1. Corporate Research Forum
HR Specialists –
Function & Fit
Wednesday 16th June 2010

2. Agenda 09.30 Introduction 10.00 HR specialists – report summary
10.30 Role, structure and working relationships
11.10 TEA & COFFEE BREAK
11.30 Working in groups
12.15 Plenary discussion
12.50 LUNCH
13.30 Capabilities, development & career paths
14.10 Working in groups
14.50 Plenary discussion
15.20 Summary
15.30 CLOSE
Event Partner

3. Report summary
Andrew Lambert
Andrew Lambert

4. The context ‘Transforming HR’ Wide adoption of ‘3 legged’ structure
but patchy and piecemeal
capability gaps
some entrenched thinking, behaviour
managers and employees not engaged at outset
Many variations – no one size fits all
Terminology questioned
what constitutes a CoE?
are ‘expertise’ and ‘excellent’ descriptions valid?

5. Don’t just create new silos
CEO
HRD/CHRO
Corporate HR
– Policy, Strategy
– Risk
management
‘Local’ HRDs
(or BPs)
on mgt teams
HR Specialists
– Centres of
expertise
– Consultancy
HR Services
– Administration
– Advice
– Data
management
– HR technology

6. Consistent policy & practice
What’s the purpose?
‘Customer’-driven?
Governance
Consistent policy & practice
Consultancy
Services
Types of ‘expert’
‘Thought leadership’
Deep
technicians
Skilled
orchestrators
Skilled do-ers
3 roles – different expectations/behaviours
Policy and practice propagators, governance
Client-oriented consultants
Service providers (eg coaching, mobility)
Different types of ‘expert’
‘Blue-sky’, ‘thought leadership’
Deep technicians
Skilled orchestrators, designers, facilitators
Services: providers, doers
Central provider or light touch overseer
Solutions to meet strategic and business needs?
Central provider or light touch overseer?

7. Avoiding ‘turf’ conflicts
Don’t just implant structures….
Address how they will work
Focus on trust, mutual interest, relationships
Who does what
Specialists and BPs
Specialists and services
In-house or consultants/contractors/outsourcers
Centre and the ‘parts’ – BUs and functions
HR helping or adding to the tensions?
Specialist reporting lines – direct and dotted

8. Workload & capacity mgm’t
Responsibilities for planning
Who pays for what?
Business case and project development
Scenario planning
Allowing for the unexpected
Information flows and transparency
Two-way street between centre and parts
Using external resources
Capacity and quality
Who’s in charge? – effective hiring and oversight
Project management

9. Development Shortage of skilled experts Make or buy?
Reward: Remco advice, not ruled by C&B firms
OE: top-notch organisational designers, change and culture facilitators, leadership developers
Analytics: decision scientists
Make or buy?
Development framework
What’s shared, what’s special
“Cobbler’s children” syndrome
Linking business and development goals
OD for everyone

10. Career movement HR specialists Other employers HR BPs HR Services
Consultancy
Line management

11. What’s are CoEs worth? High-level yardsticks - impact on…
Business performance
Organisational capability
Leadership quality
Innovation and sustainability
How do you tell?
Subjective or objective measures?
Understanding cause and effect
Goals and success measures co-created with the business?

12. In summary… Concept is sound in theory
It’s been a struggle in practice
Takes time to bed in changes
And even longer to develop excellence
Manage expectations
Design your product & service with ‘clients’
Watch your language
Be technology-savvy
Long-term evolution–towards less is more

13. Five issues to debate
1 Most appropriate measurement to indicate vaue added of specialists 2 Guidelines for working with consultants etc 3 How to ensure good working relationships with HR BPs, services and the line 4 What should specialists do more and less of? 5 How to ensure that only the best projects are chosen, and avoid initiativitis? 13

14. Five issues to debate How ‘expert’ should your HR specialists be?
2 What would you advise your HR specialists to include in their career plans?
3 What elements should be included in a development framework for HR specialists?
What should be done about the shortage of expert specialists? And who should do what?
5 How would you argue for investment in HR specialists, eg development, technology? 14

15. Roles, structure and working relationships
Panel session 15

16. Group discussion - process
45 minutes discussion at tables
5 questions shared out between tables
Choose a ‘rapporteur’ at each table
Record answers & contributions on sheets provided
Include - examples of good practice, things you’d do differently, what helps and hinders
35 minutes plenary before lunch 16

17. Five issues to debate
1 Most appropriate measurement to indicate vaue added of specialists 2 Guidelines for working with consultants etc 3 How to ensure good working relationships with HR BPs, services and the line 4 What should specialists do more and less of? 5 How to ensure that only the best projects are chosen, and avoid initiativitis? 17

18. Capabilities, development and career paths
Panel session 18

19. Group discussion - process
40 minutes discussion at tables
5 questions shared out between tables
Choose a ‘rapporteur’ at each table
Record answers & contributions on sheets provided
Include - examples of good practice, things you’d do differently, what helps and hinders
30 minutes plenary 19

20. Five issues to debate How ‘expert’ should your HR specialists be?
2 What would you advise your HR specialists to include in their career plans?
3 What elements should be included in a development framework for HR specialists?
What should be done about the shortage of expert specialists? And who should do what?
5 How would you argue for investment in HR specialists, eg development, technology? 20

21. Summary 21

22. CRF’s forthcoming events
DATE
EVENT
1 July
Workshop (Trinity House)
Spreading Good Practice – A Structured Exchange
8 Sept.
Managing the People Dimension of Risk
13 & 14 Oct.
International Conference (Budapest)
Performance Through People – Capability & Context