Bill Kutik’s excellent interview of HP had quite a few excellent insights. (sorry Bill, I’m a bit behind on listening to my iPod) One of the insights that I picked up on was the integration and matrixing of the HR organization to better provide a unified face to the HR customer and create programs that are more meaningful to the business. I’ve actually written about this before that I think the business is ultimately not about the benefits, learning, or the compensation silos. Instead, the HR strategies will combine into cross functional strategies that focus around talent, rewards, innovation, etc.
As we think about talent, we bring together compensation professionals who clearly have a point of view around the job structure and competencies. Learning and staffing professionals also bring their unique point of view along with members of other COE’s. When these teams come together, they are no longer addressing programs specific to their COE, but attacking broader HR strategies in a way that integrates and coordinates the individual programs. All too often, we have seen sales compensation that is not aligned with performance goals or business strategies. By creating cross functional teams, we eliminate silo thinking, advance the effectiveness of HR programs, and better address HR and business strategies.
