolve.”
This quote encourages embracing discomfort and a continuous learning mindset for personal and professional growth.
The problems this episode addresses
- •HR professionals are often stifled and myopic in their roles without a deep understanding of the broader business, limiting their strategic impact.
- •Building and hiring talent without prior knowledge of client promises or business strategy leads to inefficient and reactive talent acquisition.
- •Retaining talent and keeping employees engaged is a significant challenge, especially after events like the Great Resignation.
- •HR initiatives and points of view lack impact and credibility without supporting data and business context.
- •The absence of HR representation in key business meetings prevents HR leaders from effectively contributing to the organization's overall success.
In this episode
Built by People podcast features insights from world's top HR leaders
Built by People
I started in fashion retail after graduating from college. I really didn't know what area of business
Descending the Career Path
One of the most important things is truly understanding the business, Diane says
Employee Engagement: Core Business Operations
Fanny, you've been involved in client meetings and active pitches
HR's Role in Strategic Planning
OMG focuses on connecting learning and development to career progression within organizations
The Linking Learning and Development to Career Promotion
How do you coach team members to become trusted business partners in your business
How to Coach Team Members to Become Business Partners
Diana, any parting advice you'd like to share with our community
A Few Words of Advice for Leaders
Topics covered
Organizations and entities mentioned
Full transcript
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