HR 2.1 - A new way of supporting 21st century employers

The 20th century model of HR is failing to support 21st century employers. HR has always been built around the predominant people issues of the time. In the 1970s we saw a heavy emphasis on employee relations and collective bargaining; teh 1980s brought personal reward and recognition to the fore, and during the 1990s we obsessed about the psychological contract.

The 21st century needs a new HR model built around 21st century people issues. We're redefining HR consulting, re-writing the rulebook and providing our clients with a "blue ocean" service.

The new HR focuses on nurturing individual and organisational capital

It's about supporting wellbeing and balance; and it goes beyond simple stress maangement to physical and mental health and employee engagement. It's about knowledge sharing across organsiational and geographic boundaries. It's about effective communication and treating everyone with dignity.

And it's all underpinned by simple, pragmatic and legally compliant HR policies and procedures - which support managers in their people management tasks.

The new HR is about attracting, developing and retaining talent

In the knowledge and service economies talent is not always readily spotted. It doesn't come in a single easily recognisable package, but is as diverse as teh people who work for your organisation. Talent cultivation strategies must acknowledge and accommodate these individual differences - whether that means offering flexible working as standard, recognising cultural expectations or adjusting for disability.

It means rethinking attraction and recruitment strategies; and reviewing assumptions about how people make their careers within the organisation.

The new HR is about enabling organisations to cope with rapid change, uncertainty and complexity.

Traditional models of culture change with neatly phased steps and project plans are no longer enough. Competitive advantage increasingly lies in identifying and creating futures that are radically different from the past. the new HR is about harnessing emergent thinking in the social sciences, such as Appreciative Inquiry and Positive Psychology, to support individuals and oraganisations in creating a vision for their best future.

In short, the new HR is about creating sustainable organisations.

"The traditional 'prize' of financial returns is shifting toward sustainability: is HR ready?"
Professor John Boudreau at the University of Southern California (and one of our favourite thought leaders)

HR 2.1 - The New Model

 
From theory to reality:

• First, it starts with a firm commitment from HR professionals to being excellent Business Partners. Define what you know and what you can offer your organisation.
• Next build the platform of legal compliance.
• Add on integrated, flexible and easily accessible HR policies that support people in their work.
• Redefine and reposition your strategies for attraction and recruitment so that you become an employer of choice.
• Create a new focus on engagement and retention by encouraging grown up conversations and by supporting individual differences.
• Feed these new ways of working into critical "talentship" decisions.
• Finally, address overarching organisational issues around cross-cultural, cross location working and the ability to respond positively to rapid change and uncertainty.

Page last updated 20 October 2008