The Changing Role of HR

Human Resources Competency Study

(HRCS)
Dave Ulrich, Wayne Brockbank (Michigan Ross school
of Business ) Dani Johnson, and Jon Younger
U.S. ,Australia, Canada, Europe, China, India
Methodology for data collection based on a 360degree methodology. Surveys were sent to HR
professionals (participants),who then gave them to
their colleagues (associates).
These surveys asked about the competencies and
performance of the HR professional and the
performance of the business where the HR
professionals worked.

Global HR Competencies
1987

Business
Knowledge

Change
Mgt

HR
Delivery

1992

Business
Knowledge

Change
Mgt

HR
Delivery

Personal
credibility

1997

Culture

Business
Knowledge

HRD

Change
Mgt

Personal
credibility

2002

Business
Knowledge

HRD

Personal
credibility

Strategic
Contributio
n

HR
Technology

2007

Talent
Mgt

Culture
& Change
steward

Business
Architect

Operational Business
Executor
Ally

2012

Strategic
Positioner

Credible
activist

Capability
Builder

Change
Champion

Credible
activists

HR
Technology
innovator & Proponents
integrator

HR Competency Model, 2007

2012 HR Competencies

Strategic Positioner
Studying the external influences that shape
the firms global condition
Understanding the perspectives of customers,
investors, partners, suppliers & other
stakeholders
Co crafting a strategic agenda

Credible Activist
Earning trust through results/ fulfilling
promises
Building personal relationship of trust
Developing point-of-view and influencing
others through clear, consistent and highimpact communication
To be credible activists, HR professionals need
to be self aware.

Capability Builder
Defining and building critical organizational
capability
Ex-customer service, speed, quality, efficiency,
innovation, collaboration
Aligning strategy, culture, processes, practices
and behaviour
Creating meaningful and purpose at work for
employees is capability which successful
organizations are looking for.

Change Champion
Initiating change
builds a case why Change matters
Overcome resistance to change
Engage key stakeholders in the process of change

Sustaining change
institutionalize change
Create organizations that are agile, flexible,
responsive

HR Innovator and Integrator

Effective HR professionals innovate &
integrate HR practices into unified solutions
and solve business problems.
Latest insights into HR practices

Technology Proponent

Increasingly important role of technology

Improving HR operations
Connecting people through technology
Leveraging social media to improve
organizational identity.

HR Competencies: Responses of HR &

Non HR
Roles

HR Respondents

Non HR Respondents

Strategic positioner

3.9

3.94

Credible activist

4.21

4.3

Capability builder

3.96

4.03

Change champion

3.94

3.96

HR innovator & Integrator

3.91

3.94

Technology proponent

3.76

3.78

The above figures represent the mean score. A 5point scale ranging from very little
to very large extent was used to seek the responses of around 20,000 respondents.