HR Mission Statement: 5 Examples to Create Your Own
Senior human resources executives and leaders understand that developing a solid HR strategy requires having an up-to-date HR mission statement. A good mission statement helps everyone in the organization know what you’re trying to accomplish and why it matters.
It sets the direction for the department and serves as a guiding principle for all HR-related activities.
But what makes an HR mission statement genuinely impactful? How do you ensure that it aligns with the overall mission and values of the organization and effectively guides the department’s activities? And how do you create an authentic and achievable mission statement?
Contents
What is an HR mission statement?
Why create a human resources mission statement for your hr team?
HR mission statement vs. HR vision statement
5 Examples of HR mission statements
How to write an impactful HR mission statement
What is an HR mission statement?
An HR mission statement is a short, clear summary of the goals and purpose of an organization’s human resources department. It helps employees understand how their work contributes to the organization’s success. It sets the direction for the department and serves as a guiding principle for all HR-related activities. But what exactly does an HR mission statement accomplish?
Think of it as the compass that guides the department’s activities. It helps to align the department’s efforts with the overall mission and values of the organization so that all HR-related activities work towards the same goal.
Why create a human resources mission statement?
Creating an HR mission statement for your team is essential in establishing a solid HR strategy. But why is it so important? Here are a few reasons why:
- Aligns the department’s activities with the overall mission and values of the organization: An HR mission statement helps to align the department’s efforts with the overall mission and values of the organization so that all HR-related activities are working towards the same goal.
- Guides decision-making and prioritization: With a clear HR mission statement in place, it becomes easier to determine if a new HR initiative aligns with the department’s purpose and values. This helps to guide decision-making and prioritization so that the department works on the most critical initiatives.
- Serves as a powerful tool for recruitment and retention: By clearly communicating the department’s purpose and values to potential employees, an organization can attract individuals who align with the organization’s culture and values.
- Improves employee development: An HR mission statement helps to guide employee development. It addresses the department’s purpose and values, giving employees insights into how their work contributes to the organization’s overall mission. This can lead to greater engagement, motivation, and productivity among employees.
- Facilitates regular review and update: An HR mission statement should be regularly reviewed and updated to ensure that it remains aligned with the organization’s goals and objectives. And it should be communicated and implemented throughout the organization to ensure that all employees understand and are motivated by the department’s purpose and values.
Creating an HR mission statement is essential in establishing a solid HR strategy. It’s a necessary tool for any HR team to effectively guide the department’s activities and ensure it is working towards the same goal.
HR mission statement vs. HR vision statement
An HR mission and vision statement may sound similar, but they serve different purposes. A mission statement is a concise statement describing your HR department’s purpose and values. It describes the “what”: what you do, how you do it, and why it matters.
A vision statement is a longer-term description of where your organization wants to go in the future; it describes the “why” behind your mission. It is a statement of aspirations and what the department hopes to achieve long term. It is a statement that describes the department’s future state and the impact it hopes to have on the organization and its employees.
In simple terms: an HR mission statement tells you what the department is doing today, and an HR vision statement tells you where the department wants to be in the future. The difference is in the timeline.
An HR mission statement serves as a guide for decision-making and prioritization, while an HR vision statement serves as a guide for long-term planning and goal-setting. Together, the two provide a clear direction for the department, helping to ensure that all HR-related activities are working towards the same goal.
5 Examples of HR mission statements
Example 1: Amazon
Amazon’s HR mission statement: “What unites Amazon employees across teams and geographies is that we are all striving to delight our customers and make their lives easier.”
Standout features: Focuses on uniting employees, navigating challenges through diverse perspectives, and focusing on the customer.
Top tip: Link the HR mission statement to the business mission, vision, and goals, and keep the employee at the heart of the statement.
Example 2: Helios HR
Helios HR mission statement: “To help leaders build cultures of intention with human capital programs that attract, engage, and develop an organization’s core – its people.”
Standout features: Emphasizes building cultures of intention and developing the organization’s core, its people.
Top tip: Focus on building a positive culture and aligning HR programs with the company’s overall goals and values.
Example 3: Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines mission statement: “We are committed to provide our employees a stable work environment with equal opportunity for learning and personal growth. Creativity and innovation are encouraged for improving the effectiveness of Southwest Airlines. Above all, employees will be provided the same concern, respect, and caring attitude within the organization that they are expected to share externally with every Southwest Customer.”
Standout features: It emphasizes providing a stable work environment, equal opportunities for learning and growth, and fostering creativity and innovation.
Top tip: Prioritize the well-being of employees and create a culture that values creativity and innovation.
Example 4: Adobe
Adobe mission statement: “At Adobe, we believe that when people feel respected and included, they can be more creative, innovative, and successful. While we have more work to advance diversity and inclusion, we’re investing to move our company and industry forward.”
Standout features: Emphasis on diversity and inclusion and how it drives creativity, innovation, and success.
Top tip: Prioritize diversity and inclusion in all HR initiatives and ensure that the company’s values align with the mission statement.
Example 5: Google
Google’s mission statement: “To organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.”
Standout features: Focuses on organization and accessibility of information and making it useful for all.
Top tips: Keep focusing on the customer and their needs, and ensure the mission statement aligns with the company’s overall goals and values.
Overall, these HR mission statement examples illustrate how an HR mission statement should reflect the company’s values and goals while keeping the employees at the heart of it. It should be unique, clear, and concise, align with the company’s overall mission, and be communicated and implemented throughout the organization.
By following these examples, you can create an impactful HR mission statement that resonates with your employees and helps them understand their role in the company’s success.
How to write an impactful HR mission statement
Writing an impactful HR mission statement takes work. However, with the right approach, you can create a statement that sets the direction for your department and guides all HR-related activities. But before crafting an impactful HR mission statement, you need to understand what makes a mission statement effective.
There are three critical elements of an effective mission statement: the HR purpose, HR values, and HR goals. Each of these parts plays a vital role in defining the direction and purpose of the department, and together, they create a powerful statement that guides all HR-related activities.
- HR purpose: The HR purpose is the reason for the department’s existence. It defines the department’s role within the organization and outlines the specific activities that the department will undertake. A clear and concise HR purpose helps to align the department’s activities with the overall mission and values of the organization and serves as a guide for decision-making and prioritization.
- HR values: The HR values are the guiding principles that the department will adhere to in all its activities. These values should align with the organization’s overall values and be specific, measurable, and achievable.
- HR goals: The HR goals should align with the overall goals of the organization and should be specific, measurable, and achievable. These goals serve as a guide for long-term planning and goal-setting.
Together, the HR purpose, values, and goals create a powerful statement that defines the direction and purpose of the department.
Here’s how to write an impactful HR mission statement using these guidelines:
Step 1: Explain your employee offering
The first step in creating an HR mission statement is to understand who your ideal employee is and what company culture you are trying to achieve. This will help you to define the employee offering that your department will provide.
Step 2: Identify the core HR values and goals
The next step is to identify the core values and goals of the department. These values and goals should align with the overall mission and values of the organization and should be specific, measurable, and achievable.
Step 3: Align HR core values with the company’s mission and values
Once you have identified the core values and goals of the department, it’s important to align them with the company’s mission and values. This will ensure that the department’s activities align with the overall mission and values of the organization.
Step 4: Answer the what, who, and why
It’s essential to answer the three critical questions to make your HR mission statement impactful: what, who, and why.
- What are we doing?
- Who are we doing it for?
- Why are we doing it?
Answering these questions will help you define your department’s purpose and values.
Step 5: Create a market-defining story
Your HR mission statement should be unique and stand out from your competitors. To do this, you should create a market-defining story that differentiates your HR mission from your competitors.
Step 6: Check for authenticity
Your HR mission statement should be a true reflection of your organization. It should be both idealistic and achievable. Be realistic about what is attainable by the organization.
Step 7: Get input from employees
It’s crucial to involve employees in creating an HR mission statement. Employee input will help to ensure that the statement reflects the department’s purpose and values and that employees understand and are motivated by the department’s purpose and values.
Step 8: Review and update regularly
An HR mission statement should be regularly reviewed and updated to ensure that it remains aligned with the organization’s goals and objectives.
Step 9: Communicate and implement
Once you have created an impactful HR mission statement, it’s essential to communicate it throughout the organization. This ensures all employees understand and are motivated by the department’s purpose and values.
By following these steps, you can create an HR mission statement that is both authentic and achievable and that effectively guides the department’s activities. Remember to keep your mission statement short and to the point, make it unique, and involve employees in the process.
Top HR mission statement writing tips
When writing an impactful HR mission statement, there are a few essential tips you should keep in mind to ensure that your statement is clear, concise, and compelling. Here are a few top writing tips to help you create a powerful HR mission statement:
- Keep it short and to the point: Avoid jargon or complex language, and focus on communicating the department’s purpose and values clearly and concisely.
- Make it unique: Your HR mission statement should be unique and should stand out from your competitors.
- Use the right tone: The tone of your HR mission statement should be consistent with the business’s overall brand. If you’re a fun, relaxed company, ensure that your HR mission statement conveys this sense of fun and relaxation.
- Use strong verbs: Make sure your HR mission statement is filled with solid and action-oriented verbs. This helps to convey a sense of urgency and excitement about the work that you do.
- Focus on the future: Your HR mission statement should be forward-looking. It should convey a sense of progress and movement into the future. This helps to differentiate your HR department from others more focused on day-to-day operations.
- Use a conversational tone: Your HR mission statement should sound natural. This helps to convey a sense of approachability and friendliness.
Key takeaways
- An HR mission statement defines the purpose and values of an organization’s human resources department.
- Creating an HR mission statement provides a clear direction for the department and aligns HR activities with the overall mission and values of the organization.
- An HR mission statement is different from an HR vision statement, which outlines the desired future state of the department.
- To write an impactful HR mission statement, involve employees in the process, align with the overall mission and values of the organization, and keep it authentic and specific.
- Examples of HR mission statements from actual companies can serve as inspiration for creating your HR mission statement.
FAQs
A good HR mission statement is clear, concise, and effective in communicating the department’s purpose and values. It should be unique, stand out from competitors, and align with the overall mission and values of the organization. It should also involve employees and be regularly reviewed and updated.
An HR mission statement is crucial because it serves as a guide for the department’s activities and aligns them with the overall mission and values of the organization.
Some benefits of an HR mission statement include the following:
– It aligns the department’s activities with the overall mission and values of the organization.
– It is a powerful tool for recruitment, retention, and employee development.
– It ensures employees understand the department’s purpose and values.
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