The CIPD HR Profession Map outlines the tasks, information, and attitudes that the CIPD deems essential for HR professionals to consistently deliver value to their organization. This applies both currently and in the future. The map acts as a benchmark for successful and effective HR practitioners across all specialties within the profession. It also highlights the fundamental skills, behaviors, and knowledge required for an HR role. The map organizes Human Resources into 10 professional areas with four subdivisions each, while encompassing eight desired behaviors.
The 10 Professional areas outline the activities and knowledge required at four levels of professional competence, along with the corresponding behaviors. The Behaviors provide further detail on the behaviors necessary for executing these activities. Each behavior is categorized into four levels of professional competence and includes a list of contra-indicators that exemplify negative behavior.
The Map categorizes professional competence into four levels to reflect the hierarchy of the profession. It also provides guidance on how to progress from one level to another. I will focus on the Resourcing and Talent planning area within my HR role and highlight the most crucial activities and knowledge at either band 1 or band 2.
In my role as a recruitment/personnel assistant, I collaborate with my Area Leader and Senior Management to place resources where they are needed, ensuring that the business operates at its optimum level. My responsibilities encompass a variety of resource-related tasks, including strategic resourcing and talent management. As I have only been in this position for one year, I have been assigned to bands 1 and 2 in this professional field. This indicates that there are several areas in which I need to further develop, such as resourcing and on-boarding strategy and execution.
To improve in this area, I need to seek feedback from candidates who have been successful and unsuccessful, as well as from those who have sat on interview panels with me. It would also be beneficial to shadow Senior HR Managers during their interviews to learn tips and skills from them. Additionally, to gain a thorough understanding and enhance my skills in exit strategies and execution, it would be recommended to speak with someone who has gone through redundancy or severance programs.
It would also be valuable to have an outplacement consultancy to understand their services. Additionally, I could enhance our company’s processes by gathering feedback from individuals who have undergone redundancy and severance programs, incorporating their opinions on our existing policies and actions. As a recruitment/personnel assistant, there are several behaviors that pertain to my role. One of these behaviors is curiosity, where I actively seek feedback from HR personnel colleagues and managers who have more experience, incorporating their insights into my own practice.
I take pleasure in seeking opportunities to work on projects that can enhance my experiences and broaden my skills. Throughout my journey, I have cultivated strong relationships with Senior/Team Managers and employee relations by managing the entire recruitment and selection process. I have provided counsel, assistance, and direction during this process. To progress further, I aim to implement various improvements such as conducting a 360 degree appraisal to identify areas of growth and acquire the requisite skills.
I could expand my skills and experiences by finding projects and opportunities that would push me outside of my comfort zone and allow me to work with different peer departments. In terms of decision-making, I am a decisive thinker according to my HR Map assessment. I am ranked as a band 1 and 2 in this behavior category because I gather information from multiple sources, analyze and critique it, and then make a decision. I have a disciplined approach to problem analysis, creating potential conclusions, and determining the necessary next steps.
When it comes to decision-making, particularly in relation to my line manager’s decisions, I adopt a logical approach. I depend on common sense, standard procedure, and previous experience. When assigned a task with a specific deadline, I ensure that I gather all the required information to accomplish it within the given time frame. If there is any doubt about a decision I make, I can seek guidance from higher levels of the organization to clarify whether it falls under my responsibilities or if it should be delegated to another person.
Developing self-confidence and trust in decision-making is essential. Credibility is highly important to me, as evidenced by my Band 1 and Band 2 behavior evaluations. Being perceived as trustworthy and dependable at work is a top priority for me, as these qualities are vital for achieving professional success. As stated earlier, providing strong justifications for decisions is preferred when facing opposition, whether it be during interview feedback sessions or in initial regret emails.
To enhance my proficiency to a band 3, I believe it is imperative for me to concentrate on honing my leadership abilities, which entails being more assertive in my conduct and confidently expressing my perspective. Furthermore, in my present position, I am responsible for handling both HR duties and employee benefits matters. Hence, it is vital for me to prioritize my workload and ensure that all assignments are promptly completed. I adopt a proactive approach and possess a strong determination to achieve desired outcomes. To effectively manage my objectives and projects, I employ techniques such as creating a To Do List, scheduling calendar appointments, and prioritizing tasks based on urgency while utilizing color coordination.
I extend my working hours and frequently work from home to ensure timely completion of tasks. I consistently exhibit enthusiasm and dedication in overcoming obstacles to achieve desired outcomes. To create my development plan, I believe it would be beneficial to involve the HR team more in goal-setting and consider their diverse job functions to keep them motivated. If a task falls outside my responsibilities, I should delegate it to the appropriate team member rather than taking it on myself.
Within my To Do plan, I need to create a prioritized list so that urgent tasks are completed first. Additionally, I feel that I am at a band 1 and band 2 in the behaviour Courage to Challenge. This is likely because I am new to my current position and asking questions is necessary for my success. Through asking questions, I can clarify and fully understand an issue or a new area. During interviews and feedback sessions, I remain calm when faced with opposition and appropriately address challenges. If I have not completed a task well, I view it as an opportunity for improvement.
When conducting interviews, I collaborate with team managers who have a thorough understanding of the necessary resources. This collaboration enables me to determine the key areas of focus for interview questions and whether additional components, like testing, are needed. To improve my proficiency in this aspect, I recognize the importance of developing my negotiation skills while maintaining balance. If I encounter challenges, I proactively seek feedback to understand why and adapt my approach for future similar situations.
When I create a challenge, I ensure that it aligns with my perspectives. Collaboratively, this behavior has consistently resulted in high scores for me in the assessment, particularly in bands 1, 2, and 3. Taking the time to familiarize myself with individuals is a priority for me, including new team members. This helps establish strong relationships that improve our collaboration with other departments and fosters unity and collective responsibility. Additionally, due to the variety of tasks I handle in my role, I have built an extensive network of contacts both within and outside the organization.
I am effective at sharing information promptly with my colleagues and ensuring they stay updated. When faced with sensitive or controversial situations, I prefer to plan my approach to maintain strict confidentiality. However, I acknowledge that I may exhibit bias and subtle stereotyping in certain situations. If I notice this behavior, I can work on changing my thoughts and actions to eliminate such negative or unintentional thoughts. Additionally, there seems to be a resistance within the HR & Workforce solutions team that I would like to address.
We can achieve this by concentrating on shared objectives, priorities, and issues. In regards to your HR role, describe how an HR professional should guarantee that the services they offer are prompt and efficient. This should encompass the traditional approach of catering to the internal customers of Human Resources, such as employees, line managers, and staff members within the organization. Additionally, HR is now required to address the demands of the company’s external stakeholders.
There are various stakeholders who have a vested interest in the company’s success. These include the customers who purchase our products & services, the investors who buy stock/services, and the communities where we operate. Human Resources practices play a crucial role in ensuring these stakeholders are satisfied. Key competencies for HR professionals include maintaining a stable workforce, fostering a learning environment to enhance employees’ understanding of the business and the competitive landscape they operate in.
At Tesco Ltd, there are 3 main customers with their unique needs and expectations from Human Resources. The first customer is managers, who seek staff capable of fulfilling their job responsibilities and meeting the organization’s targets. The second customer group is comprised of staff members, including new hires, supervisors, and team leaders. They require professional training that prepares them adequately to perform their job roles. Lastly, external customers, who are the purchasers of Tesco’s products or services, expect exceptional customer service and assistance during their shopping experience across all Tesco stores.
Human Resources must support the internal customers of the organization by meeting the needs of various departments such as operations, finance, and marketing. Simultaneously, it also needs to focus on the end users of the company’s products or services and create strategies to provide satisfying support that meets their needs and expectations.
To ensure customer satisfaction, Tesco’s offers training and development for managers, followed by staff training. This proactive approach allows Tesco’s to meet the needs and expectations of their customers effectively. When it comes to organizational communication, HR emphasizes the importance of openness between senior management and employees. This improves employee engagement and productivity. To cater to all customers, HR must have continuous communication strategies, such as emails, group bulletins, and presentations.
Human resources (HR) should possess the ability to determine the most efficient method of communication for each individual. Emails, while convenient and providing a written record, may lack personalization and can be open to various interpretations. In certain circumstances, such as when clarifying details or discussing sensitive matters, a phone call or face-to-face conversation may be more appropriate. Effective verbal communication holds great importance in a professional environment.
The ability to communicate effectively orally is valuable in various ways. It enables us to share information and promptly address any concerns or objections. Additionally, it promotes group communication, which can foster the generation of innovative ideas and proposals. For instance, by utilizing good oral communication skills, one can deliver a well-organized and succinct presentation on a product launch. This presentation would encompass the advantages of the product, details about the impending launch, and an explanation of why this strategy will appeal to the desired consumer base.
The disadvantages of oral communication include its longer completion time compared to written communication due to the relational nature of oral communication, which can cause a conversation’s focus to be less clear. In a society where time is often associated with money, oral communication may be seen as inefficient. Additionally, the effectiveness of oral communication varies greatly among individuals. Some people are skilled at engaging in effective oral communication and are referred to as “people persons.” Tesco publishes a “Team 5” bulletin every week to inform its staff about any changes, promotions, training, and opportunities within the organization.
Ensuring effective written communication is essential for demonstrating respect to employees and directing them towards the company’s success. This encompasses providing updates such as progress reports on organizational goals or explanations of policy changes. These continuous reports, supplied by HR and senior management, play a pivotal role in building trust and delivering a consistent message to internal customers throughout the company. Furthermore, effective written communication provides numerous advantages.
Effective written communication offers two main advantages. Firstly, it allows for the creation of a comprehensive and organized presentation of information that can be accessed later by supervisors, co-workers, and clients. Secondly, it serves as a point of reference for collaborative efforts with co-workers and supervisors in order to achieve shared objectives.
For instance, our business greatly benefits from effective written communication in multiple ways. We utilize a manual that provides guidelines for submitting billing orders from US clients, which is an invaluable resource for ensuring consistency and adherence to company procedures. Additionally, we use written communication when conveying company protocols to our parent HR Department during client interviews.
Finally, a well-written document has the advantage of providing legal leverage in cases of conflict as it documents the communication that has occurred regarding the issue. The advantages of written communication include being a permanent form of communication, making it valuable in situations where record keeping is necessary. Additionally, written communication aids in the appropriate delegation of responsibilities. Unlike oral communication, written communication allows for the fixing and delegation of responsibilities based on the contents of the document rather than relying on spoken words that can be retracted or denied. Effective written communication also helps to improve and promote an organization’s reputation. Lastly, written communication provides readily available records and references.
Disadvantages:
- The lack of immediate feedback makes written communication time-consuming because the process of encoding and sending messages takes time.
- In order for written communication to be effective, individuals must have strong language and vocabulary skills. An organization’s reputation can be negatively affected by poor writing quality.
- Written communication is associated with a significant amount of paperwork and email burden.
Nonverbal communication involves the transmission or reception of wordless messages in addition to oral and written forms. It includes gestures, body language, posture, tone of voice, and facial expressions.
Nonverbal communication, including body language, helps interpret messages and can often convey situations more accurately than verbal messages. Nonverbal responses may contradict verbal communication, affecting message effectiveness. This communication type involves three main elements: Appearance (speaker’s clothing, hairstyle, neatness, use of cosmetics), Surrounding (room size, lighting, decorations, furnishings), and Body Language (facial expressions, gestures, postures). It also includes Sounds like Voice Tone, Volume, and Speech rate.
HR must select the most suitable approach and ensure that the communication style aligns with the message. HR professionals should guarantee effective delivery of services. The most effective approach to cultivating positive relationships with customers is by consistently providing the expected service. This will establish trust and serve as the foundation for strong relationships. The key to delivering excellent service to customers is by offering team members an exceptional employment package, which includes superior training and development, career prospects, and rewards.
Tesco’s HR is dedicated to attracting and developing top talent and is committed to collaborating with partners to position Tesco as a desirable career option. Despite the recession, training investment has not decreased, leading to ongoing growth. Activity Three involves considering three criteria areas and pinpointing areas for personal development to meet them. One goal is to support HR colleagues and line managers. The desire to be more involved in senior level meetings aims to gain a comprehensive understanding of the entire business.
It would be beneficial for me to have a tool that can help me identify both growing and shrinking areas of the business. This tool would enable me to search for the new skills that will be necessary. Additionally, I believe it is important to implement the One ANI strategy across all three sites in Northern Ireland. This entails implementing the same recruitment and selection policies in both the call centre and software development divisions. As for our Working from Home policy, I suggest creating a new questionnaire to enhance employee well-being and promote flexible working arrangements.
By unifying the three sites, all employees will have equal access to benefits, regardless of their work location. Additionally, I am interested in participating in operational meetings to enhance my understanding of the business and how different teams collaborate to serve our customers. This will enable me to identify areas where unbilled and billed figures arise and develop strategies to stay on track. The specific work role is of 90/120.
I desire to increase my involvement in collaborating with external organizations to offer support and guidance to employees. This would improve my knowledge and abilities. Additionally, in the broader HR context, I could utilize a database where all employees could input their skills into one system. This would facilitate effective communication among all departments within the company. If a specific skill is needed for a new opportunity, we can easily identify the employees possessing that skill and proceed to serve our clients. * Behaviours Collaborative
I believe I fulfill these requirements because I have developed strong connections with both Senior Management and Team Management, which allows me to receive support and assistance for interviews and other resources. I demonstrate respect and sensitivity towards others by accommodating their annual leave and offering alternative options to ensure that all shortlisted candidates have the opportunity to attend interviews. I personally handle recruitment and selection processes from beginning to end, ensuring that I stay informed and provide detailed explanations as to why someone was not shortlisted. Additionally, I provide feedback to candidates after interviews.
After recently transitioning from a general HR role to a specialized position in Recruitment and Selection, I find myself with numerous questions regarding my new responsibilities. To ensure that I excel in my work, I often seek guidance from my line manager. I am also not hesitant to ask for assistance when necessary while performing different tasks. For more information on my development plan, please refer to the separate sheet.
