HR Transformer Blog – Most Popular Posts of 2010

Here are the most popular HR Transformer Blog articles from 2010.  Many thanks to all those who stopped by and provided ideas, links and comments.
 

1. Stop, Start & Continue – A Guide for HR Transformers

What will you Stop, Start & Continue in 2011?  Includes a useful PDF worksheet.

2. HR Transformation Articles of the Month

Add this link to your Bookmarks and browse over 90 different articles.  We trawl through the web to bring you a selection of the most interesting HR Transformation articles of the month. 

3. Future Trends in HR Operating Models

If you enjoyed reading this, check out our longer articles on What the future holds for HR , on Evaluation Centre (free, easy registration required).   Downloadable PDF article about the trends shaping future HR Operating Models.

4. HR Benchmarks – A Government Health Warning

Very topical subject, we did some analysis on UK Government HR benchmarks and attached the data in this article.  The original statistics have disappeared from the Government website, so we have had quite a few hits from Whitehall.  Also featured in the first online edition of HR Magazine.

5. HR Transformers on Twitter

11 Lists of great people to follow on Twitter, including consultants, HR practitioners, leaders, writers, analysts, techies and teachers.

6. Are you a HR Twitter Virgin?

Do you still know people in HR who have not used Twitter, surely not!  Here is a useful guide to get them started….

7. Top 5 Reasons HR Projects Fail

A golden oldie, but are we still making the same mistakes ?

8. HR Outsourcing – The Challenge of Picking Winners

In choosing a HRO vendor, a key question is How do you know they will last the course?

9. Why England Lose – Talent Management Insights from Football

Inspired by the World Cup, what can we learn from studying the management of football?

10. HR Survey Highlights Skills Gaps in HR

Very useful annual survey from ADP/HROA, see also this years findings in HR Transformation Delivers solid Savings of 25%

 

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Top 10 HR Transformation Articles in November & December

 
We start 2011 with a bumper issue of HR Transformation blog articles from the last two months of 2010. In between meeting year end goals and wrapping presents, our HR bloggers, writers and thinkers are in a reflective mood with some thought provoking articles.
 
Out with the old and in with the new, we kick off with a couple of articles which aim to smash some of the myths surrounding ‘best practice’ in HR. Our HR Maverick presents the case on why we should dump the dreaded annual Performance Review, with some help from Mr. Deming.
 
The ‘love/hate’ relationship HR has with Social Media illuminates the dichotomy HR sometimes finds itself in – on the one hand in its traditional role as “enforcer” and on the other side as an “innovator”. We highlight a couple articles that will appeal to both sides, from Malcolm Gladwell to Mashable.
 
At Glass Bead Consulting we are embracing social media in HR. Jon Ingham and myself co-hosted a Connecting HR Twitter chat one foggy evening in Amsterdam, from the HRO Summit Europe Conference  – read more about our discussion.
 
Do you know your “HR Cost per employee”?   Is it $1000 or nearer to $3000 per employee or? Read up on some recent trends before the CFO taps you on the shoulder and asks you…
 
Talking of costs, cost cutting is in at the top of British Government’s agenda, as it looks for ways to allocate more resources to frontline services. We have three insightful articles on the case for HR Shared Services from a UK perspective.
 

Finally, we hope you enjoy our latest 10 of the best HR Transformation articles and a big thank you to all those that come back to us with ideas and suggestions to share with the HR community. Do keep in touch with any of your future Top 10 articles and suggestions -  @AndySpence on Twitter.

 

1. In Search Of HR Tech Best Practices, by Naomi Bloom

In this article Naomi Bloom reflects on the quest for best practice in HR Technology and HR Transformation. 
 
We have all seen the sales pitch of “this system will transform how you deliver HR Management.”   However, in Naomi’s view this won’t happen unless you are willing to redesign your HR processes.  She writes that “If you don’t have proven competency models for your key roles, you won’t get competency-centric HRM, no matter what the software does”.
 
Naomi outlines three types of practices that are amenable to process improvement through automation, outsourcing & process redesign. Read more about her big P processes, little p processes, and business rules in this excellent article.
 
Another person to tackle HR “Best Practices”, is Ron Ashkenas, in the Harvard Business Review. He answers the question “Why Best Practices Are Hard to Practice” and according to Ron, there are two main reasons.   
 
Lack of Adaptation – companies are so different, it is rare that a practice developed in one place can be applied elsewhere without significant customisation.
 
Lack of Adoption – companies that utilize a borrowed process or tool without full leadership support and commitment, think that just having the tool itself will generate the desired results.
 
In our view, somewhere along the line someone in the organisation needs to think deeply about how to actually implement organisational strategy. This will nearly always involve the challenging task of asking people to work in a different way. If this change uses tools, theories or methods derived from Systems Thinking, Lean, 6-Sigma or ‘some Blu-Tack, Post-It notes and elastic bands’ then so be it. It doesn’t really matter which tools and methods are used as long as the change works.
 

2. The Future of Human Resources and Social Media, by Sharlyn Lauby, aka HR Bartender, on Mashable

The adoption of social media at home and work seems to pose some problems for HR. The challenge characterises HRs’ struggle to deliver true value in its role as Business Partner. 
 
There is a balancing act; on the one hand HR needs to maintain one of its traditional roles of policing policies and keeping managers’ noses clean. On the other hand, HR is required to improve employee performance, engagement and be Technology Champions looking for new tools that can transform the workforce, help them to be more productive and ensure the ‘stars’ stay at your company. 
 
For sensible tips on Social Media Policy, read The Future of Human Resources and Social Media, from Sharlyn Lauby, aka HR Bartender, via Mashable.
 
For the HR police…
If you are worried about your employees flippantly using Facebook all day, then imagine what the introduction of the telephone must have done to “Staffing Managers” or whatever our HR predecessors were called !  Humorous and thought provoking cartoon here from Competitive Futures,The Telephone – a disruptive technology.
 
For the social media revolutionaries…
Those that get a little carried away, with “vive de revolution” approach when it comes to Social Media will find this article interesting “Small Change – Why the revolution will not be tweeted", by Malcolm Gladwell in the New Yorker.
 

3. HR Costs Rebounding?   from Michael O'Brien in HRE Online  

Do you know your HR Cost per Employee?
 
A new report, from PricewaterhouseCoopers/Saratoga “2010-2011 US Human Capital Effectiveness Report”, finds that this key HR statistic is returning to pre-recession levels.  The report finds that HR costs-per-employee rose in 2009, to $1,569, up from $1,462 per-employee in 2008 and close to the pre-recession average of $1,610 in 2007.
 
In our view, HR cost per employee is a very useful metric – much more useful than the traditional “HR:Employee Ratio”. It takes into account the amount of outsourcing, relative cost of the HR function and is easier to make comparisons.

 

 

4.  Performance management: looking in the wrong place from Glyn Lumley, aka HR Maverick 

Do you currently run an annual performance management process where line Managers sit down with their team members and discuss their performance, sometimes with a link to remuneration and improving contribution? The Systems Thinkers, such as Glyn Lumley, say that this process is not only a complete waste of time, but is also destructive to morale.
 
According to Glyn, Improvements to organisational performance does not happen one employee at a time. The problems are in organisational systems and processes – it’s here that we will find the real opportunities for improvement.
 
An article referring to System Thinking, is not complete without a quote from Dr. W Edwards Deming. “The supposition is prevalent … that there would be no problem in production or in service if only our workers would do their jobs in the way they were taught. Pleasant dreams. The workers are handicapped by the system, and the system belongs to management.”  
 
If you don’t get improvement in performance, then why bother? Wouldn’t it be better to invest time and cash in initiatives that deliver better results?
 

5. Service Levels for HR Services Delivery – An Evolution, from Jim Koenig – Equaterra

So you have an SLA in place, however your managers say that “the service levels are all green but we are still frustrated”.   Jim Koenig from Equaterra show the evolution of service levels along the continuum from tactical to measuring both tactical and strategic health.
 
On too many occasions we see SLAs as a bureaucratic step, rather than as a useful way to manage service relationships.
 

6. A systems thinking guide to outsourcing for the sceptical public sector leader, from the Systems Thinking Review

If you are a public sector leader (Chief Executive, politician, manager), your budget has been obliterated and you know you have to save money. Some of your peers are jumping headfirst into outsourcing and you are considering doing exactly the same. You hesitate. Who hasn’t heard of the outsourcing horror stories? This is a good article with some useful questions if you are thinking of outsourcing, with free PDF attachment.
 

7. Is HR too big to innovate?, from J.Keith Dunbar, from DNA of Human Capital blog

Keith Dunbar asks a good question: “is HR too big to innovate?”
The recent 2010 IBM Chief Human Resource Officer (CHRO) Study identified three key areas requiring attention.
 
1. Cultivating creative leaders
2. Mobilizing for speed and flexibility
3. Capitalizing on collective intelligence
 
All three of these focus areas will rely heavily on the ability of HR to innovate itself at a pace that keeps up with the global changes taking place.
 
A key question for HR is; are we too big to innovate?
 

8. Mobile Apps are Ringing up HRO, Linda Merritt from HRO Insights Blog

What are the killer apps for mobile devices in HR Services?
 
From mobile workers submitting an expense claim, commuters with access to their teams holiday schedule, approving a training request while waiting for the bus, Gary Bragar from Nelson Hall, outlines how Mobile Apps will stimulate the HRO Market.
 
For buyers using SaaS HRO platforms, providers will be developing mobile apps that meet the needs of multiple clients, as well as rolling out applications as they become available by the provider of the underlying HR system (usually Oracle or SAP.)
 

9. What Next for HR, Connecting HR at HRO Europe, from HR Transformer Blog

I enjoyed speaking on the expert panel at the HRO Summit Europe Conference in Amsterdam with Peter Cappelli, Jon Ingham, Nigel Perks, Jane Owen Jones. Jon and myself carried on the conversations from the Plenary Expert Panel and opened up online with a #HRChat – you can read the transcript here…..watch out for other HR Chats, at Connecting HR site.
 

For those at the conference or interested, here are the views of Jon Ingham and Gary Bragar as they give their highlights of the conference themes in HR Transformation and HR Outsourcing.

 

10.  Shared HR services the way forward for local authorities

Here are three different articles on the use of HR Shared Services in UK public sector.
Shared HR services the way forward for local authorities. Two East Midlands authorities in the UK, are to team up the HR services in an effort to cut costs and improve efficiencies. Leicestershire County Council and Nottingham City Council have signed a partnership deal to share HR and other administrative functions in a bid to save more than £2 million per year.
 
HR ‘must lead from front’ on MoD cuts. HR staff numbers in the Ministry of Defence will be reduced by half over the next two-and-a-half years but, at the same time, the austerity measures facing the public sector present the profession with a “phenomenal opportunity”, according to Jonathan Evans, director, civilian personnel.
 
Gus O’Donnell [head of the civil service] described the challenge we face as the leadership challenge of a generation. “I think it is not just a generation but a number of generations,” he said. “It is important that HR leads from the front. HR is uniquely placed to make a difference and we have got to make that difference now.”
There are 85,000 civilians in the MoD but, as announced in last month’s Strategic Defence and Security Review, over the next three to four years this will be reduced by 25,000 – nearly 30 per cent.
 

Shared services ‘not a panacea’ for cost-savings. “Shared services have been heralded as a panacea to solve the [public sector spending] problem,” continued Shoesmith. “It is one option but there are many others. £81 billion is a lot of money to lose out of public services over the next four years, but the cuts can be delivered in a variety of different ways.”

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Top 10 HR Transformation Articles in September

As October swings into action with Europe pitched against the US in Golf’s Ryder Cup, read the latest and greatest array of articles – find out who we think has scored a birdie, eagle, albatross or even a bogey!
 
Dan Pink illustrates his arguments for ‘what motivates us’ by using an innovative animation.  Two academics give very different and extreme views about the ‘one thing that they would change in HR’. We also have some more top tips for designing HR organisations from the ‘20 second rule’ to 13 lessons learned from HR Shared Services implementations, all useful stuff. And finally if you do find yourself on the road a lot with work or in unusual environment we have 37 productivity tips for working anywhere. 
 
Don’t forget we are delivering a HR Transformation MasterClass in Budapest on November 9/10 so if you are interested then please do get in touch – we are looking forward to a great conference with some tasty goulash washed down with a glass of Bulls Blood!
 
Here are 10 of the best HR Transformation articles from September.  Thanks to everyone who has sent their Top 10 ideas, this is much appreciated -  @AndySpence on Twitter.
 

1.  The surprising truth about what motivates us – Daniel Pink presentation for the RSA

Do the structures, policies and processes in your organisation produce motivated people? 
 
This is a lively presentation by Dan Pink author of the book,  Drive – The Suprising Truth about What Motivates Us. Pink challenges some workplace and academic assumptions about human behaviour in the workplace, for example “if you reward something do you get more of something you want?”
 
The topics themselves are intrinsically interesting, especially for anyone involved in leading or designing organisations, or are grappling with the issues of reward and motivation.
 
One of the features of this presentation commissioned by the RSA is its innovative use of animation. We highly recommend you view this 10 minutes clip which can be found on You Tube.
 

A refreshing and inspiring bit of communication is summed up as  “Our motivations are unbelievably interesting” – we couldn’t agree more.

 

2. If I could change one thing about HR – Guest posts on XpertHR from "Grumpy Lecturer" and Dr Anne Marie McEwan

Not another thing to change about HR I hear you call!
 
This series been one of the most interesting series in the online HR space…here we have two rather contrasting academic views.
 
 
“There is nothing wrong with the current version of Human Resources Management (HRM) – it has achieved mass levels of false consciousness about employment.”
 
In this view, many in HR have lost sight of the fact that the employer controls the employment relationship and that HR is merely complicit in social-engineering and a ‘managerial sleight of hand’.
 
From an anonymous academic to the views of Dr Anne Marie McEwan – who would completely abolish HR.
 
Dr McEwan reminds us that serendipity works – and cites some inspiration from Brian Eno and Stafford Beer. Our organisations structures do not seem to support serendipity. If you think of the large silos between IT, HR and Finance – you can relate to this point.   Read more about the suggestions to design organisations to support serendipity and bring together experts in HR, IT and FM.
 

Well done to Michael Carty et al at XpertHR for this stimulating series of articles.  

3. 13 Lessons from HR Shared Services Implementations  – from Human Resources IQ

Implementing HR Shared Services is hard work. However this model does work and for many organisations is a key enabler to HR Transformation. 
 
Here are 13 lessons learned from successful implementations that will help steer you down the right path when establishing your own HR shared services.
 
We have seen all of these, so well worth reading along with some excellent suggestions.

 

4.  37 productivity tip for working from anywhere – from Mashable

Some useful productivity tips here for Nomadic types. In the last 3 years I have worked in some diverse places in addition to the usual planes, trains and automobiles….an 18th Century Psychiatric Hospital, comfy amongst the curtains and soft furnishings of a large retailers HQ, under trains and trams in an enormous train repair depots and have found a favourite quiet spot to work in the inspirational British Library in London (keep it quiet though).  So for all those who send emails from airports, trains and coffee shops typing into the palm of your hand or with a laptop perched on your lap – this one’s for you!

 

5. The 20 second rule - from Charlie Judy at HRFishbowl Blog

A useful anecdote from Charlie Judy, and a good tip for anyone designing for any HR Operating Model Design.
 
“Just focus on making every transaction as crisp and clean as possible. Recognize the person on the receiving end of your services has a finite number of seconds in their lifetime. Stop screwing around with those seconds and take only what you really need.”
 
Don’t forget the customer – who will ultimately make or break your HR operating model design.

 

6. Management Methods, Models and Theories – from Value Based Management

This web-site is a useful resource for an outline of management theories, models and methods. If you would like to refresh your knowledge, looking for inspiration or simply want to keep up with the newly qualified MBAs – you know where to go.
 

7. IT and HR: should they merge? – from Dan Pontefract at TrainingWreck blog

A thought provoking article from Dan Pontefract on opportunities for HR and IT to work more closely together and sit under the same structures. 
 
One of the goals of HR Transformation is to provide the workforce with the best tools to manage and this requires specialists who understand both workforce demands and HR technology. Having nimble, specialist teams and applying them to business problems works for some organisations. Why not throw in Finance and Facilities Management as well and develop responsive teams…see Dr McEwan’s article above.

 

8. Does your HR function complicate things? – from Ron Ashkenas at Harvard Business Review

Ron Ashkenas gives a couple of examples of overly complex HR processes.

It was probably a lot worse when there were multiple organisations all managing complicated processes. HR Transformation does deliver benefits and cost savings by standardising and simplifying processes – see our recent article on HR Transformation delivers solid savings of 25% according to survey. This article comes up with some useful advice for those transforming their HR functions.

 

 

 

9. Naomi's Questions For Oracle OpenWorld 2010 – from Naomi Bloom at In Full Bloom

For those who didn’t get to Oracle Open World in sunny San Francisco last week, our analysts online have kept us up to date.
 
Just in case Oracle are feeling too comfortable, Naomi Bloom poses some challenging questions, actually the first 21 look hard enough but wait till you get to the ‘toughies’ which start after question 22. We hope these were answered by Oracle at Open World, if not then Naomi will keep us informed.
 

10.  Hey, aren’t I the customer here? – from 1.00 FTE

We have sat through quite a few vendor presentations recently with clients and on the whole, they were better for the fact that we told the vendor exactly what was required. 
 
No more than 5 minutes on your corporate history please and we would like to meet the consultants who will actually be on the project (the smooth tongued Account Executive is still invited, but we really want to meet the earnest project manager who we will be working with).

This cartoon rang a bell – tell the vendors what you want to hear in the presentation…

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Top 10 HR Transformation Articles in August

“There are more questions than answers” as the old song goes, and in some philosophical circles you can’t get the debate going until you have agreed on the question you are attempting to answer.  In August, we ponder some powerful questions asked by some of the most perceptive HR analysts, consultants, gurus and futurists. 
 

         If you could change one thing about HR, what would it be?

         What will managing tomorrow’s people will be like in 2020?

         With large change programmes, should we “transform” or “tweak”?

         Is SaaS in HCM all that it is cracked up to be?

         Finally, if management consultants are so bad, why are they still around?

 
Here are 10 of the best HR Transformation articles from August.  Thanks to everyone who has sent their Top 10 ideas, this is much appreciated -  @AndySpence on Twitter.
 

1.  Managing Tomorrow’s People. The future of Work to 2020 – from PwC

This article delves into the drivers that will shape our future working lives. With refreshing insight, it develops three possible Worlds as a context to understanding future organisations. Find out whether the future really is Orange, Blue or Green. 
A great article which highlights some of the challenges of people management in the future, and some opportunities for HR.
 

2.  Debunking Some HCM SaaS Myths – from Jim Holincheck @ Gartner

In this article, Jim Holincheck, managing VP at Gartner Research, debunks some prevalent HCM SaaS myths.   Propositions such as  “SaaS is only for less complex problems”, and interestingly, “Saas is less expensive” are analysed with Jim’s usual clarity.
His perspective on SaaS in HCM is not negative, “I actually do believe that it is the future in HCM solutions. However, it is a not a panacea.”
 

For those interested in this subject, check out “HRO SaaS Uptake – What, How Much and Where?” making the link to HR Outsourcing, from Gary Bragar at HRO insights.

3. If I could change one thing about HR – Guest post from Glyn Lumley on XpertHR

What would you change about HR? This is a great ‘guest post’ on XpertHR from Glyn Lumley, otherwise known as the writer of the HR Maverick Blog. There have been lots of interesting responses, but this was our favourite so far. Find out “Why” we think this was a thought provoking article. 

Well done to the XpertHR team for posing this great question and opening it up to Guest Bloggers Contact Michael Carty if you would like to contribute your response.

 

4.  Turn Your HR Audit into a Strategic Audit – from Cathy Missildine-Martin at Profitability through Human Capital blog

Cathy poses 6 questions that are fruitful to ask at any time, but particularly before embarking on a HR Transformation programme.

 

5.  The Future of HR - Mark Stelzner at Inflexion Advisors

According to Mark, HR has 3 paths to choose from : “do nothing”, “break it apart” or “radically transform”.   Read the 20 page slide deck and decide which option makes most sense for your organisation.

6. Your Workplace in 2020: Gartner's Predictions – from the New York Times

How will people work 10 years from now? Gartner outlines 10 major changes that will occur during the next 10 years.
"People will swarm more often and work solo less.”  Find out if swarming is as unpleasant as it sounds.
 

7. Think Big, Act Smart Reducing Uncertainty in Transformational Change – from Booz & Co


Do you “transform” or deliver change through continuous improvement initiatives? This 12 page pdf from Booz & Co does not offer anything particularly new, but this subject is definitely worth thinking about before embarking on critical (and expensive) change programmes.
 
Many thanks to Dave Millner at Kenexa,  @Kenexa_HR_Inst on Twitter, who passed on this article, Dave consistently provides the best HR Transformation, HCM and leadership articles through his tweets.
 
If this article gave you a headache, we can rely on Dilbert to provide some light relief from Transformation!

 

8. In The Know v1.29 Transformation in HR – from John Sumser from Two color Hat

Three links to HR Transformation videos here from John Sumser, with perspectives from Bayer, Jack Welch and Mercer’s Karen Piercy.
 
Also, check out our HR Transformation Knowledge Bank which includes some more videos.
 

9. Importance versus Effectiveness Gap…Closing…Slowly – from Keith Dunbar – The DNA of Human Capital

Assessing the difference in perception between “importance vs effectiveness” for areas in HR is an excellent tool in our experience. Keith Dunbar used this to great effect at a recent conference. The No.1 human capital challenge was “Defining skills, knowledge and capabilities to execute business strategy.” My concerns continue that there is such a wide gap between importance and effectiveness – find out Keith’s views on how to bridge the gap.

10.  If management consultants are so bad, why are they still around?  – from Rick at Flip Chart Fairy Tales

Finally, a question we ask ourselves every morning on our way to work!  Who better to address it than Rick from Flip Chart Fairy Tales. 

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Top 10 HR Transformation Articles in June

Here are 10 of the best HR Transformation articles from June, we hope you enjoy.
We have “Naomi in a box” and DIY HR Outsourcing – if these ideas do take off we are in trouble!
We peer into the 'crystal ball' and the search for the Holy Grail (but no mention of Monty Python)  from Dr John Sullivan, Naomi Bloom, J. Keith Dunbar and Jon Ingham with a HR 2.0 case study.
The last 3 articles deal with HR in the UK Public Sector – is there an appetite to establish a huge HR back office, and if not, is HR equipped to deliver the proposed 25% cost savings?  We also have the views of the Head of HR for the police in London –  a warning to politicians – never mess with the cops – particularly with their HR ratios.
 
We hope you enjoy the articles, and get in touch with any Top 10 articles ideas @AndySpence on Twitter.

 

1.  “The Future of HR” from a shareholders’ perspective -  from Dr John Sullivan

What would HR look like if it were redesigned by shareholders? This is a really interesting perspective on the role of HR from Dr John Sullivan.

2.  The Future Of HRM Software: Embedded Intelligence - from Naomi Bloom, at the In Full Bloom blog

“Meet Naomi, your friendly and very knowledgeable HRM/HRMDS consultant “in a box”. 
 
The very thought of capturing Naomi Bloom’s knowledge in this way is enough to give MIT sleepless nights for years. 
 

This provides some great insights into the future of HRM software from one of the most knowledgeable experts in the industry.

3. DIY for HRO – from Mark Stelzner, at Infexion Advisor

For organisations thinking of HR Outsourcing, Mark Stelzner, from Infexion Advisors gives some counter-intuitive advice (from a consultant). "Don’t use a HRO advisor, just do-it-yourself."
 
We agree with Mark in some situations, but think some conditions need to apply if you are going to try DIY HRO, including :-
 
- You have good up to date knowledge of all the relevant vendors
- Your organisation is good at managing outsourcing contracts
- You have a clear HR Transformation roadmap with buy-in from business stakeholders
- Your procurement team is comfortable running a vendor evaluation for a contract which usually involves technology, business, change
- You can tap into experience of the HRO lifecycle from conception, contract, transition to ongoing service delivery
 
 
The very useful DIY HRO deck illustrates the HRO journey, some great questions and is a good starter pack for those thinking of HRO, but don’t underestimate the complexity.  Maybe we need a “HRO Advisor” in a box?

 

4.  10 Lessons Learned in the Quest to Become Strategic in HR- from Cathy Missildine Martin at the Profitability Through Human Capital Blog

Here are some of Cathy’s lessons learned over the last several years working with HR Departments that chose to go through a dramatic change by moving to a strategic "Business Partner" approach to HR. This includes, “You can't be strategic if HR is not intimately involved with the organizational strategy.”
 

Great learnings expressed clearly and without jargon.

5. The Holy Grail…Human Capital Development Aligned to Strategy - from J. Keith Dunbar at the DNA of Human Capital

It’s always great to hear how the US Defence Intelligence Agency deals with people management challenges, and Keith is our man.  We particularly enjoyed this article as it highlighted the results of a very useful tool, assessing the differences between the perceptions of importance vs. effectiveness in people management.
 
They found a significant gap in Importance vs. Effectiveness (48%) in  "knowledge, skills and capability requirements to execute business strategy."  This indicates that this category is very important to the organisation, but not as effective as it needs to be. This can be useful information in helping to work out where to focus your efforts.
 
If you are interested in Importance vs Effectiveness tools, check our HR Effectiveness Survey as well as the excellent IBM paper on Workforce Analytics which is downloadable from Keith’s article.

 

6.  Lynda Tyler Cagni, ex Ermenegildo Zegno on HR 2.0 – from Jon Ingham's Strategic HCM Blog

What is HR 2.0 exactly?  Nobody explains the vision and the practicalities as passionately as Jon Ingham. Here is a case study, which always helps, from the retail group, Ermengegildo Zegno. “It’s about building collaborative enterprises and HR can play a big role in enabling this, and it’s a train that’s already left the station – HR needs to get on board quick.”   

This is a great case study providing useful insights.

 

7. HR Technology Trends for 2010  – from John Sumser on HR Examiner

This is a useful presentation on HR Technology Trends from John Sumser.  But what on earth is the “Sumser Curve”?

 

8. Government sets up efficiency hit squad – and warns HR to prepare for a storm – from Rick at Flip Chart Fairy Tales

Governments are planning to transform public services to reduce their cost of delivery to cope with the structural deficits. 
 
Sir Peter Gershon is now advising the UK Government and says “HR functions will need to be on top form to prepare departments for the ‘shock wave’ of the government’s cost-reduction scheme”.
 
 With the public-sector pay bill standing at £174 billion in 2008, and procurement costs totalling £220 billion, HR skills will be very much at the forefront of reducing “unsustainable” spending.     This task will be all the tougher as HR functions themselves needing to be simplified, just when their skills are most needed, Gershon said.
 
Rick, from Flip Chart Fairy Tales sees problems ahead and outlines how HR will have to put their own house in order by shifting transactional activities into shared service functions and reducing the ratios of HR staff to employees.

 

 

9. Could the Whitehall reshuffle lead to one massive government back office?  – from Inside Outsourcing at Computer Weekly

 
Can the government realise the potential of government back office sharing?  If all the government business processing capabilities were brought together you would have a resource bigger and more efficient than any supplier. 
 
Any move of this nature would probably require a large amount of consulting and supplier support. 
 
Is there any ambition to creating a world class HR Services in the UK?   Does the Government have the appetite to deliver standardised policies and processes, using common platforms and asking managers to manage their teams?
 

I am not sure there is much appetite for huge Government investment programmes – but some intriguing questions all the same…


10.  Met chief: HR could be “priced out as an expensive overhead”
– interview with Martin Tiplady, HR Review

During the UK election, David Cameron , now the UK Prime Minister, in a live TV debate mentioned that there were too many police officers working as “form fillers” in HR in London’s police force, the Met.  Read the subsequent debate in Xpert HR  "David Cameron Hits out at Metropolitan "HR Waste" and also see our article about HR ratios "HR Benchmarks : A government health warning"
This article from Martin Tiplady provides some clarification on HR ratios at the Met and his openness is respected.  His message to others in the UK Public Sector is that “HR could be priced out as an expensive overhead".   So HR be warned – you have had your collar felt by the long arm of the Met!
 

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Top 10 HR Transformation Articles in May

May brought a new coalition government in the UK – will this bring in a new era of collaboration and compromise? And if it does, how will the next generation of social media tools enable us to reach out to a broader and more diverse group of individuals ? Our first link below includes two videos which address this. 
 
With painful cuts being made to many industry sectors, cost effective recruiting is important. Which poses the question, if you only had one recruiting tool to use, which would it be?  Speaking of questions, one of favourite HR Bloggers, Sharlyn Lauby, aka HR Bartender, recently interviewed one of our favourite academics, Professor David Ulrich. Sharlyn asks Professor Ulrich what his favourite tipple is, with a refreshing response. What question would you ask the guru of HR Transformation?  From academics to the HR bloggers, we’ve listed the best for you, and also cover the rapidly changing HR Outsourcing industry, keeping down the costs of ERP implementation, some career management tips and finally some much needed humour.
 
We hope you enjoy the articles, and get in touch with any Top 10 articles ideas @AndySpence on Twitter.

 

1.  Two superb videos charting social change next generation social media -  from Andy Headworth, Sirona Says Blog

Social Media is important in transforming HR and people management. This article has two superb videos on next Generation Media, from an excellent blog. Andy always has a finger on the pulse of new developments in social media and recruitment.

2.  Interview with David Ulrich – from Sharlyn Lauby, HR Bartender

It is great to see Professor David Ulrich using social media with an online Q&A with Sharlyn at the HR Bartender blog. David is promoting his new book written with his wife, Wendy, called the “Why of Work”.

 
“We almost all seek meaning in one way or another. It is a universal need to have a life worth living. An abundant organization is where meaning is created for the individual, value is created for those the organization serves, and hope is offered to humanity.”
 
We now have the ultimate HR Transformer to follow on Twitter @Dave_Ulrich (and have updated our lists detailed on HR Transformers on Twitter

 

3. If you only had one source to find candidates – from Boolean Black Belt

The question is “if you were limited to only 1 method/specific source for identifying candidates to contact, engage and recruit, which would you choose, and why? “ Follow the link to find out the responses which say a lot about how social media is transforming People Management.

4.  Go Lean: Minimize customizations and reduce overall TCO in Oracle ERP implementation (Part 1) – from Infosys Oracle Blog

IT project implementations do not have a good record of delivering on time and to budget. Here are some good tips about minimising ERP customisations and reducing Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). This team are Oracle experts, but the lessons apply to other applications.  Also of interest, check out our Top 5 Reasons HR Projects Fail.

5. HRO Market update – from Linda Merritt, HRO Insights – Nelson Hall

Here is a good overview of the HR Outsourcing market from Nelson Hall’s blog, HRO Insights. “The HRO provider financials reporting season for the first quarter of 2010 ended kind of flat”.   As predicted on the HR Transformer Blog, we have had more consolidation in the HRO industry, see the link for the latest acquisition, ACS (now combined with Xerox) buys Excellerate HRO from HP. HP lost their appetite for this market, a shame as the industry could do with HP’s experience of ‘commoditizing’ HR services. It will be interesting to see how ACS develops Excellerate HROs technology platform in the future.

 

6.  New SaaS/HRO service from Caliber Point – from Information Week

A new SaaS/HRO Service has been launched by the techies at Caliber Point. Rupublic is a multi-tenanted HR Platform, available as Software as a Service (SaaS), based on the latest Oracle HR Software, with a HR Outsourcing service. For some organisations this could be a dream solution – no technology maintenance overheads or systems administrators plus variable costing. Contact us if you want a more detailed view of the pros and cons of this new service.

7.   Top 50 HR Blogs to watch in 2010 – from Evan Carmichael
For those who have read the HR Transformer Blog and still want to read more interesting articles on HR and Talent, we add two links to recent Top HR Bloggers lists, put together by Fistful of Talent and Evan Carmichael – some good reads here including links to our favourite bloggers. Spot any HR Transformers?

8.  Managing Tomorrow Today – from Mary Ann Downey at i4cp

“The Future ain’t what it used to be”.  The trend-watchers at i4cp reviewed one of their original articles from 2000 on the role of futurism in business strategy, in particular HR. Here they note the progress made over the last 10 years, with some useful recommendations.

9.  10 career management tips in the age of job fear – from Lance Haun, Rehaul
Here are 10 Career Management Tips from Lance’s Rehaul blog, it’s always worth reflecting on where we are heading in any economic environment. This includes the intriguing advice "Don’t be a lurker or a slug"

10.  One FTE
And finally – we have to end on a funny one which brightened up our day, thanks to Laurie @PunkRockHR for this tip on Twitter. 1.00 FTE - a very dry look at corporate life, check out their Top 10.

 

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Top 10 HR Transformation Articles in April

April has been a bumper month for a good selection of HR Transformation related articles, from using 6 Sigma in recruitment, optimising your HR Shared Services, to how the iPad can help HR.
Here is a a leading question, 'Are Performance Management appraisals the Great Evil?'  Election fever is gripping the UK and the main political parties are locking horns in a final show down.  The last three articles here deal with UK Government policies including a comparison of the main parties manifestos on skills and training.

1.  6 Sigma Recruiting – from Jason Buss, The Talent Buzz

6-Sigma can work in HR when used in the right context, with the right skills. It works really well with higher volume for repeatable processes like recruitment. In the right hands, the results are dramatic and can pay for your Black Belt many times over.  This article also includes a useful slide deck.

2.  HR Shared Services Optimisation: Attaining the full potential of HR Shared Services – from Outsourcing World

This is a good post about how to get the most out of HR Shared Services. You have gone through the blood, sweat and tears of getting the model working, so what do you do next? Here are 10 excellent ideas and suggested initiatives. Find out more about “leaner, not meaner HR” and “HR orphans”.

3.  5 ways to torpedo your next HR sale – from Mark Stelzner, Inflexion Advisors
We often facilitate vendor evaluations for HR Services and we've seen lots of pitches over the years ranging from the incredible to the incredulous, to the downright dreadful. This is a candid post which outlines the ways HR vendors can “fail spectacularly”.   Do you recognise any of these “torpedos” ? We do too.

4.  Workday and the unspoken benefits of SaaS – from Phil Wainewright, ZDNet
This is a good article about Software as a Service (SaaS).

“Our estimate is Workday is at least 25%, perhaps 50% cheaper than on-premise competitors Oracle or SAP, mainly due to the simpler implementation and process configuration of the Workday solution.” according to Aviva.

Cost is one of many issues when considering future HR Tech options, but the above statement is a powerful claim.  What does your IT Director think about SaaS ?

5.  How the iPad Can Change HR – from Jason Corsello, KI OnDemand
Is an iPad a big iPod or a laptop with a big screen? I am not sure because I am still waiting for my evaluation copy. (subtle hint to Apple)

Large proportions of the workforce in retail & manufacturing industries have limited access to PCs.  In the design of HR Operating models a big challenge is how to get these employees to access HR service channels, including self-service HR applications and tools to manage vacancies, book courses and update personal info. 

We need to use all the ‘pull factors’ we can to get employees to use HR services and providing a few iPads could be worth considering for certain groups of.  Jason outlines examples from streamlining mundane and repetitive forms, interactive training, performance management and perhaps the area with most potential ‘mobilising HR’.

6.  Performance Evaluations: "The Great Evil"? – from Mike Haberman, HR Observations Blog
Is Performance Management The Great Evil? Systems Thinkers think so and it would seem that many employees think so too. Does the effort pay off and should HR focus their efforts on other initiatives to improve employee performance?

"This corporate sham is one of the most insidious, most damaging, and yet most ubiquitous of corporate activities. Everybody does it, and almost everyone who's evaluated hates it. It's a pretentious, bogus practice that produces absolutely nothing that any thinking executive should call a corporate plus." Quoted in the article from authors Samual A. Culbert and Lawerence Rout.

Strong words indeed, but a thought provoking article and interesting discussion which represents different views on the subject.

7.  If eLearning is still not seen as effective – how will social learning take off?- from Martin Couzins, XpertHR
eLearning has proven to be a cost-effective way to deliver training in  certain areas and the potential for Social Learning is great given the tools, connectivity and knowledge we now have at our fingertips.

However a recent survey by CIPD, on UK Training methods, found that eLearning was floundering at the bottom of the pile on 12% (it was 7% in 2009).  Martin asks a really good question, if eLearning is still not seen as effective – how will social learning take off?
Another question for us is :- if eLearning is a cost-effective way to deliver training, why isn't it used more by organisations?

8.  Election 2010 Briefing – skills and training – from CIPD
The UK election is on May 6th, but when choosing which party to vote for, how important are their policies on Skills and Training?

To grow the economy, enabling the workforce with the right skills and training is absolutely key.   This is a useful three page summary of the main parties manifestos on skills and training. It includes apprenticeships, youth unemployment and internships.

9.  Don’t bank on efficiency savings – from Flip Chart Fairy Tales
The Conservatives say they can get £12 billion more efficiency savings out of the UK public sector than the government has claimed.    “Back-office efficiencies” are proposed by all politicians to reduce the deficit to a more manageable level.  Rick points out the problem with efficiency savings is that they are "probably unachievable".  Developing a realistic business case is difficult work but Rick suggsts the politicians need a reality check.  For more on HR efficiencies in the public sector, see our article about Government Benchmarks – a Government Health Warning.

10.  HR Transformation in Local Government - from Nicola Grimshaw, director at Digby Morgan writing in Changeboard
This is a good article about HR Transformation trends in UK Local Government.  It picks up on trends in collaborative working, headcount freezes and outsourcing.  Nicola reckons that 75% of all local authorities are in the process of adopting an Ulrich style HR Operating Model.

We hope you enjoyed our latest and greatest HR Transformation Articles for April.

Many thanks for the feedback for our Top 10 HR Transformation Articles from March, as always we would welcome any suggested articles, or follow us on Twitter @AndySpence.

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Stop, Start, Continue – A Guide for HR Transformers

We are officially in Spring and in this part of the Northern Hemisphere we have heard the sound of bleating lambs and seen the yellow blaze of cheery daffodils.  It is also a traditional time to blow out the cobwebs, air the mattress and perhaps get round to doing an organisational spring-clean.

Over time every department picks up activities that were meant to be ‘temporary’, done as a ‘workaround’ or done as part of an agreement between people who left years ago. These tasks still get done but we overlook the original purpose and value to the organisation. This stops us from doing tasks that are more productive or useful.

Stop, Start, Continue Guide for HR Transformers

An exercise we find useful is a Stop, Start & Continue review.

 

- Simply list all the activities you do in a particular area, department or role.

- Decide which activities you will now STOP as they are no longer useful or add little value

- Determine which activities you just have to CONTINUE, as they keep the show on the road

- And then having created some spare capacity, ADD those activities that have been on the To Do list for much too long that you plan to START.

We have found this spring clean useful at an individual level, for a role e.g. HR Business Partner or for a function, e.g. Human Resources. In the context of HR Transformation, we often use this technique as a preliminary step before allocating HR activities to a part of the new organisation structure or in designing new roles. This exercise works well as a facilitated session with small groups. It sounds obvious but it is important to eliminate redundant activities before designing a new organisation.

Download our Stop, Start, Continue Worksheet below:

Here are some examples of Stop, Start, Continue activities that have come out of similar sessions with HR :-

Stop

 

Doing line managers work with employee performance issues

Organising the Christmas Party

Creating manual reports every month without automating

Renewing contracts without assessing the market

Manually entering data into a system because of that temporary system workaround from the upgrade in 2004

Continue

Delivering excellent employment advice

To work with business leaders to plan future scenarios

To coach teams on improving performance

Start

Investigate how social media tools can reduce the cost of recruitment

Determine and measure HR cost drivers

Find out what Managers really think about HR service

Develop a HR Monthly Dashboard

Reviewing contracts with HR suppliers

Let us know, what will you Stop, Start and Continue in 2010?

 

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Top 10 HR Transformation Articles of the Month

Spring is in the air and the forces of nature are unstoppable, perhaps inspired, some of our favourite bloggers, analysts and writers are in great form.  With talk of revolutions in HR, some systems thinking, the economics of Software as a Service (SaaS) and the use of artificial intelligence in HR.  In March there was also some big news in the HR Outsourcing industry, with Northgate Arinso acquiring Convergys HRO business. It’s always useful to have a peek over our shoulder at what the Finance community are up to. And while we are thinking of numbers (sort of), we get an economists ‘dismal’ view of management.

1 – The Evolution Debate and HR, from Andy Gebavi – Infusion Nation

Any transformation of an organization takes time, but which is better, a revolution in HR practices or a more evolutionary approach? It depends on the context, but Andy outlines the pros and cons of each approach. Our take is that systems and processes can be changed relatively quickly, but genuine transformation involves changing behaviours which generally evolves in step-changes over time.

2 – Some Days are Better than Others, from Glyn Lumley – The HR Maverick

Why are some days better than others? Glyn observes that when things go wrong “Most of the blame seems to be laid at the door of individual employees”.  But organisations are a complex interaction between people, processes, technology and the environment. Could it be something in the system?

3 – CFO = Value Integrator…CHCO = ?,  from J.Keith Dunbar – The DNA of Human Capital

Ulrich and colleagues have often explained that the change imperative in HR is also happening to different degrees in Finance and other functions.  Keith looks over the fence at the finance community with reference to an IBM Global Chief Financial Officer CFO study. The report refers to the CFO as a Value Integrator, so what does this make our Chief Human Capital Officer CHCO (not a title we like) or HR Director?

4 – Building the Perfect HR Team, from Trish McFarlane – HR Ringleader

Do you need a HR background to be in HR? We had a similar debate last year, with Do You Need a HR Background To Be a Successful HR Director. Trish, who during the day works as a HR Business Partner, asks the question, but goes further.  If you were a ‘fantasy HR Manager’, who would you have in your team? A view on HR skills that will be in demand in the future.

5 – The Management Con, from Chris Dillow – Stumbling and Mumbling

What are we doing highlighting articles from the ‘dismal science’ on the HR Transformer Blog. Well, everyone is interested in economics now aren’t they? Stumbling and Mumbling is a good read and Chris Dillow is a financial writer with attitude, who asks the question, What do Bosses Do? A good question, we may not agree with his answer, but always enjoy some NHS number crunching which he uses to illustrate his view.

6 – Top Reasons for ERP Project Delays –from ERPKO

Unclear critical paths, indecisive decision making and unrealistic expectations – sound familiar?   Most HR Transformation programmes involve getting the most out of HR Technology, including ERP systems such as Oracle or SAP. Delays in the roll-out of new systems are a big problem for HR. Loss of credibility, budget over-run, service delivery issues – the list goes on.  By now, we have seen them all, but do we know what causes them and how to prevent them happening? Sufficient planning, right skills at the right time and a robust governance model all help in our experience. (Thanks to @DougLubin and @rfsilva123 on Twitter for this article.)

7 – How SaaS makes a good free option, from Dennis Howlett, AccMan

Fed up with ERP delays? It might be worth reading more about SaaS. More and more  HR organizations are buying Software as a Service solutions such as SuccessFactors and Workday. Dennis considers the economic model and psychological appeal.  You need to understand the different commercial models as well as the fit with your business requirements. Some conversational topics to bring up with the IT Director when you meet her in the lift!  This article was spotted in our HR-Transformers-Techies Twitter Group.

8 – Employee self-service – Can HR keep up with the pace of self-service technology?, from David Woods at HR Magazine.      

All the evidence points to self-service saving time and money yet take-up remains low and the technology is becoming ever more advanced. David Woods looks at why HR is dragging its feet. There is also evidence that self-service does not always save time and money but what caught our eye, was that Self-service is moving into artificial intelligence. Early adopter Aviva took the decision to launch an automated Ask HR response service for its 23,500 employees back in 2006.  Aviva employees type in a question and with the help of the language search engine, suitable answers are brought up instantly from the web-based knowledge base. Since installing Ask HR, 69% of all HR enquiries are now handled through the system, reducing telephone calls and allowing HR staff to focus on more complex queries.

9 – Northgate Arinso Buys its way to top spot in enterprise HRO and it only cost them 100m
, from Horses for Sources

This was big news for the industry in March. By acquiring Convergys HRO business, Northgate Arinso have acquired US HR Service Centre Capability and ready made clients for its HRIS team. The news shakes up the HR Outsourcing industry and creates a Global Leader in an expanding industry with Headquarters in the UK. This was also covered on the day by the HR Transformer Blog – in HR Outsourcing – The Challenge of Picking Winners.   On the subject of industry news, you might already be familiar with the Horses for Sources blog, this has now spawned a new analyst firm, Horses for Sources. We are looking forward to reading the same quality of thinking on outsourcing trends in HR.

10 – Does HR Outsourcing Really Work? From Deloitte

Before we get too excited about HR Outsourcing, does HRO really work? Our friends at Deloitte say HR Outsourcing works when you do it right. The same answer would also apply if you replaced ‘HRO’ with any complex change programme such as a new IT system or move to HR Shared Services. However HRO has had some mixed results for a variety of reasons. The good news is that in 2010 we have over 10 years of lessons learned, case studies and battle scars to learn from….worth reading if you are considering outsourcing HR functions.
We hope you enjoyed our HR Transformation Articles for March.
 
Please suggest articles and HR Transformers worth following on Twitter @AndySpence.
 
And finally, Happy Easter!

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HR Transformers on Twitter

So you are no longer a HR Twitter Virgin, you have got yourself a Twitter username, added your appealing bio and uploaded your best photo. You may also have found your favourite celebrity tweeter, or your favourite magazines on Twitter.

HRTransformers on Twitter

Now it's time to really dig a bit deeper into your particular 'thing'. At Glass Bead Consulting , our particular 'thing' is HR Transformation , improving people management in organisations by applying various techniques and tools in technology, skills and solutions. This includes a broad group of people including HR professionals, writers, academics, consultants, vendors, technologists and various others who are interested in improving people management.

We have created different lists of 'HR Transformers' using a feature called Twitter Lists, primarily so we can read useful and relevant twitter streams. Many of these people have their own blogs and publications and we thought it might be useful to share these with you, so you can benefit from their views, resources and links. The lists are a starting point and new people are joining Twitter all the time – so please suggest others to follow and we will update.

HR Transformers on Twitter

1. HR Transformers-Bloggers Bloggers with a passion for HR transformation
2. HR Transformers-Analysts Industry analysts who have a focus on HR Technology, Human Capital Management or HR Outsourcing
3. HR Transformers-Writers HR Journalists or writers with an interest for HR Transformation
4. HR Transformers Techies HR Technology experts or suppliers
5. HR Transformers-Consultants HR consultants with a focus on HR Transformation
6. HR Transformers HR Outsourcing HR and BPO outsourcing vendors and commentators
7. HR Transformers Change Experts in managing change
8. HR Transformers OD Experts in Organisational Design
9. HR Publications HR Magazines and journals
10. Leadership Experts in leadership
11. Recruiters Those involved in recruitment with an interest in social media

We have also consolidated all of these lists to our own Listorious HR Transformers List which is a useful Twitter resource.

Please comment below on any other HR Transformers you recommend to follow on Twitter and we will add to the lists. Self-promotion is actively encouraged, especially for the shy and retiring Brits.

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