The Future of HR

Wisconsin State Council SHRM
2010 Leadership Conference
August 6, 2010
The Future of HR

CAUTION – Don’t let his dulcet tones lull you into a comfortable malaise. Mark’s about to make you work.
Agenda
2

Setting the Stage
3
“The world is a stage, but the play is badly cast.”
~ Oscar Wilde

5 Reasons To Discredit My Presentation
We’ve only just met
I’m not currently living in the trenches
I abandoned Wisconsin as a child
It’s easy for me to say, “[insert major issue]”
Matt Stollak invited me
4

“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!!
5

The Morons Have Us On Speed Dial…
6
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]?”

…But So Does The Board
7
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]?”

Polarizing Forces Are At Work
8
Human Resources Strategy

The Future of HR
9
“The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time.”
~ Abraham Lincoln

3 Paths For HR To Choose From
10

1) Do Nothing – A Real Option
11
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?

2) Break It Apart – Accelerate The Trend
12
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

3) Radically Transform – This Won’t Be Easy
13
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

The Business Case for Change
14
“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”
~ Victor Frankl

5 Reasons People Change
They want to change
They want to avoid negative consequences
They are incented to change
The environment around them changes
Discovery that constructive change is possible
15

Items We Must Change Immediately
16
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

Why I’m Frustrated
17
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

Why I’m Encouraged
18
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)

Questions And Answers
19
“The important thing is to not stop questioning. Curiosity has it’s own reason for existing.”
~ Albert Einstein

Thank you!
Contact Information
Mark Stelzner
Founder – Inflexion Advisors, New Media Services, JobAngels.org
415-658-7460
mark.stelzner@inflexionadvisors.com
http://www.InflexionAdvisors.com
http://www.NewMediaServicesllc.com
http://www.JobAngels.org
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The Future of HR

by Mark Stelzner on Aug 10, 2010

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