This is part 1 of a 4 part series on the future of HR. It will run every Monday for 4 weeks. I’d also like to mention that Jeff has alredy started a series on HR strategy here. Part of me is hoping that our ideas are fairly complementary, and part of me hopes that they are wildly contradictory. Let’s see…
You know, everyone hates the words “HR Strategy.” I hate it, you hate it, and everyone I know hates it. The problem is that very few of us can readily define it. The facts are that I’m going to define it today, but many of you are going to disagree with me. I invite you to comment away and tell me where you thing I go wrong, and what you thing HR strategy really is.
What HR Strategy isn’t. The below list are all tactics to help us achieve our strategy:
- It is not talent management or aqcuisition
- It is not about learning
- It is not workforce planning
- It is not benefit, compensation, or any other sub-function management
HR Strategy is simply:
shaping the workforce around the organization’s business needs, and
manipulatingmanaging behavioral changes to match the desired environmental goals.
I have a feeling that I’ve pissed off enough people by now telling you that your jobs are not strategic. That’s not entirely true. Are you simply acquiring talent to acquire talent? or are you acquiring talent with an eye on shaping the workforce towards the vision that senior executives have set forth? That’s the difference.
What the “strategy” is in your organization is not something I can tell you. You must take direction from the executive staff (which you hopefully are a part of) to understand what the business goals are. But no matter where you are, one thing is constant, the core of the strategy revolves around creating and shaping the workforce. That’s all.
10 responses to “HR 2006 Intro – HR Strategy – What Is It ?!?”
Double Dubs dishes out regular portions of meat at SystematicHR. This week’s menu included two gems: The Role of HRIS – Part 1 and HR Technology Does Not Make Us Strategic. -“As we have talked aboutstrategy and HR technology, we need to recognize that great HR technology does indeed get us to a place where we can focus on strategy. The problem is that technology projects often go like this:” (Now race over to see the 10 steps to a doomed implementation)
Dubs
I think you’re missing something with your definition, and that is about alignment with the business strategy.
I accept that you kind-of cover it with ‘around the organization’s business needs’ but those needs may be short-term and not in themselves aligned with the strategy of the firm.
I’m increasingly of the opinion that an HR strategy is an emerging strategy based around strategic alignment with the overall business strategy. Given this we (as a profession) probably spend too much time worrying about HR strategy and not enough time thinking about strategic alignment.
[…] And my post: [HR strategy is] shaping the workforce around the organization’s business needs, and manipulating behavioral changes to match the desired environmental goals. […]
Andrew:
I think we agree. The HR strategy is useless (and counter productive) if not aligned with the business strategy. Part of the question is how much of the HR strategy is overlap and how much of it is supporting the business strategy? I don’t have the answer to that – I think that’s dependent on the business.
Dubs,
I think HR strategy is about making something amazing happen in your company. Not the process of strategy but the outcomes of strategy – great managers, employees who love their jobs, etc.
I believe in what Andrew is saying…and as HR practictioners is the correct notion about what an HR strategy should be. I believe that your definition is the direct what HR does re: manipulation of behaviors. If you ask HR practitioners what they do andrew’s definition would win; if you ask employees and execs your definition might win. I think you are choosing to use the word manipulation in a more strategic sense but I see it in the more org pathology sense and it is very dangerous. It’s a helpful reminder to us all about really understanding the intention behind the strategy.
Regina:
I actually think everyone is in complete agreement regarding how an HR strategy gets executed. I was thinking about this last night as I was reading Jeff’s latest post at Talentism (Strategic Step 2 – Map the Inside) and I realized that we’ve been saying the same thing with very different focii. (IMO)
If we split the stragety into 2 distinct processes (1-participating in the business strategy) and (2-applying the business strategy to HR), we’ll find that we’ve been in violent agreement that both need to be done. My focus ins not that we don’t do #1, but we focus on applying #2. I think where our focus lays is the cause of some difference. (and my rather poorly executing writing skills) 🙂
Yes – my choice of wording (manipulation) may have been too strong.
[…] HR 2006 Intro – HR Strategy – What Is It ?!? […]
[…] MSN Search: Hr Strategy Search results HR Strategy Home of Performance-based Selection 9 Feb 2006 at 2:08pm Welcome to the HR Strategy Web site! This is the source for information about the Performance Model of Human Resources, a state-of-the art innovation that is changing the way people hire and manage … systematicHR – Human Resources Strategy and Human Resources Technology … 8 Feb 2006 at 5:41am 6 Responses to ?HR 2006 Intro – HR Strategy – What Is It ?!?? Andrew Marritt January 9th, 2006 04:12 Strategic HR Lawyer: HR Strategy 8 Feb 2006 at 3:11am Compensation & Benefits Corporate Governance Corporate Turnaround Employee Relations Employment Law HR Strategy Labor Relations Mergers and Acquisitions Miscellaneous New York Law Performance Management Policies … Value Added HR – Four Groups ? HR Strategy 5 Feb 2006 at 1:27am HCM has to show a direct causal connection between effective HR strategy and bottom-line business performance, but because HR is failing miserably to take up this challenge, when push comes to shove … ARINSO International 3 Feb 2006 at 12:49pm HR Strategy Transforming HR Management to Deliver your Business Strategy As Human Resources become more central to the CEO … Overall HR Strategy: An Overview 6 Feb 2006 at 7:27pm Overall HR Strategy: An Overview We have worked with a number of companies to help them align their human resources with their business plans and strategies Talentism: HR Strategy 4 Feb 2006 at 1:38pm If you were to go looking for HR strategy consultants who could give you definitive answer about what this all means you would find people who wear suits and look serious e-hr strategy 5 Feb 2006 at 3:14am e is for your e-hr strategy and how it can enhance the employee experience Using the Web can create a more effective HR function and enhance the employee experience, resulting in a more … HR Strategy Development & Implementation, Ireland. Impetus HR … 8 Feb 2006 at 3:50pm International HR Consultant who specialises in HR Strategy Development & Implementation, Organisation Productivity, Succession Planning and Industrial Relations Home 8 Feb 2006 at 1:59am The HR Strategy Forum is the California Affiliate of The California Connection for Strategic Change HR VPs and Directors […]
[…] I think that is a nice, succinct definition. Click here to read more about this definition and some of its implications. […]
[…] back in the beginning of this site, I ventured to define HR strategy. This definition was as follows: shaping the workforce around the organization’s business […]