from hr generalist to consultant - greater valley …_2014_dinner_presentation.pdffrom hr generalist...
TRANSCRIPT
{
From HR Generalist to Consultant
How to Position Yourself as an Advisor
Emily V. Biscardi & Dave Desch
Why is this important?...
• Day to day operational and transactional focus can be outsourced
• Companies expect transactional HR to be performed well – visibility is only when things go wrong
• Business climate has evolved and so should the role of the HR professional
Realities…
• Solving business problems gets you a seat at the table
• Able to leverage knowledge of internal organization
• The consulting process helps you become more successful in creating impact & change
Opportunities…
Consultant-
A person who provides expert advice professionally; anyone attempting to help others affect a change.
Internal Consultant-
Someone who operates within an organization but is available to be consulted on areas of specialism by other departments or individuals.
Definitions
Internal Consultant External Consultant
Deep organizational perspective
Broad business perspective- new ideas
Perceived as an organizational ‘agent’
Perceived as objective
Knows the people, but may have preconceptions
Needs time to understand the people
Credibility through history of interactions within the business
Credibility through brand status and previous experience
Key Differences in Roles
1. The Evolution of Human Resources
2. Skills and attributes of a consultant
3. Case Studies
4. Questions
5. Resources
Our Time Together
The Evolution of HR H
R N
ame
HR
Iss
ues
Industrial Revolution
Labor Relations
People as inter-
changeable parts
Civil Service & Civil Rights
Personnel
Workers’ rights; Legal
compliance & reporting—
“policy police”
Service Economy
Mergers & Acquisitions
HR People
Human Relations Theories
Modern Organizations;
Technology
Human Capital
“Morphing”– transactional
business units get
outsourced
Global Economy
Challenged to be an effective internal
consulting organization
1900s 1920s – 1960s 1980s 2000s 2010s
Evolution of HR Function
Labor Relations Personnel
Human Resources People
Human Capital
A Century of Evolution in the HR Function
Add Value
Imp
act
to t
he
Bu
sin
ess
Limit Liability
Safety & Workers’ Comp Compliance
Labor/Union Relations
Benefits
Compensation HRIS
Employee Relations Training &
Development Performance Management
Survey Action Planning
Diversity & EEO
Staffing & Talent Management
HR as Business Partner
Organization Design
Culture & Image
Strategic HR Planning
HR Career Progression
HR Assistant/Intern
HR Generalist
Recruiter HR
Specialist
HR Manager
Senior Recruiter
Advanced Specialist Role-
Benefits, Training, etc
HR Director
Recruiting Manager
SME Consultant
VP of HR CHRO
Building Blocks to Consulting Capability
Consulting
HR Functional Skills
Business Acumen
Business Strategy
Step 1: HR Functional Skills
• HR Functional Knowledge
• Training & Development
• Compensation • Benefits • HRIS • Employee
Communication
• Legal Compliance
• Labor Relations
• Employee Relations
• Staffing
• Diversity & EEO
• Performance Mgmt
• Succession Planning
Building Blocks to Consulting Capability
Consulting
HR Functional Skills
Business Acumen
Business Strategy
Step 2: Business Acumen
• Industry
• Organization
• People
• Financial Acumen
• Business Savvy
• Marketing & Messaging
• Operations Knowledge
• Customers
• Competitors
• Partners
• Economic Climate
Building Blocks to Consulting Capability
Consulting
HR Functional Skills
Business Acumen
Business Strategy
Step 3: Business Strategy
• HR Strategy
• Organizational Culture
• Talent Strategy
• Product Development
• Organizational Development
• Continuous Improvement
• Marketplace Trends
• Business Objectives
Building Blocks to Consulting Capability
Consulting
HR Functional Skills
Business Acumen
Business Strategy
Building Blocks to Consulting Capability
Relationship
Building
Expectation Management &
Conflict Handling
Active Listening
Advising
Relationship Building
• Build rapport
• Show an interest in the client’s success, skin in the game, investment
• Know your audience
• Be willing to ‘fall on the sword’
• Seek to know more- don’t jump to conclusions, gather information
• Don’t interrupt
• Take notes
• Repeat what you think you heard
Active Listening
• Determine if there are any implied expectations based on faulty information
• Keep your clients informed; Identify issues
• Do not promise things you can’t deliver
• Have the courage to address, open up issues
Expectation Management & Conflict Handling
• Present recommendations
• Data! Data! Data!
• Identify pros & cons; limitations
• Cite industry best practices
• Share your own professional experiences
Advising
Building Blocks to Consulting Capability
Consulting
HR Functional Skills
Business Acumen
Business Strategy
This Rather than…
Show up early Show up on time
Sense of urgency- pace, rhythm Just on time responses
Updates, quick responses Withhold information, unaware
Proactive- anticipate needs, questions
Reactive
Investment in outcome Doing a job
Subject matter expert, trusted advisor
Taking “orders”
Set and manage expectations Avoid issues, deny
Opening up & resolving issues, Saying yes- to please, to avoid confrontation
Behaviors of a Consultant
Case Studies
• Software development company has hard time finding AJAX language programmers.
• Call center operation receives low customer satisfaction scores for responsiveness and friendliness.
• Healthcare benefit rates are rising significantly. The company is also forecasting to lose over 30% of it’s workforce in the next 5 years due to retirement.
Learn More
• ASTD
• Consulting Skills Training & Certificate
• Books
• Peter Block:
• Flawless Consulting: a Guide to Getting Your Expertise Used
• Flawless Consulting Fieldbook & Companion: A Guide to Understanding Your Expertise
• Dave Ulrich:
• HR Transformation, Building Human Resources from the Outside In
• HR from the Outside In
Thank you
Emily V. Biscardi
CEO, Xelerate
(610) 716-1910
Dave Desch
VP, Global HR, Aris Global
(203) 588-3008