Wisconsin State Council SHRM 2010 Leadership Conference
August 6, 2010
The Future of HR
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CAUTION – Don’t let his dulcet tones lull you into a comfortable malaise. Mark’s about to make you work.
Agenda
3 Setting the Stage
“The world is a stage, but the play is badly cast.”
~ Oscar Wilde
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5 Reasons To Discredit My Presentation
1. We’ve only just met
2. I’m not currently living in the trenches
3. I abandoned Wisconsin as a child
4. It’s easy for me to say, “[insert major issue]”
5. Matt Stollak invited me
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“You Are HR”
[Note to self: Show that you understand their pain…
and try not to cry, okay?]
All joking aside: Our world is increasingly complex We are understaffed and overworked Funding is more difficult to secure There is tremendous pressure to outperform the
competition Innovation is critical
…. and this is true of every other corporate function!!
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The Morons Have Us On Speed Dial…
When no one else can handle the situation, we get the call. “How do I deal with an employee who….” “…talks too loud.” “…smells funny.” “…has a messy cubicle.” “…won’t play well with others.”
We are masters of the obvious: “What is our [dress code/holiday schedule/pet
insurance policy]?” “How do I [change my address/enroll in benefits/find
out my 401(k) balance/use the coffee maker]?”
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…But So Does The Board
When no one else can handle the situation, we get the call. “How do I deal with an employee who….” “…is leaving us for a top competitor.” “…might file a harassment suit.” “….mismanaged his department into turmoil.” “…lacks key skills for the succession plan.”
We are masters of the obvious: “What happens if we [freeze bonuses/cease health
care coverage/force 401(k) enrollment]?” “How do I [fire someone I don’t like/create the
appearance of diversity/get on the Best Companies to Work For]?”
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Polarizing Forces Are At Work
Hu
man
Reso
urce
s Stra
teg
y
9 The Future of HR
“The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time.”
~ Abraham Lincoln
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3 Paths For HR To Choose From
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1) Do Nothing – A Real Option
You’re understaffed and overwhelmed There’s little financial incentive at play Change is incredibly difficult You don’t have budget to fund a radical
overhaul You don’t know where/how to get started What can one person really do?
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2) Break It Apart – Accelerate The Trend
Outsource all the transactional work Absorb the remainder of the HR service
categories across the enterprise This is already happening
Payroll controlled by finance Risk and policies management owned by legal Employee health run by medical officer Employer branding run by marketing Employee and managerial contact consolidated under
shared services Learning as a separate function Talent management as a separate function
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3) Radically Transform – This Won’t Be Easy
Change the underlying attributes that attract and define HR professionals
Shed all transactional activities as distractions Transfer non-essential activities to sister functions Emphasize a strong business education above all
else Make vendor management and governance a
core competency Embrace metrics as the driving force of business The moment an alternative is available, exit the
health benefits business Make talent your cornerstone
14 The Business Case for Change
“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”
~ Victor Frankl
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5 Reasons People Change
1. They want to change
2. They want to avoid negative consequences
3. They are incented to change
4. The environment around them changes
5. Discovery that constructive change is possible
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Items We Must Change Immediately
Put a bullet in “Seat at the table” No other function laments its influence or position Seriously …just stop it …I’m not joking
Retire “Strategic business partner” Fundamentally shift our mentality Declare in both actions and words that HR has arrived
Clarify our taxonomy Resist the temptation to embrace vendor-drive squishy
terms Stop letting others define what HR is
Set a career path Making HR a more appealing destination Explore non-traditional applications of skillsets
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Why I’m Frustrated
Many of the optics haven’t changed Vendors are pushing and driving the
evolution of the function The expectation that an organizing
body/association will set the path Continued lamentation of the misfortune of
HR Little concern for legacy building A lack of recessionary authenticity
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Why I’m Encouraged
We’re having this conversation The opportunity to knowledge share and
brainstorm has never been easier We can learn from other functions that have
rapidly evolved A growing level of discontent with the status
quo We can actually pull it off (if we wanted to)
19 Questions And Answers
“The important thing is to not stop questioning. Curiosity has it’s own reason for existing.”
~ Albert Einstein
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Thank you!
Contact Information
Mark StelznerFounder – Inflexion Advisors, New Media Services, JobAngels.org
http://www.InflexionAdvisors.comhttp://www.NewMediaServicesllc.comhttp://www.JobAngels.org