J.J. McDonnell & Co., Inc

Elisa M. Matta Solero

Elisa M. Matta Solero is an experienced human resources leader with over two decades of experience in manufacturing and family-owned organizations. At J.J. McDonnell & Co., Inc., she focuses on employee relations, workforce development, compliance and people-centered strategies.

Understanding Operations to Strengthen HR Decisions

Human resources is most effective when it understands not only the workforce but also how the business operates. Throughout my career, particularly within small to mid-sized and family-owned organizations, I have learned that people strategy cannot be developed separately from operational strategy. The two are deeply connected.

In a smaller organization, every workforce decision has an immediate effect. Adding a position, leaving a vacancy unfilled, changing a process or restructuring a department affects more than a headcount report. It can influence productivity, workload, customer service, safety, morale and ultimately the organization's financial health.

HR must understand the operational environment before recommending a solution. We need to know how work gets done, where pressure points exist, what employees experience, and how each department supports the company's goals. Without that understanding, even a well-intentioned HR decision may create unintended consequences.

Looking Beyond the Immediate Cost

Rising costs are placing pressure on both businesses and employees. Organizations must manage increasing expenses while remaining competitive, and employees are facing similar pressures at home. HR often stands at the intersection of these realities, helping leaders make difficult decisions with a clear understanding of both the operational and human impact.

“Our role is to understand the need, assess the effect on employees and the business and determine whether the recommendation supports the organization's objectives.”

For example, leaving a position vacant may appear to create immediate payroll savings. However, requiring employees to absorb the additional workload can increase overtime, fatigue, mistakes, safety concerns, burnout and turnover. What begins as a short-term saving may ultimately create a much greater operational and financial expense.

HR must therefore look beyond the immediate cost. Will the decision create sustainable workloads? Could it affect retention, productivity, safety or customer service? Are we addressing the underlying issue or applying a temporary solution? The least expensive option today is not always the most cost-effective decision for the future.

HR as an Operational Partner

For HR to contribute meaningfully, we must be willing to leave our offices and learn the business firsthand. That means listening to employees, spending time with operational leaders, understanding departmental workflows, reviewing workforce information and identifying the obstacles that prevent teams from performing effectively.

This does not mean HR should automatically agree with every operational request. Our role is to understand the need, assess the effect on employees and the business and determine whether the recommendation supports the organization's objectives. When HR understands both people and operations, we can help leaders distinguish between a temporary inconvenience and a genuine workforce need and offer alternatives when the original request may not be financially sustainable.

This creates a more strategic HR function, one that does not simply react after a problem occurs but helps the organization anticipate needs and develop solutions with a lasting impact.

Building Trust through Transparency

Even a sound business decision can negatively affect the workforce when it is communicated poorly. Employees may not always agree with a decision, but they should be able to understand the reasoning behind it. Factual, respectful and transparent communication is the foundation of trust. To me, it is the first layer required to build something solid within an organization.

Transparency does not mean disclosing confidential information or promising outcomes the business cannot guarantee. It means explaining what can be explained, acknowledging how a decision may affect employees, and avoiding messages that dismiss or minimize their legitimate concerns.

When information is unavailable, people often fill the gaps with assumptions. Those assumptions can quickly turn into rumors, fear or distrust. Consistent communication helps prevent that and demonstrates that leadership recognizes employees as important contributors to the organization's success. Trust also grows when employees know their concerns have been heard, even when the final decision is not the outcome they hoped for.

Creating Sustainable Solutions

Connecting people strategy with operational performance requires balance. HR must advocate for employees while also understanding budgets, expenses, customer expectations and the organization's responsibility to remain financially healthy.

Those responsibilities are not in conflict. A sustainable business provides employment, stability and opportunity. An engaged and supported workforce helps a business operate successfully. Protecting one while ignoring the other ultimately weakens both.

The strongest decisions are not necessarily the easiest ones. They are made with a complete understanding of the operation, a thoughtful assessment of the human impact, and a commitment to honest communication. When HR brings people, operations and financial responsibility to the table, we move beyond temporary fixes and help create solutions that support employees, strengthen the organization and deliver results that can last.

When HR understands how the business operates, it can advocate for employees in ways that are both meaningful and sustainable. That understanding gives HR the credibility to challenge short-term thinking, propose practical alternatives and help leaders make decisions with lasting value. Connecting people strategy with operational performance is not simply an HR responsibility; it is essential to building a stronger, more resilient organization.