Human Resources Management
The transformation of HR: changing to improve the bottom line
Karen Isely - Mercer Human Resource Consulting, Marsha Sussman - Mercer Human Resource Consulting
For further queries, contact:
Marsha on 03 9245 5799, or Karen on 02 8272 6319
Email: marsha.sussman@mercer.com
Email: karen.isely@mercer.com
Imagine your finance function 30 years ago. Then responsibility for sophisticated financial strategies rested with the same part of the organisation as the day-to-day transactions. To deliver what the business needed, the function was transformed - bisected, so to speak, so that financial strategy could be created and executed (the CFO role), while operations could be managed (the Controller role). That's what needs to happen in HR - because our research shows that there is a gap between what CEOs need and what HR is delivering.
The good news is that many HR functions in Australia have begun this journey. To be effective - and to deliver the value to the business that the function must demonstrate - the transformation needs to focus on the people in HR and the way they deliver service. This article, the first of two, looks at the transformation currently being undertaken by HR and the factors that will contribute to its being able to deliver what the business needs. In the next article in this series (to be published in coming months), we will take a closer look at the issues involved in developing and expanding HR capability and in measuring HR - moving from cost to value.
How and why is HR transforming?
A recent study1 by Mercer Human Resource Consulting (Mercer) has found that HR executives recognise the need to transform their functions if they are going to help their organisations meet the ambitious people management goals they have set.
Our 2001 research study, Transforming HR: understanding the human resource evolution, interviewed and surveyed HR executives from over 100 Australian and 33 New Zealand organisations.
The research clearly shows that
Karen Isely - Mercer Human Resource Consulting, Marsha Sussman - Mercer Human Resource Consulting
For further queries, contact:
Marsha on 03 9245 5799, or Karen on 02 8272 6319
Email: marsha.sussman@mercer.com
Email: karen.isely@mercer.com
Imagine your finance function 30 years ago. Then responsibility for sophisticated financial strategies rested with the same part of the organisation as the day-to-day transactions. To deliver what the business needed, the function was transformed - bisected, so to speak, so that financial strategy could be created and executed (the CFO role), while operations could be managed (the Controller role). That's what needs to happen in HR - because our research shows that there is a gap between what CEOs need and what HR is delivering.
The good news is that many HR functions in Australia have begun this journey. To be effective - and to deliver the value to the business that the function must demonstrate - the transformation needs to focus on the people in HR and the way they deliver service. This article, the first of two, looks at the transformation currently being undertaken by HR and the factors that will contribute to its being able to deliver what the business needs. In the next article in this series (to be published in coming months), we will take a closer look at the issues involved in developing and expanding HR capability and in measuring HR - moving from cost to value.
How and why is HR transforming?
A recent study1 by Mercer Human Resource Consulting (Mercer) has found that HR executives recognise the need to transform their functions if they are going to help their organisations meet the ambitious people management goals they have set.
Our 2001 research study, Transforming HR: understanding the human resource evolution, interviewed and surveyed HR executives from over 100 Australian and 33 New Zealand organisations.
The research clearly shows that