Sunday, March 30, 2014
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
1.
Development of an HR Strategy
The development of an effective
human capital management strategy, using a systems thinking approach requires
the executive to understand the interaction and roles of all components of the
total HR system, as well as the business systems and their operational
requirements. The effective HR executive will function on an awareness level
that understand the balance between needs from operations, staff and strategic
imperatives such as equity and BBBEE. This requires understanding of how the
total “engine” functions as opposed to being a specialist in a certain field.
For this reason effective systems thinkers are specialist in Human Capital
Management as opposed to simply human resources.
In order to formulate an
effective strategy for Human Capital (HC), the systems thinker will analyse the
Organisational Strategic Plan (OSP) in detail, so as to develop a system of
required HC. From the OSP the vision, mission and objectives should literally
be “unpacked” and concepts formed as if it were a type of grounded theory
research project. Identifying the broad tasks that would be required to fulfill
the OSP should do this. These broad tasks form the conceptual framework of
delivery, from where categories of required human capital (RHC) should be
clustered, as the tasks or activities that would be needed to bring about the
required actions of the OSP. This in turn should now be tested against the
existing job descriptions, and such job descriptions should be reviewed,
including creating new ones and scarping ones that may not satisfy the
requirements.
Only once the required human
capital base is defined, do we start looking at the incumbents of existing
jobs. This study implies a consideration of the “actual human capital” (AHC) of
the organisation. By comparing the AHC to RHC, we will establish the skills gap
– the shortcoming of achieving our OSP. However, the risk here is to NOT look at
the results too mechanically. AHC should also include a potential analysis of
whom, how and what we could do to rectify the skills gap. Various methods can
be applied – Training, on the job coaching and even counseling can be used.
2.
Recruitment & Selection
Effective recruitment &
selection is dependent on a few factors such as:
·
Clear definition of what is required
·
Effective selection of potential candidates
·
Effective, broad based interviewing skills
·
Compatibility analysis
·
Motivation levels and mental and learning agility
It is very important to
understand how a person will fit into a team. Sensitivities surrounding office
politics need to be considered. Sometimes it could be an effective strategy to
introduce an individual with opposing views to a team. Conflict management
would be needed but progress could be driven with diversity management skills
for managers.
ACH and RHC are primary factors
to consider when determining the recruitment & selection strategy.
3.
People Development
People development should also be
driven on an integrated system. During job design, the Key Performance
Indicators (KPI) should be aligned were possible, to known educational
benchmarks. Performance management should, in the same vain, record actual
outputs and competencies in a digital format that serves the needs of the
organisation, but also facilitates the creation of a portfolio of competency
for the employee. This will enable the employee to use such “evidence” towards
an RPL activity for the attainment of formal qualifications or as CPD points in
obtaining professional designations or maintaining such.
The PD strategy should however,
not rest on just performance management, but ought to include training, on the
job coaching and also, self-development. Each employee should be given access
to a digital system to create and self-monitor, a Personal Development Plan
(PDP) that could enable personal growth, career growth, RPL, CPD and
designation management.
4.
Organisational Design
From the human capital
perspective, organisational design should be a function of strategic
objectives, AHC and RHC. Management should have a clear understanding of what
is realistic and pursue objectives accordingly. Unrealistically high
expectations lead to as much disappointment as it’s opposite. OD should focus
highly on integrated systems thinking. In this regard a type of Corporate
Qualifications Framework (CQF) is required. The CQF should sever as a detailed
organogram where the job descriptions, performance and career management functions
as an integrated and dynamic system. The demands on IT systems must not be
ignored as design and clear thinking of required information would have to be
carefully spec’d.
5.
Employment Relations
Effective employee relations have
a high degree of compliance requirements in order to protect the right of the
employer. Such includes clear guidance in terms of job descriptions, working
hours, leave and other factors such the QMS and contracts. These factors need
to be researched in the organisation and a compliance and risk management
policy developed.
However, as part of such a
compliance approach, effective human relations ought to also be brought into
play. Much of staff conflicts can be avoided with the development of the
correct organisational culture. The elements of culture can be developed with
the aid of a code of conduct and the establishment of an ethics system.
6.
Remuneration
Remuneration should be considered
as more than just financial. Effective remuneration strategies include the
following:
·
Market related financial reward.
·
Incentive systems
·
Non financial rewards
·
Recognition systems
·
Staff profiling
·
Team building
·
Development of a learning organisation culture
·
Competition systems
·
Development of a stimulating, respectful culture
·
Create a diverse but transparent team
·
Measuring achievement and staff guidance to
growth
7.
HR Admin & info Systems
HR Admin systems have, in the
past, only recorded information that was controlled from an HR point. The
individual would have at best, very limited insight to his file. This approach
should and could be changed to allow for an element of self-management in the
future. With the advent of SkillsBook.co.za the ability for employers and
employees to co-manage an employee profile was created. Effectively an employee
has a HR file that could now be “tagged” to a company. Should the employee
change jobs the individual file could be moved between employers? Of course,
employers could hold proprietary data that would fall outside of such a
function.
8.
Transformation
Transformation is often
mistakenly seen as bringing more black people on board. However, if this is the
intent the organisation may find itself in trouble very soon. Transformation
should include the development of a mentality or a strive amongst the workforce
towards a more sensible value system, as a precursor to creation of an
effective, learning organisation culture:
·
Change mindsets towards a non racial, non gender
bias culture
·
Introduce a value of productivity
·
Create a system of self drive
·
Create “decent work” opportunities
·
Raised awareness levels
·
Internal locus of control environments
However, there are specific
elements that would also need to be set as objectives:
8.1 Equity
Equity would not happen by
itself. Care must be given not to repeat the mistakes of the past though.
Appointing a person based on gender or race is fundamentally wrong, and in time
to come the South African population would fully realize this. For this reason, effective recruitment and
development programmes should create equity. The introduction of Management
Advancement Programmes for Women, should for example, be a programme to
consider. In addition, an internship program aimed at identifying and
developing young talent could be developed along equity lines.
8.2 Capacitate
staff
As mentioned above, much could be
done for staff capacitation. To recap the following items are important:
o
Education
o
Training
o
On the Job training
o
On the Job evidence collection
o
Performance management
o
Regular feedback
8.3 Information
& Communication Technology
Information systems need to be
flexible and allow for a component of input to come from the individual. Data
requirements must be identified upfront and systems designed accordingly.
9.
Creating a Centre of excellence
The above overview is by no means
exhaustive on the development of an effective Human capital strategy and will
in itself, require considerable investment in time and expertise to unpack,
distill, explode and refine into a system that is agile and mutually beneficial
for employer and employee. However, we believe that excellence is created by
doing the right things well, and attempted to highlight a few of these in the
above process.
10. Summary
Effective human capital
management is not a stagnant, but a dynamic fractal that changes with new
elements added every day. The effective Human Capital Executive is an
individual that is aware of this constant change and comfortable with driving
its dynamics, even capitalising on them. The reality of the 2013 is that human
information now more than doubles in less than 30 days. So it is not what we
know that matters so much, but how we act and react to out environment. How we
influence our reality. It is not even about dealing with what happens to you.
It is about how you happen to the reality. Business is dynamic and becoming
more complex every day. The talent of the future is to create systems to
de-complicate matters.
A clever person takes an ordinary
concept and makes it complicated in an attempt to display a superior intellect,
but a genius takes a complicated concept, and makes it simple.
Dr Wynand Goosen
CEO Infomage Rims Group
011 886 2727
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