Dave Ulrich: HR developments over three decades

Down the years there has been widespread discussion about the value of HR, though much of it is anecdotal as people tend to make judgments based solely on their own personal experience.

A more objective picture is provided by a research project into HR competencies, jointly sponsored by the University of Michigan, Ross School of Business Executive Education and The RBL Group, the consulting company founded by an HR expert and the author of the concept of HR business partnering Dave Ulrich.

The research was conducted in seven separate stages, commencing in 1987 and ending in 2016. Altogether, 90,000 responses from participants were analysed.

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The project’s findings and implications were the subject of an article by HR expert Dave Ulrich at hrmagazine.co.uk.

The study’s findings may guide HR people in prioritising certain aspects of their work.

Key findings

1. Growing complexity of HR

The number of domains increased from just three in 1987 (business knowledge, HR delivery and management of change) to nine in 2016 and the content of the original domains has also undergone change.

2. Better average scores

HR people rated themselves and were also rated by others. Ratings for the overall competence of HR professionals showed a significant improvement over the relevant period.

3. Self-criticism

Throughout the 30-year period, the ratings HR participants gave themselves were consistently lower than the ratings they received from non-HR people.

Implications

1. Acknowledge progress

The competency results demonstrate a standard 20-60-20 distribution which applies to HR in the same way as in finance or other professions. This means that 20% of people in the profession are exceptional, bringing value and helping organizations move forward. The other 20% are stuck in their thinking and lack the ability or interest to bring any true value to the organization, and the remaining 60% are in the middle, between the two extremes.

People in the field often tend to judge the profession as a whole by the bottom 20%. Given the progress made, it would be better to seek inspiration from the top 20%.

2. More scientific approach

Much has been written on the subject of HR but all too often the authors give the impression of trying to re-invent the wheel, rather than building on the body of research and knowledge that already exists.

3. Going beyond competencies

Though the study did measure the average HR competencies, it is not so much the competencies in themselves that are important, but rather the outcomes which result from them, such as personal effectiveness or stakeholder value.

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Article source HR Magazine - a leading British magazine and website focused on HR
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