Critical Analysis

HCD 660 – Foundations of Human Capital Development

Think of the word “Strategy”

• What is it? • What does it take to make it

happen? • Who is involved? • When does it happen? • Is it important? • How is it implemented?

HRD Strategy

• HRD Strategy is vital to optimal business performance. • Training must support strategy and

play pivotal role in shaping strategy. • Pierre Wack, the father of scenario

planning • Coined the future as “the rapids”

in 1975 • Managers not only had to get

things done, they also had to see ahead.

The Strategic Value of HRD

Factors that influence HRD to a more active role: 1. Centrality of information technology to

business success • Orgs need highly competent people to

implement and utilize work systems • HRD assures required expertise is available

2. Sustainable competitive advantage offered by workforce expertise • Investments in education and training fund

the development of an infrastructure to support a sustainable competitive advantage.

How do we invest in training and education?

• Conference Board 2020 Solutions Brief – How to achieve a modern workforce? • Expanding eligibility and access to

training (Pell Grants, low-cost trainings with higher ed)

• 92% of companies in one study used tuition assistance to attract top talent

• Encourage public-private collaboration • Home Depot

• Develop expertise and learning through every aspect of the business.

• Learn from customers • Entry-level receive training and

conference opportunities

HRD Strategic Value…

1. Is performance-based 2. Demonstrates its strategic

capability 3. Is responsive to the

emergent nature of strategy

Strategic Role 1 – Performance Based HRD

• Complete employee training program. • Corporate culture pushes staff to go

beyond conventions to develop innovative ideas and solutions • Advocates in-group and departmental

sharing to trigger creativity. • Systemically designed and arranged its

human resource activities (e.g. staff training) to support pursuit of strategic goals (e.g. constant innovation, create added-value to society) • What company am I?

Strategic Role 2 – Demonstrate Capability of HRD • HRD function plays an active role in strategic planning through active

participation in the business planning process. • Solicits input from others to help them identify and address issues early

on. Uses AI to generate such advice, starting with employees’ profiles, which include prior and current roles, expected career trajectory, and training programs completed. • New tasks are being created. Helping supervisors replace judging with

coaching is a big challenge not just in terms of skills but also because it undercuts their status and formal authority. • Decisions require research and analyzing before change • Understand finance, marketing, sales, operations and accounting • Be able to work with other departments • More time is spent on translational work vs. transactional work

Strategies emerge from events

Strategic Role 3 – Emergent Nature

So suppose…

• You’re part of the strategy team, you understand the performance expectations, and you completed a performance analysis. • Now what?

Foundation of Intervention Design

• Focus on expected results.

• Use systematic and systemic design processes.

• Add value.

• Partner or collaborate with champions and SMEs. (helps build credibility)

Steps to Successful Design 1. Verify and clarify the situation.

2. Identify all elements of the intervention.

3. Create a performance goal and objectives for each element.

4. Identify criteria/metrics to evaluate the results.

5. Decide to purchase or develop.

6. Create an action plan to design, develop, implement, and evaluate.

7. Communicate action plan to ALL stakeholders; gain approvals.

8. Initiate an RFP process or begin development.

Moving on… Now you have your design. Does it happen by the snap

of your fingers?

How do you get it to happen?

• Who’s going to make the case? • Decision-makers want to know what it will cost, what’s the value and benefit, how it will affect other

departments, and how it will impact culture. • Developing a business case will foster support, accomplish confidence with finance, and provide

justification needed by purchasing.

Making the Business Case – Breakout Groups

• Analysis to back up claimsContent

• Not just a documentFormat

• CredibilityIssue of Integrity

• Ask the right questions Design and

Development of Case

Business Case Examples • Dentist Office • IT Company

Alignment • What made it

go right? • How could it

have gone wrong?

HPI Trends and Implications Business and Public Sector

Utilize SMEs in sales

1 Integrate sales and content marketing

2 Build and assist in consolidated industries

3 Secure and protect customer data

4 Green and Clean

5

HPI Trends and Implications Workforce and HR 1. Employees and retirees return after leaving a company. 2. Traditional recruitment is evolving to talent acquisition. 3. The virtual workforce is here. (Nailed it!) 4. The aging workforce is on its way out of the labor pool. 5. Continuous performance management is in vogue. 6. Leadership Development is critical. 7. Reward systems do not have a “one size fits all” philosophy. 8. HR goes digital. 9. Diversity is a competitive advantage.

HPI Competencies

• What competencies do HPI professionals need to meet the trends and implications? • ATD Competency Model

Covid, HRD, HPI, oh my!

The Big Reset Playbook by Josh Bersin

• 160 companies shared thoughts on how to reset our economy, social lives, home life, and businesses • 5 elements relevant to all organizations

early in the pandemic 1) New ways of working 2) New financial priorities and budgets 3) A new, more empathetic role for

leadership 4) A renewed and deeper focus on trust,

wellbeing, and support 5) A new role for HR.

Four Phases of the Pandemic

• Come together • Budget adjustments • Remote work

React

• Remote work training and tools • Employee well-beingRespond

• Changed roles • Working in teamsReturn

• Work from home strategies • Realign financial goalsTransform

Total Adaptation

• Remote onboarding, managing, and evaluating • Design thinking for solutions on remote work, team

collaboration, and Zoom fatigue • Agile into daily work • Maintain productivity among distractions • Learning all the time • Resilience • “People are inspired and energized by the sense of

purpose, togetherness, and urgency in this time of change.”

Words of Wisdom from HPI practitioners 1. It’s easy to jump to conclusions. You’ve got to trust the process. 2. You must understand business. You need to have a basic understanding of the financials and

some idea about operations. 3. Study the principles of change management. There is no project that I’m involved with that

doesn't involve change. 4. If you don’t feel passionate about what you are doing, consider changing careers. This field

takes a lot of passion and commitment. 5. Don’t shortchange your analysis due to time pressures. 6. Try to convert HPI terminology into business terms, i.e., talk about solutions, not

interventions. 7. Identify a mentor from the business to be your champion and to help you learn the business. 8. If business goal attainment is your ultimate destination, then PI is your GPS. Without a

destination, a GPS is useless. 9. Be generous. Open doors for others. Provide resources. Help where you can. You will reap

what you sow.

Wrapping up Session 6

• HRD Strategy is performance-based, demonstrates its strategic capability, and is responsive. • PI design requires a solid business case that informs all

stakeholders. • HPI professionals must be aware of both business and workforce

trends.