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Human Resource Competencies DAVE ULRICH, WAYNE BROCKBANK, DANI JOHNSON & JON YOUNGER http://www.hrnorge.no/filestore/ HumanResourceCompetenciesRisingtomeetthebusinesschallenge .pdf

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Human Resource CompetenciesDAVE ULRICH, WAYNE BROCKBANK, DANI JOHNSON & JON YOUNGER http://www.hrnorge.no/filestore/HumanResourceCompetenciesRisingtomeetthebusinesschallenge.pdf2Human Resource Competencies | The RBL Group 2009 Since 1988, we have been working to track the ever-evolving competencies of HR professionals. When we began our work in the mid- 1980s, the primary effort to study broad-based HR competencies was by Patricia McLagan, sponsored by the American Society of Training and Development (ASTD). Her work initially examined competencies of HR development professionals, and then she generalized that work to all HR professionals.1 At the same time, many companies worked to create their own internal HR competency models. This work would generally start by identifying high- and low-performing HR professionals and then interviewing these two groups around critical incidents to determine which values, knowledge, or abilities distinguished the two groups in order to develop competencies that would lead to high performance.2Out of these independent efforts grew many frameworks for HR competencies, but there were relatively few efforts to define HR competencies for HR professionals across firms, industries, or geographies. We began our research on competencies with the desire to resolve three issues:1. Define the competencies that add the greatest value to key stakeholders.2. Figure out how HR professionals develop these competencies in the fastest and most effective ways.3. Determine how HR competencies and HR practices align to business performance. To address these issues for the HR profession, we chose to do a large-scale survey (Human Resources Competency Study, or HRCS) of HR professionals and their HR and non-HR associates. This work has resulted in five waves of data collection (1988, 1992, 1997, 2002, and now 2007).3 At each wave we used the same basic methodology for data collection based on a 360 methodology. We sent surveys to HR professionals (participants), who then gave them to their colleagues (associates). These surveys asked about the competencies and performance of the HR professional and the performance of the business where the HR professional worked. HR professionals are being asked to help businesses compete, and to do so, HR professionals must not only observe, but also understand and adapt to these business trends.DEMOGRAPHIC RESULTSThe 2007 round, Round 5, of our research has about 1,700 participants and 8,300 associate raters in six regions around the world.4 These respondents represent three groups:1. Participating HR professionals completed the survey in evaluating themselves.2. HR professionals who are peers or associates evaluated the participating HR professionals.3. Non-HR associates who are generally line executives and internal customers evaluated the participating HR professionals.These groups provided the opportunity to look at different perspectives regarding HR as a profession, the HR department, and the competencies needed by HR professionals to be effective in their organizations.Since these data represent a large cross section of the HR profession, we can make some general observations about the evolving profession.Gender. There has been explosive growth of women in the profession since 1987. Since we last collected our data five years ago, this profession underwent a dramatic change from being male-dominated to being female-dominated. However, some of this may be accounted for by sampling more global and smaller companies. Gender scholars who study organizations tell us that this change has real consequences, both positive and negative, for the profession and the future of HR. On the positive side, the historical bias against women in the profession has shifted. A more equal representation of men and women in a profession often reflects less tolerance for underperforming men in a profession, and thus indicates an increase in quality standards. On the other hand, the feminization of an occupation sometimes also leads to male flight from the occupation, which can again lower the standards and quality of employees. In addition, male flight from an occupation is also typically related to decreasing prestige and wages. However, much of what is known about gender in occupation us based on data from the late 1990s. The next round of our own data will be very important to see whether these Human Resource Competencies | The RBL Group 2009 3

trends continue. The gender trends over the next five years in this profession are extremely consequential, not just on the future of our profession but on research and information about gender in occupations in a more broad way. We are optimistic. We believe that the increasing percentage of women in this occupation reflects an ongoing commitment to high quality. Education. Most of the HR professionals in this sample have a college education (78% in Round 5 of HRCS). While this number has dropped somewhat compared to previous rounds of the study (87% in 2002; 90% in 1997), the study continues to draw on HR professionals with higher education.5 This may explain the high performance ratings of HR professionals in this round. Perhaps our sample is drawn from the upper end of the distribution of HR professionals, both in terms of education and performance. But it also reflects the trend of HR becoming a profession.Management Level of Participant. We arrayed HR professionals into 4 levels (loosely consistent with four stages of careers). In Round 5 HRCS data, we had a larger portion (21%) of the sample identifying themselves as the top manager of HR. This may be because the Round 5 data set has more small-size firms with fewer HR professionals, but those in place doing more director-level work. Size of Firm. We started the research focused on larger firms (Rounds 1 and 2 had 39% and 40% of respondents in firms with over 10,000 employees), but in the Round 5 data, we wanted to include greater representation of smaller firms (20% of respondents in firms with over 10,000 employees and 31% of respondent in firms with fewer than 500 employees). Primary Role of HR Participant. In the Round 5 data, more HR professionals (14%) have titles related to HR strategy or planning. In the last 20 years, more resources have gone into this role as HR has worked to be more aligned with business results. The number of HR professionals doing work in benefits has declined as E-HR and Service Centers have streamlined benefits operations.THE NEW MODEL OF HR COMPETENCEComputers are excellent at crunching numbers. They are not so good at interpreting or putting a name on the numbers. These tasks were left to mere mortals, and posed a significant challenge. The data suggested that we focus not just on the knowledge and ability of the HR professional, but on what the HR professional becomes through the use of that knowledge and ability. Hence, the six domains sound almost like the roles played by a fully competent HR professional. For example, in the past we referred to the domain regarding knowledge of the business simply as Business Knowledge because an HR professional needs to have business knowledge. This time, we chose to call this domain Business Ally because an HR professional needs to become a business ally by using his or her knowledge of the business. We see HR professionals as needing to know, but more important, needing to act on what they know.Here, then, are quick definitions of the six competency domains from Round 5 of the HR Competency Study:1. Credible Activist. The HR professional is both credible (respected, admired, listened to) and active (offers a point of view, takes a position, challenges assumptions). Some have called this HR with an attitude. HR professionals who are credible but not activists are admired but do not have much impact. Activists who are not credible have ideas that no one implements.2. Culture and Change Steward. The HR professional appreciates, articulates, and helps shape a companys culture. Culture is a pattern of activities more than a single event. Ideally, this culture starts with clarity around external customer expectations (firm identity or brand) and then translates these expectations into internal employee and organization behaviors. As stewards of culture, HR professionals respect the past culture and also can help to shape a new culture. They coach managers in how their actions reflect and drive culture; they weave the cultural standards into HR practices and processes; and they make culture real to employees. Additionally, successful HR professionals facilitate change in two ways. First, they help make culture happen. SecHuman Resource Competencies | The RBL Group 2009 4 ond, they develop disciplines to make changes happen throughout the organization. This may include implementation of strategy, projects, or initiatives. They help turn what is known into what is done.3. Talent Manager/Organizational Designer. The HR professional masters theory, research, and practice in both talent management and organization design. Talent management focuses on competency requirements and how individuals enter and move up, across, or out of the organization. Organization design focuses on how a company embeds capability (for example, collaboration) into the structure, processes, and policies that shape how an organization works. HR professionals ensure that the companys means of talent management and organizational capabilities are aligned with customer requirements and strategy, integrated with each other, and working effectively and efficiently. HR is not just about talent or organization, but also about the two of them together. Good talent without a supporting organization will not be sustained, and a good organization will not deliver results without talented individuals with the right competencies in critical roles.4. Strategy Architect. The HR professional has a vision for how the organization can win in the marketplace, now and in the future. He or she plays an active part in the establishment of the overall strategy to deliver on this vision. This means recognizing business trends and their impact on the business, forecasting potential obstacles to success, and facilitating the process of gaining strategic clarity. The HR professional also contributes to the building of the overall strategy by linking the internal organization to external customer expectations. This linkage helps make customer-driven business strategies real to the employees of the company.5. Operational Executor. The HR professional executes the operational aspects of managing people and organizations. Policies need to be drafted, adapted, and implemented. Employees also have many administrative needs (e.g., to be paid, relocated, hired, and trained). HR professionals ensure that these basic needs are efficiently dealt with through technology, shared services, and/or outsourcing. This operational work of HR ensures credibility if executed flawlessly and grounded in the consistent application of policies.6. Business Ally. Businesses succeed by setting goals and objectives that respond to external opportunity and threats. HR professionals contribute to the success of a business by knowing the social context or setting in which their business operates. They also know how the business makes money, which we call the value chain of the business: who customers are, why they buy the companys products or services. Finally, they have a good understanding of the parts of the business (finance, marketing, research

Fig 1. HR Competency Model ORGANIZATION CAPABILITIESBUSINESSPEOPLESYSTEMS & PROCESSESSRELATIONSHIPSPROFESSIONALISMHR Human Resource Competencies | The RBL Group 2009 5 and development, engineering), what they must accomplish, and how they work together, so that they can help the business organize to make money.The six competency domains lend themselves naturally to a graphic representation, seen in Figure 1, that captures a number of the models important implications. HR professionals play a unique role at the intersection of people and business issues. This is represented by the large arrows or vectors bordering the model. In the midst of constant change and upheaval, HR professionals serve the organizations people, communicating care, concern, and compassion for employees. Some have called this keeping the human in human resources. But marketplace dynamics also require that HR professionals be attuned to business needs reflected by customer and investor expectations by making sure that strategies are designed and delivered.Following only one of these two arrows independent of the other will lead to failure. HR professionals who emphasize the people side at the exclusion of the business side may be liked and popular, but they will not succeed because their work does not further business goals. HR professionals who focus on the business side without sensitivity to the human element also will struggle, because while the business may prosper in the short term, people will not sustain the success in the longer term.Bordered by the people and business arrows, the six competency domains are arrayed according to our research findings. Credible Activist is at the crux. Credibility enables the HR professional to relate to people, but being an activist mean that the HR professional has a point of view about the business and actively participates in furthering strategic goals. Being a Credible Activist ensures that HR professionals can both build relationships and deliver on business performance.KEY FINDINGSData without insight is incomplete, like food without taste, driving without a direction, or going to college without a major. Our research was designed to discover the competencies required of HR professionals and the capabilities needed by HR departments to deliver value.We will base these implications on the data, but we are not bound by it. We will take the liberty of also drawing on our personal experiences and our aspirations for the HR profession. Our hope is to project what can and should be for the future of the HR journey.IMPLICATIONS FOR HR PROFESSIONALSThe primary focus of our research has been to figure out the competencies that will help HR professionals have greater impact. Our research suggests nine specific things HR professionals can do to make this happen.1. Replace Self-Doubt with Self-Confidence. Generally we are who we think we are. For too many years, HR professionals have lamented their image and role as administrators, policy police, and bureaucrats. They wanted to be at the table where key business decisions were made. HR professionals can definitely be at the table if they demonstrate the right competencies. Those who lament not being included in key decisions are, in effect, blaming others for their own lack of what it takes to contribute. Feeling victimized is a waste of energy; better to direct efforts toward mastering the competencies we have identified and get on with growing their contribution.2. Develop an Inside and Outside View. HR professionals need to have a broader definition of how they add value. Value is defined by the receiver more than the giver, and too often the only perceived receivers of HR are employees and line managers inside the organization. We often ask groups of HR professionals, Who are your customers? All too frequently, the answer is, Employees throughout the company. True, but not complete. We found that the best HR departments focused equally on those inside the company (employees and line managers) and those outside the company (customers, investors, and communities). HR professionals can and should bring investor and customer data to strategy discussions. They can link their programs and activities with those outside the firm as well as those inside the firm. They are not just the designers and developers of HR policies and practices that affect employees, but business people whose practices affect all stakeholders. As we look to the future, those stakeholders will increasingly include investors, customers, communities, and partners (joint venture alliances) where HR professionals connect what happens inside their organizations with stakeholders outside.Human Resource Competencies | The RBL Group 2009 6 3. Share Accountability for People and Organization with Line Managers. We found that for the most part HR professionals and non-HR respondents had similar views of HR excellencewith a couple of major exceptions. First, non-HR respondents included rewards in the equation for Talent Manager/Organization Designer; HR professionals did not include rewards in this equation. We side with the non-HR respondents. Performance measures, rewards, and benefits should not be excluded from other talent and organization-design practices. Hiring and training people on one set of criteria, then paying them on another only creates confusion. The second area where non-HR associates differed somewhat from HR participants is the use of customer information. Non-HR associates tended to see HR professionals needing to be more aligned with external customers.4. Focus on Individuals and Organizations (not one or the other). The data in this round of the study support what we have long known intuitively: Great individual talent without a strong organization will not endure. It is tempting to make HR professionals solely the guardians of talent. Terms like human capital, competencies, intellectual capital, talentship, workforce planning, and people processes all focus on talent. Much of the theory and logic of HR comes from psychology, where the focus is on the individual. People are important, and talent, human capital, and workforce planning are essential for the success of any company. But if the talent within an organization doesnt embody and perpetuate the right organization capabilities, HR professionals have not done their jobs. All-star teams could seldom beat well-organized teamsand the game of business is mostly a team sport.5. Serve People and Deliver on Business Results. The synthesis of our research, suggests that if/when HR professionals become masters on the people axis, but not on the business axis, they have a skewed and flawed view of their world. They care about people more than business. HR professionals need to understand business and make business results happen. To contribute to business, HR professionals must become Business Allies. HR professionals who want to contribute must speak the language of their respective businesses.6. Accomplish Both Transactional and Transformational Work. HR departments have more impact on the business when they manage three areas of HR: organization, talent, and administration. While organization and talent have a higher correlation to business results in our research, the administrative work also matters. In the Operational Executor domain, we found that HR professionals need to ensure that technology and HR policies are executed flawlessly. HR professionals need to be able to deliver on day-to-day plans while also configuring long-term strategies. But getting work done well and doing work well are two different things. Doing the work well is as critical as getting the work done. It is not as critical to do the work as to ensure that it is done well.7. Shift from Politics to Collaboration. At the heart of the Credible Activist domain is the ability to perform work with integrity. Integrity means having and living against a personal standard of ethics. It also means building trust and credibility into each interaction. Too often, differences of opinion among people or departments lead to political infighting either among those in HR or between different departments within an organization. HR professionals need to model how to work together to create organizations that win. While HR can offer any staff group insights on its talent and capability, it can partner with certain staff groups in specific ways. For example: With marketing, HR can help turn a firm brand into an organization culture; with finance, HR can help define the intangibles that investors value in specific and measurable ways; with IT, HR can make sure that enterprise-wide systems are implemented and that data is used for decision making.8. Support Others and Have a Point of View. In the movie The Candidate, a long shot won the election and became senator. Then, with a frightened look on his face, he asked, Now what do we do? Getting invited to participate in strategic decision making is easier than contributing to it. HR professionals need to come to meetings informed and able to engage in the give-and-take of decision-making. They need to stop playing the stereotypical role of speaking only when spoken to or offering observations only on narrowly defined HR topics. Ideally, if an outsider were observing the manHuman Resource Competencies | The RBL Group 2009 7 agement team, it would not be immediately apparent who the HR professional is. At the same time, when HR issues arise, the HR professional needs to not only provide informed input to the team, but define alternative courses of action and make and defend reasoned recommendations.9. Invest in Personal Growth. Finally, HR professionals who succeed will be constantly learning and growing. HR professionals are often the cobblers children who lack good shoes. While designing training and development experiences for others, HR professionals often under-invest in themselves.CONCLUSIONThe business context required to succeed has raised the bar on HR professionals. HR professionals who would have succeeded 30, 20, or even 10 years ago would not be as likely to succeed today. HR professionals are expected to play new roles, and to be able to play those roles, they need new competencies. As a result of the Human Resource Competency Study, we have a greater understanding of the competencies needed by HR professionals and agendas needed by HR departments to affect business performance.NOTES1. McLagan, P., & Bedrick, D. (1983). Models for excellence: The results of the ASTD training and development study. Training and Development, 37(6), 1020. McLagan, P., & Suhadolnik, D. (1989). Models for HRD practice: The research report. Alexandria, VA: American Society for Training and Development. McLagan, P. (1996, January). Competency models. Training and Development, 50(1), 6064.2. An exception to the within-company work was the work done by Patricia McLagan for American Society for Training and Development in 1983. This important study documented the variety of possible roles for human resource professionals and examined the detailed competencies for those involved in training and development. McLagan, P., & Bedrick, D. (1983). Models for excellence: The results of the ASTD training and development study. Training and Development, 37(6), 1020. HR professionals must earn their credibility by building relationships of trust, but they then must take an active stance to make a difference in results. McLagan, P., & Suhadolnik, D. (1989). Models for HRD practice: The research report. Alexandria, VA: American Society for Training and Development.3. The work we have done has been published in many places over the last 20 years. A few of those publications include Ulrich, D., Brockbank, W., & Yeung, A. (1990). Beyond belief: A benchmark for human resources. Human Resource Management, 28(3), 311335. Ulrich, D., Brockbank, W., Yeung, A., & Lake, D. (1995). Human resource competencies: An empirical assessment. Human Resource Management, 34(4), 473496. Yeung, A., Brockbank, W., & Ulrich, D. (1994). Lower cost, higher value: Human resources function in transition. Human Resource Planning Journal, 17(3), 116. Brockbank, W., & Ulrich, D. (2003). Competencies for the new HR. Arlington, VA: Society of Human Resource Management. Brockbank, B., & Ulrich, D. (in press). HR competencies that make a difference. In J. Storey, P. Wright, & D. Ulrich (Eds.), Strategic HRM. New York: Routledge.4. We are grateful for the support of our global partners: Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), a partner in 2002 and 2007, who represented North America; IAE, the Management and Business School of Universidad Austral in Argentina, a partner in 2002 and 2007, headed by Professor Alejandro Sioli and Michel Hermans. IAE represented Latin America; The Irish Management Institute (IME), headed by Martin Farrelly, with the assistance of Grace Kearns, representing Europe; Human Resource Competencies: Responding to Increased Expectations Tsinghua University in Beijing, China, headed by Dr. Xiaoming Zheng and Dr. Felicia Deng; The Australian Human Resource Institute (AHRI), who worked in Australia and Asia Pacific, headed by Paul Dainty, with the assistance of Anne Marie Dolan; and The National HRD Network in India, which focused on data collection from India, headed by Jagdeep Khandpur.These regional partners took responsibility to identify companies in their geographies and were instrumental in facilitating data collection and analysis. This study would be impossible without their collaboration, and we are very grateful for their active involvement.5. We should note that in the 2007 study, we had seven categories for education and we combined them to match previous rounds of the study.Competence (human resources)From Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaJump to: navigation, search This article includes a list of references, but its sources remain unclear because it has insufficient inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (May 2010)

Competence (or competency) is the ability of an individual to do a job properly. A competency is a set of defined behaviors that provide a structured guide enabling the identification, evaluation and development of the behaviors in individual employees. The term "competence" first appeared in an article authored by R.W. White in 1959 as a concept for performance motivation. Later, in 1970, Craig C. Lundberg defined the concept in "Planning the Executive Development Program". The term gained traction when in 1973, David McClelland, Ph.D. wrote a seminal paper entitled, "Testing for Competence Rather Than for Intelligence". It has since been popularized by one-time fellow McBer & Company (Currently the "Hay Group") colleague Richard Boyatzis and many others, such as T.F. Gilbert (1978) who used the concept in relationship to performance improvement. Its use varies widely, which leads to considerable misunderstanding.Some scholars see "competence" as a combination of knowledge, skills and behavior used to improve performance; or as the state or quality of being adequately or well qualified, having the ability to perform a specific role. For instance, management competency might include systems thinking and emotional intelligence, and skills in influence and negotiation.Competency is also used as a more general description of the requirements of human beings in organizations and communities.Competency is sometimes thought of as being shown in action in a situation and context that might be different the next time a person has to act. In emergencies, competent people may react to a situation following behaviors they have previously found to succeed. To be competent a person would need to be able to interpret the situation in the context and to have a repertoire of possible actions to take and have trained in the possible actions in the repertoire, if this is relevant. Regardless of training, competency would grow through experience and the extent of an individual to learn and adapt.Competency has different meanings, and continues to remain one of the most diffuse terms in the management development sector, and the organizational and occupational literature.[1]Contents 1 Dreyfus and Dreyfus on competency development 2 McClelland and Occupational Competency 3 Competency identification 4 See also 5 References 6 Further reading

Dreyfus and Dreyfus on competency developmentDreyfus and Dreyfus[2] introduced nomenclature for the levels of competence in competency development. The causative reasoning of such a language of levels of competency may be seen in their paper on Calculative Rationality titled, "From Socrates to Expert Systems: The Limits and Dangers of Calculative Rationality". The five levels proposed by Dreyfus and Dreyfus were:1. Novice: Rule-based behaviour, strongly limited and inflexible2. Experienced Beginner: Incorporates aspects of the situation3. Practitioner: Acting consciously from long-term goals and plans4. Knowledgeable practitioner: Sees the situation as a whole and acts from personal conviction5. Expert: Has an intuitive understanding of the situation and zooms in on the central aspectsThe process of competency development is a lifelong series of doing and reflecting. As competencies apply to careers as well as jobs, lifelong competency development is linked with personal development as a management concept. And it requires a special environment, where the rules are necessary in order to introduce novices, but people at a more advanced level of competency will systematically break the rules if the situations requires it. This environment is synonymously described using terms such as learning organization, knowledge creation, self-organizing and empowerment.Within a specific organization or professional community, professional competency, is frequently valued. They are usually the same competencies that must be demonstrated in a job interview. But today there is another way of looking at it: that there are general areas of occupational competency required to retain a post, or earn a promotion. For all organizations and communities there is a set of primary tasks that competent people have to contribute to all the time. For a university student, for example, the primary tasks could be: Handling theory Handling methods Handling the information of the assignmentThe four general areas of competency are:1. Meaning Competency: The person assessed must be able to identify with the purpose of the organization or community and act from the preferred future in accordance with the values of the organization or community.2. Relation Competency: The ability to create and nurture connections to the stakeholders of the primary tasks must be shown.3. Learning Competency: The person assessed must be able to create and look for situations that make it possible to experiment with the set of solutions that make it possible to complete the primary tasks and reflect on the experience.4. Change Competency: The person assessed must be able to act in new ways when it will promote the purpose of the organization or community and make the preferred future come to life.McClelland and Occupational CompetencyThe Occupational Competency movement was initiated by David McClelland in the 1960s with a view to moving away from traditional attempts to describe competency in terms of knowledge, skills and attitudes and to focus instead on the specific self-image, values, traits, and motive dispositions (i.e. relatively enduring characteristics of people) that are found to consistently distinguish outstanding from typical performance in a given job or role. It should be noted that different competencies predict outstanding performance in different roles, and that there is a limited number of competencies that predict outstanding performance in any given job or role. Thus, a trait that is a "competency" for one job might not predict outstanding performance in a different role.Nevertheless, as can be seen from Raven and Stephenson,[3] there have been important[peacockterm] developments in research relating to the nature, development, and assessment of high-level competencies in homes, schools, and workplaces.Competency identificationCompetencies required for a post are identified through job analysis or task analysis, using techniques such as the critical incident technique, work diaries, and work sampling.[4] A future focus is recommended for strategic reasons.[5]Individual employees' competencies are assessed through a variety of techniques.[6]See alsohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Competence_%28human_resources%29Skills, Competencies Needed For A Manager HR - Resource Management http://www.citehr.com/5140-skills-competencies-needed-manager-hr.htmlAds by GoogleNanyang Business School Management Development ProgrammeApply Now! www.nep.ntu.edu.sg

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hemaa Started The Discussion: Hi,

On a role change from an HR Executive position to a Manager position:

What are the main Competencies, Skills & knowledge needed? To make this transition to a higher responsibility how does one equip oneself?

Can someone throw light on this?

ThanxHemaa

[ leolingham2000 ] Member Since: Apr 2005 (Senior Member) SOME USEFUL INFORMATION ON HR COMPETENCES AND HR KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT

AS YOU BUILD / DEVELOP YOUR KNOWLEDGE BASE,YOU NEED TO KNOW

-YOUR APTITUDE-YOUR PASSION FOR SELECTED SUBJECTS-YOUR KEEN INTEREST AREAS-YOUR ASPIRATION [ up the ladder in the organization or expert consultant in selected areas].

HR MANAGER'S ACTIVITIES, ROLES, COMPETENCES.

1. HR MANAGER'S ACTIVTIES.

The activities carreied out by HR MANAGER will vary widely according to the needs of the organization, the context withinwhich they work and their own capabilites.

SERVICE

As a broad guideline, the HR provide services to the organization-human resource planning-recruitment / selection-employee development-reward systems-employee relations-health/safety management-staff amenities-salary administration-personnel administrationetc etc.

GUIDANCE

To varying degrees, HR MANAGERS provide guidance to the management, like

-recommendations on HR STRATEGIES-culture change-approaches to the improvements of process capability-performance management -reward management-HR policies/ proceduresetc

ADVICE

HR managers provide advice to line managers, and managementin general

-recruitment advertising-selection short lists-training needs-health/ safety -handling people / problems associated-industrial relationsetc etc

2. ROLES

As we digest the activities, it leads us to the ROLE OF HR MANAGER.

HR MANAGER plays different roles.

BUSINESS PARTNER ROLE.

-share responsibility with their line management for the success of the business and the running of the business.

STRATEGIST ROLE

-contribute to the long term / strategic organizational issues like

*people selection*people requirement*people development*organization development*quality of worklifeetc

INTERVENTIONIST ROLE

-proactively contributes to the change management, people management, team development, new technology introductionetc etc

INTERNAL CONSULTANCY ROLE

-acts as a management consultant on HR ISSUES workingalongside the line managers.

MONITORING ROLE

-monitors the implementation of HR policies / procedures.

3. COMPETENCIES.

The analysis of the activities and the roles leads us to the question

WHAT ARE THE COMPETENCIES REQUIRED FOR A SUCCESSFUL HR MANAGER?

The suggested competencies are

-initative

-personal effectiveness

-human relations handling skills

-leadership skills

-professional knowledge of HR

-adding value through people development

-continuing learning

-strategic thinking capability

-influencing-negotiating skills

-interpersonal skills

-business / culture awareness

-service delivery

-communication [ oral/ written ]

-presentation

etc

ROLE / COMPETENCE MATRIX

STRATEGIC PARTNER Organizational AwarenessProblem SolvingCustomer ServiceStress ToleranceOral Communication-----------------------------------LEADER Decision MakingPlanning & EvaluationConflict ManagementSelf-ManagementSelf-EsteemOral Communication--------------------------------EMPLOYEE CHAMPIONFlexibilityTeaching OthersLearningInterpersonal SkillsOral Communication-------------------------------------TECHNICAL EXPERTTechnical CompetenceLegal, Government, &JurisprudencePersonnel & Human ResourcesInformation ManagementMathematical Reasoning*--------------------------------------Customer ServiceWritingReadingMemoryAttention to DetailOral Communication-----------------------------------CHANGE CONSULTANTTeamworkReasoningInfluencing/NegotiatingIntegrity/HonestyCreative Thinking

HR KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT

As HR management becomes more and more complex, greater demands are placed on individuals who make the HR field their career specialty. It is useful to know about the competencies required for effective HR management.

A wide variety of jobs can be performed in HR departments. As a firmgrows large enough to need someone to focus primarily on HR activities, therole of the HR generalist emerges that is, a person who has responsibilityfor performing a variety of HR activities. Further growth leads to addingHR specialists who have in depth knowledge and expertise in a limited area.Intensive knowledge of an activity such as. benefits, testing, training, or affirmative action compliance typifies the work of HR specialists.

Changes in the HR field are leading to changes in the competencies and capabilities of individuals concentrating on HR management. The development of broader competencies by HR professionals will ensure that HR management plays a strategic role in organizations. The following sets of capabilities are important for HR professionals:

* Knowledge of business and organization* Influence and change management* Specific HR knowledge and expertise

Knowledge of Business and Organization

HR professionals must have knowledge of the organization and its strategies if they are to contribute strategically. This knowledge also means that they must have understanding of the financial, technological, and other facets of the industry and the organization. As illustration, in some organizations the top HR executive jobs are being filled by individuals who have been successful operations managers, but have never worked in HR. The thinking behind such a move is that good strategic business managers can rely on the HR specialists reporting to them, while bringing a performance oriented, strategic view of HR management to the top of the organization. In other organizations, top HR managers have come up through HR specialties, and have demonstrated that they understand broader business and strategic realities, not just HR management functional issues.Knowledge Base-Strategic planning/ HRM role.-Political changes impact-Economic changes impact-Social changes impact-Technology changes impact-Workforce availability/ Quality-Growth in contingent workforce-Demographic issues-Work / family balancing-Organizational Restructuring-Occupational shifts-Global competition-Business Process reengineering -Financial responsibility for HR results.-Intellectual capitalETC.

Influence and Change ManagementAnother key capability that HR professionals need is to be able to influence others and to guide changes in organizations. Given the many HR related changes affecting today's organizations, HR professionals must be able to influence others.

Knowledge Base-sales ability-persuasion skills-presentation skills-negotiation skills-interpersonal relations skills-change, change, change.

HR Specific Knowledge

The idea that "liking to work with people" is the major qualification necessary for success in HR is one of the greatest myths about the field. It ignores the technical knowledge and education needed. Depending on the job, HR professionals may need considerable knowledge about employment law, tax laws, finance, statistics, or information systems. In all cases, they need extensive knowledge about equal employment opportunity regulations and wage/hour regulations.

This outline reveals the breadth and depth of knowledge necessary for HR professionals. Additionally, those who want to succeed in the field must update their knowledge continually. Reading HR / MANAGEMENT publications / websites is one way to stay informed.

Strategic Management .Knowledge Of.

1.lawmaking and administrative regulatory processes .

2. internal and external environmental scanning techniques.

3.strategic planning process and implementation .

4.organizational social responsibility (for example, welfare to work, philanthropy, alliances with community based organizations).

5.management processes and functions , including marketing/sales/distribution etc.

6. techniques to sustain creativity and innovation.================================================== =Workforce planning and Employment .Knowledge of:

7.Central /state/local. employment related laws and regulations .

8.immigration law (for example, visas for overseas employees]

9. quantitative analyses required to assess past and future staffing (for example, cost benefit analysis, costs per hire, selection ratios, adverse impact).

10. recruitment methods and sources

11.staffing alternatives (for example, telecommuting, outsourcing)

12 planning techniques (for example, succession planning, HR forecasting)

13.reliability and validity of selection tests/tools/methods.

14 use and interpretation of selection tests (for example, psychological/personality, cognitive, and motor/physical assessments).

15. interviewing techniques .

16 relocation practices.

17 impact of compensation and benefits plans on recruitment and retention .

18 international HR and implications of international workforce for workforce planning and employment.

19 downsizing and outplacement .

20 internal workforce planning and employment policies, practices, and procedures.

Human Resource Development: Knowledge of.

21.applicable international, central, state, and local laws and regulations regarding copyrights and patents .

22 human resource development theories and applications (including careerdevelopment and leadership development)

23 organizational development theories and applications.

24 training methods, program, and techniques (design, objectives, methods, etc.).

25 employee involvement strategies .

26 task/process analysis .

27 performance appraisal and performance management methods.

28 applicable international issues (for example, culture, local management approaches/ practices, societal norms) .

30 techniques to assess HRD program effectiveness (for Example, satisfaction, learning and job performance of program participants, and organizational outcomes such as turnover and productivity).

Compensation and Benefits .Knowledge of.

31.Central, state, and local compensation and benefits laws.

32 accounting practices related to compensation and benefits (for example excess group term life, compensatory time)

33 job evaluation methods

34 job pricing and Pay structures

35 incentive and variable Pay methods

36 executive compensation

37.non cash compensation methods (for example, stock option plans).

38 benefits needs analysis i.e, life insurance, pension,

39 benefit plans (for example, health insurance, education, health club)

40 international compensation laws and practices (for example, expatriate compensation, socialized medicine, mandated retirement)

Employee and Labour relations . Knowledge of

41.applicable federal, state, and local laws affecting employment in union and non union environments, such as anti discrimination laws, sexual harassment, labor relations, and privacy

42 techniques for facilitating positive employee relations (for example, small group facilitation, dispute resolution, and labor/management cooperative strategies and programs)

43 employee involvement strategies(for example, alternate work schedules, work teams)

44 individual employment rights issues and practices (for example, employment at will, negligent hiring, defamation, employees' rights to bargain collectively)

45.workplace behavior issues/practices (for example, absenteeism, discipline)

46.methods for assessment of employee attitudes, opinions, and satisfaction (for example, opinion surveys, attitude surveys, focus panels)

47 unfair labor practices .

48 the collective bargaining process, strategies, and concepts (up to and after contract)

49 public sector labor relations issues and practices.

50. expatriation and repatriation issues and practices .

51.employee and labor relations for local nationals[ i.e. labourrelations in other countries).

b

Occupational health,safety,and security. Knowledge of.

52 .Central, state, and local workplace health and safety laws andregulations (for example, OSHA, Drug Free Workplace ]

53 workplace injury and occupational illness compensation laws and programs (for example, worker's compensation)

54 investigation procedures of workplace safety, health, and security enforcement agencies (for example, OSHA)

55 workplace safety risks

56 workplace security risks (for example, theft, corporate espionage, information systems/technology, and vandalism)

57 potential violent behavior and workplace violence conditions .

58 general health and safety practices (for example, fire evacuation,HAZMAT[hazardous materials], ergonomic evaluations)

59 incident and emergency response plans .

60 internal investigation and surveillance techniques .

61 Employee Assistance Programs .

62 employee wellness programs .

63 issues related to chemical use and dependency (for example, identification of symptoms, drug testing, discipline) . CORE Knowledge Required by HR Professionals

64 needs assessment and analysis .

65 third party contract management, including development of requests for proposals

66 communication strategies .

67 documentation requirements .

68 adult learning processes .

69 motivation concepts and applications .

70 training methods .

71 leadership concepts and applications.

72 project management concepts and applications

73 diversity concepts and applications.

74 human relations concepts and applications (for example, interpersonal and organizational behavior) .

75 HR ethics and professional standards .

76 technology and human resource information systems (HRIS) to supportHR activities .

77 qualitative and quantitative methods and tools for analysis, interpretation, and decision making purposes .

78 change management .

79 liability and risk management .

80 job analysis and job description methods.

81 employee records management (for example, retention, disposal)82 the interrelationships among HR activities and programs acrossfunctional areas.

REGARDS

LEO LINGHAM

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[ hemaa ] Member Since: Jun 2004 (Contributing Member) Thank You, Lingham. This was one of the best posts & help mail I have seen in Cite HR. This really set the platform for my learning. Appreciate your time and views.

[ shridhar Sanil ] Member Since: Sep 2005 (Contributing Member) Dear Lingham, You have done a great work. The efforts put by you will really the help people wanting to raise to HR Managers position. Well done.

[ sdd ] Member Since: Dec 2005 (Contributing Member) Dear Lingham sir,

The information stated by you is quite helpful. It is a thorough outline of HR practices--Basic responsibilities,knowledge to be get to work on such a responsible post.

Thanka once again.

Sadhana

[ umalme ] Member Since: Dec 2004 (Contributing Member) Linghams posts contribution are always details oriented and meaning ful and self realizing for hr proffessionals. kudos to you, umalme

[ Rajat Joshi ] Member Since: Oct 2007 (Senior Member) Leo,

We do really appreciate your posts and it is indeed our pleasure to have you on board in this forum.

All your postings on various topics have taken our learnings & understanding of HR to higher platform!!

Thank you so much for taking time & efforts for educating us.

Regards,

Rajat

[ umalme ] Member Since: Dec 2004 (Contributing Member) Yes, there has been fragmmented ideas on the subject and i always believe in appreciating people even randon thoughts on the subject. As nature nurtures itself us to adapt to it even how much we oppose or dispose or disassociate but struggle to survive.Continuing Here can we have some good selected text references on modern human resource management practices off course not hard liners.

kind regards,

umalme

[ sundarraj ] Member Since: Dec 2007 Re:Your wonderful posting

Mr.Lingham(h.r)

I would like to thank u personally for posting such an wounderful information an helping all your juniors to gain knowledge on h.r.

Really ur an great H.R ur company is gifted Lingham(h.r)

Thiba

[ Archana Pant ] Member Since: Jun 2009 Dear Mr. Lingam, This is one of the most detailed and comprehensive posts I have read on the subject. I am sure many of us will find it very useful. Thanks and Regards Archana Pant

attribution http://www.citehr.com/5140-skills-competencies-needed-manager-hr-resource-management.html#ixzz2N0IFBMS7

Examples of Core Competencies of a Human Resource Managerby Regina Anaejionu, Demand Mediahttp://smallbusiness.chron.com/examples-core-competencies-human-resource-manager-10027.html

Related Articles Primary Responsibilities of a Human Resource Manager How Do Companies Define Core Competencies? Examples of Changing Core Competencies Examples of Human Resource Diversity What Core Competencies Give an Organization Competitive Advantage? What Are the Functions of Human Resource Managers?

The core competencies of a human resource manager are the attributes essential to success in this position. Human resource managers who hold certain core competencies have a competitive edge over those that dont and give the business they work for a competitive advantage in their industry.Sponsored LinkSWOT Analysis ToolGet a free 30 day Trial of Mindjet and create easily Swot Analysis.www.Mindjet.comNegotiation SkillsEffective human resource managers have communication and relationship skills that allow them to negotiate win-win situations for the company and the employees they hire. Whether large or small, each business has certain constraints on its budget for salary, benefits and placement for employees. Workers too, have certain needs and minimums that must be met. Human resource managers listen to the needs and even unspoken desires of employees and help the company exceed those requirements without stretching itself too thin; they know creative ways to accommodate each partys needs. Improving working conditions for employees isnt always expensive, it can often be as simple as rearranging furniture, ordering supplies that workers prefer, reorganizing a workspace or providing updated technology.Job KnowledgeHuman resources is an information-heavy field; companies must comply with labor laws, safety concerns, health issues and local, state and federal policies that change regularly. A must-have core competency for successful human resource managers is the ability to stay updated on legislation related to employment and to be cognizant of violations, harassment or hardships that employees undergo. The dissatisfaction many workers feel on the job is due to conditions that are hard to detect but can cause disgruntled employees to be less productive and to eventually leave their jobs. Core competencies relating to detailed job and industry knowledge help human resource managers find and eliminate problems that cause unfavorable working conditions for employees.Qualified RecruitmentIn human resources, qualifying is the process of narrowing down potential applicants to the prospects that can best fill all open and future job opportunities. This may include finding candidates from college campuses, other companies or people who hold certain interests and skill sets. Recruitment core competencies mean that human resource managers limit the money a company spends on marketing to, or attracting, unsuitable workers, while still finding skilled applicants.Effective TrainingThe human resources department is often responsible for creating the training programs that help employees fulfill their daily job functions, advance to other positions within the company or respond well to company changes and industry shifts. Human resource managers must have the ability to foresee the training needs of their company and develop materials that a wide range of employees will respond well to. With a range of learning styles and interests in the workforce, human resource managers must tailor workshops, communication and training to meet employee needs.Influential PowerLeadership, or the ability to influence people, is a core competency of human resource managers. They must be able to motivate employees and show them how to excel at their jobs, embrace change and make ethical decisions. During difficult transitions in a company, such as new management or major layoffs, a human resource managers ability to train and influence employees to stay on course is essential to a companys productivity and to individual employees job satisfaction.http://www.alaska.edu/hrtraining/sw-resources/skillsoft/maps/hr_manager.pdf