Strengthening Your HR Capacity

The Government of Canada Perspective

Margaret Van Amelsvoort-ThomsExecutive Director, Office of the Chief HR Officer

Government of CanadaApril 5, 2013

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The Evolving Role of HR – David Ulrich

• David Ulrich, one of the most influential leaders in Human Resources, highlights the following:– HR’s role needs to be articulated in terms of value added.– HR professionals must be able to partner with managers on strategy – move

from activity-focused to results-focused.– The strategic partner role demands a degree of knowledge about strategy and

the organization.– Results-based HR organizations are automating the transactional work, and

innovating transformational work (e.g. how to attract and motivate young employees, etc.)

– HR Professionals must know the business, master HR practices, manage change processes, help create cultures and workplaces, and demonstrate credibility.

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Some Questions That we are Asking

• Do you consider HR as “Professionals”? • Can HR translate external trends into impacts on your

organization?• Does HR aim to establish a partnership with managers

based on clear, consistent and credible communication?• Does HR support the organization during change?• Do you consider HR to be innovative?• Overall, does HR add clear and significant value to your

organization? (i.e. do managers feel that their unit would be less successful without HR?)

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HR Vision

HR based on:• Enabling Department Leaders to achieve business

objectives through provision of expert, strategic advice and guidance relative to People Management

• Maximizing efficiency and effectiveness through best service delivery model/offerings to clients;

• Maximizing technology to enable manager and employee self-service based on common processes and standardized systems

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The Government of Canada Workplace in 2015 and Beyond

Some trends across organizations:• Explore new service delivery models• Use of modern technology to do business• Common business processes

• Moving towards a 21st Century Organization– Clear mission and longer-term goals– Faster decision making and quicker “reaction time”– Close linkages to partners inside and outside government– Intelligent People Management - Clear performance

expectations

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The Government of Canada Workforce in 2015 and Beyond

• Leaner and more agile workforce• Diversity and bilingualism continue to be valued• Added core value of Stewardship

Some emerging skills to support a high performing workforce:– Versatile and agile– Innovative– Results-focused, productive, efficient– Responsive: Embrace change and transformation– Leveraging technology better– Stronger communication– Values-based leadership– Analysis / Policy focus

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Where Were We

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Legend:_____ = Current state _____ = Expected 3 year state _____ = Optimal state

* 2010 results of an HR community focus group

HR Workforce Maturity Model Manager Perceptions

• HR enforces rules and doesn’t enable results.

• HR professionals are focused on transactions and not strategic advice

• Not a productive relationship between managers and HR

• Unclear responsibilities / expectations between managers and HR

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Building the HR Capacity to get there…

• Common HR business processes as the foundation

• Explore new service delivery models and modern technologies

• Moving towards generic work descriptions and competencies for the HR Community

• Other essentials:– Values– Relationships– Competences

9

Common HR Business Processes

• In 2006/07, the Government of Canada leveraged global best practices to initiate the design of common human resources business processes, in an effort to:– Streamline and simplify– Address inconsistencies– Address unnecessary costs– Improve HR service delivery

• Being implemented across departments; foundational to the Government of Canada’s vision of HR service delivery.

• Implemented across departments by March 2014.

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Enhancing the Service Delivery Model

• With a foundation of common HR business processes in place, the Government of Canada is exploring modern HR service delivery models to further:– Reduce costs– Enable efficiencies and productivity

• To date, the Government of Canada has centralized Pension services and are in the process of centralizing Pay/Compensation services.

• More work is underway to find efficiencies through modern service delivery models.– Focus on automation– Leverage modern IT tools and Systems

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HR Generic Work Descriptions and Competencies

• Getting the right people, at the right time, with the right skills continues to be critical to strengthening our HR Capacity

Generic Work Descriptions

Work ascribed to a given occupational group and level within an organizational context

Community Competencies

Observable skills, abilities, and/or knowledge defined in terms of behaviours needed for successful job performance

• Foundation for HR community development

• Support and enable HR to manage their careers

• Facilitate hiring the right people

• Normalize performance expectations across HR community

• Supports retention

Drivers•Business needs•Service delivery

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Other Essentials• Values

– Values drive culture and shape behaviour and beliefs of members. HR needs to establish its values.

– Clearly establish and act on desired organizational values (e.g. client service, results oriented, etc.)

• Relationships– Should be meaningful, active and produce results (should exist

beyond law or policy)– Ensure key relationships are based on trust and credibility (HR

vs. Managers; Management vs. Unions)

• Competence– HR needs to understand its role and play it confidently– Understand, accept and be accountable for expectations

13

Look Beyond Legislation

• In 2003, the GoC made significant changes to the legislative framework for human resources management.

• The foundation is in place for good people management, but the results have not come as quickly as desired.

• A 5-year review of the legislative changes highlighted that successful people management goes beyond the legislation:– Strengthen values to shape the culture and behaviours– Focus on building relationships, not forcing them– Ensure clear expectations and responsibilities are in place for all– Make sure the wiring (infrastructure) is in place to enable

success

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Enabling Technology

StreamlinedPolicy Suite

HR Workforce Professionalization

CommonProcesses

Moving Towards Our Vision

Policies are simplified and standardized

Automated transactions; managers and employees able to self-serve. Same system across the PS. “We know our employees.”

Each organization does things the same way.

HR professionals provide value-added advice and services linked to

business objectives.

Growing partnership between HR and Managers

A culture shift is underway

HR Enterprise Model

HR business is delivered efficiently, effectively and consistently across the GoC.

HR Data

HR Data

HR Data

HR Data

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Questions?

Thank you!

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