Unless we adopt a questioning approach to everyday work there can be no improvement. Yet many developments in corporate life and in human resources in particular, come not from a positive desire for improvement but from events or influences that force change. Sudden resignations, takeovers, downsizing and legislation all come into this category.

Seeing ahead

A late New Year’s resolution might be to regain control over the future of HR in our business and decide the path which we will blaze rather than follow others.

Nowhere is it more important to have a good understanding of the present and some vision of the future than in HR-related activities. So practitioners should take time out to achieve this understanding.  There are several levels on which to do this. Look at:

·        How much it costs to deliver HR internally

·        What do the customers want and how can HR meet their requirements

·        How does HR compare, at a headline level, against industry and best practice standards

·        Does HR meet legislative and professional standards

·        Are the HR processes and systems as finely tuned as they could be to meet the developing demands of the business?

Each provides a starting point and potential for a stake in the ground from which benchmarking measurements can be achieved.

Real improvements