This week in HR, my team and I are developing training through our AMI (Applied Management Instruction) service line for clients on the topic of Effective Communication for executives. We studied many texts, books, and we even listened to podcasts with knowledge leaders, like Charles Duhigg, author of Supercommunicator: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection and other seminal works on communication, and referenced old recordings of Dale Carnegie, author of How to Win Friends and Influence People. We have had so much fun learning and growing as we build meaningful programming for our clients. In our work on this training, I started to think about how HR resembles Sales in so many ways (understanding your consumer’s behavior is critical for effective sales). In HR, we can look at our workers as our customers or the consumer, if we’re smart, knowing we must establish connection for maximal results…
In our prep, I also reread Robert Cialdini’s Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion. My first exposure to this work was in grad school in a Change Management course. I was struck then by how tactical the process of persuasive communicating is and how crucial persuasion is for building human connection.
How useful this skill of persuasion is for HR practitioners in any function of Human Capital Management!
If we think about transactions in HR as conversions, like benefits enrollment or employment practices that effectuate higher retention of key employees, they are not only measurable, but strategically impactable. Shifting one’s thinking this way can change an undisciplined, disorganized, “crossed-fingers” practice of HR to something much more regimented, tactical, even predictable. Conversions are about persuasion essentially, and as the word denotes, to convert someone is to accomplish a sort of change in their behavior. Think Performance Management, Change Management, Talent Acquisition, etc. Most of these can and must be measured in terms of transactions or conversions.
Disciplined HR is often assailed as ineffectual because it’s mechanical. HR practitioners have a penchant for aphorisms like, “Put the HUMAN back in Human Resources.” This quip particularly speaks to a problem that can coincide with regimented HR practices: heartlessness or a lack of empathy. But being structured in your HR practice doesn’t mean you aren’t being empathetic or making genuine connections, it simply means you follow process to ensure the optimal achievement of objectives. Connection may also be achieved through a disciplined process, according to Cialdini. Understanding the science of connection is the key to the ‘art’ of HR; really great practitioners know this and lead with proven tactics.
Connection According to Cialdini
Humans are social creatures. We live in communities. This isn’t just a logical choice we make some time in our lives, it’s also a biological imperative. We’re wired to want to connect with others. How we connect with other people is key to understanding persuasion. We’re all a lot more amenable to persuasion when we’re offered genuine human connection at the same time.
In the world of conversions, every little bit of persuasion counts.
Cialdini’s Principles
- Reciprocity: Give a little something to get a little something in return.
- Consistency & Commitment: People will make a commitment on a tentative idea, but once staked, the commitment is reinforced by belief and shared vision for success / mutual aid / hopefulness.
- Social Proof & Consensus: There’s nothing like feeling validated based on what others are doing.
- Authority: I have credibility / I’m considered an authority figure on this topic, trust me.
- Liking: The more you like someone, the more you’ll be persuaded by them.
- Scarcity: When you believe something is in short supply…You want it more!
- Unity: If you feel included, you’re more likely to participate.
Most of these are tactics that effective HR people deploy every day. Leaders in any business function deploy each of these alternately according to situational necessity. Imagine a CEO who must imbue a sense of competition in a fledgling workforce facing layoffs if production doesn’t improve. They are best served by walking into the assembly line sleeves rolled up, no tie, collars unbuttoned, speaking in the vernacular of a line worker. They will not connect with workers using their Ivy League diction and advanced business jargon. They must appear “part of the tribe.” This is Unity persuasive tactic, “us versus them.” Careful – sincerity is a necessary component of most of these tactics.
HR professionals may persuade workers in a Merger or Acquisition integration using the Liking principle – get employees of acquisition company X to like acquirer company Y and much of the common pain points in integration may be averted. There’s lots of PR and marketing involved in persuading key employees to stick with it and post-merger synergy or success can depend on retention of key employees. No better way to achieve that then to help them connect personally through liking. Careful – authenticity is critical here.
When organizations want to drive better interdepartmental collaboration, they might bring in someone like Simon Sinek, a well-known communications expert, to train different groups, lead workshops. Even though he may not add anything to the products or may not even bring any new insights to the table, his market credibility and reputation make for better saturation of concepts, people are more receptive to concepts because of his accepted authority on topics related to collaboration, teamwork, and communication. This is about Authority.
Asking employees to buy in to compliance, to commit to upholding values that align with the company’s needs, is a way for workers to join a sort of verbal contract. People, once committed and aware, will then behave consistently better than they might if there’s simply an implicit understanding that insider trading is bad. People are inclined to think of themselves as the exceptions to rules, they’ll take a more laxed view of ethical matters that could compromise the company—even though they’re not inherently bad people, they simply hadn’t committed to explicit standards of ethical conduct. HR professionals need employees to understand the rules and standards, so people commit to NOT expose the company.
The point I’m trying to make is that HR is about moving people, motivating people to transact, to do, perform, produce, buy-in, etc. If that’s so, why not approach HR practices as a salesperson? Knowing the why behind motivating people to change is key to success in HR.
Really strong Change Management consultants spend extravagant time and effort identifying “Champions” and “Resisters” of change initiatives, knowing that the principle of Social Proof is so key to successful integrations. People don’t like to go against the grain. Resisters, who can be converted, can be especially strong champions, because in social proof even the hardest resisters are compelled by conversions and Consensus. Careful with this one, too – consensus is just as easily used against change initiatives as not; it can be a battle of wills, hence the importance of identifying key players and positions ahead of time.
My exhibition here of Cialdini’s work is an example of the Authority principle, to lend credibility and muscle to my ideas.
empact hr explores topics like this every day to help you advance your organization toward the achievement of greatness (isn’t this nice??? Reciprocity at its best!). Communication, persuasion techniques, and change strategies are our service. Not sure how to light that fire at your organization? Call us.
PHILIP CARRILLO, MBA, SHRM-SCP
Director, HR Services
Philip began his 12-year Human Resource career in HR Project Management and Recruiting in the legal tech sector, working for startups that were listed among Forbes Fastest Growing Companies. Philip has managed human capital operations in almost all 50 states and in parts of Europe. His experience ranges from compliance to leadership coaching. After achieving his MBA from Tulane University in 2019, Philip transitioned from in-house Director to consulting, where he focuses on helping leaders understand, document, and improve productivity and visibility through Performance Management, Mission Vision and Values integration, and Professional Development. Compliance remains a cornerstone of his strategic assistance to companies that want to scale carefully and smartly.
Philip believes that every employer can methodically create an attractive and inspiring Employer Brand and Human Capital strategy. “Every challenge can become the building block of a breakthrough opportunity through a dynamic HR strategy.”
