The document outlines a comprehensive maturity model for Human Resources (HR) that categorizes organizational HR practices into four levels: compliance-driven, solutions-focused, strategic, and integrated HR. It includes a series of questions and considerations for evaluating HR effectiveness in areas such as recruitment, onboarding, compensation, training, performance management, and compliance. The emphasis is on aligning HR functions with business strategy, using data-driven insights, and fostering employee engagement to improve overall organizational performance.

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Administrative Human Resources
with Catherine Mattice
Human Resources Maturity Model
Compliance driven –
Managers and HR offer services
as the need arises; often more
focused on compliance and HR
administration
Solutions-focused HR –
HR attempts to follow HR best
practices but isn’t operating as
a strategic asset
Strategic HR –
HR has a strategy and
attempts to align it with
business; HR sees employees
as strategic assets
Integrated HR –
HR is part of the business
strategy and helps drive
decisions with data and
insight
Role
• Is there an HR resource for the
organization’s HR needs?
• Is HR relied upon for advice relat-
ed to personnel issues?
• Does HR conduct a salary
survey each year?
• Does HR have a focus on risk
management?
• Does HR make
recommendations related to
people practices?
• Does HR participate in labor rela-
tions and negotiations?
• Does HR have basic systems
in place to ensure talent
management practices are man-
ageable?
• Is HR seen as a champion for
employees?
• Does HR conduct an annual
or biannual employee
engagement survey?
• Does HR participate in creating
plans to build engagement?
• Do employees understand
how their job contributes to
organizational success?
• Does HR have business
partners with dedicated
support for functional work
units/divisions?
• Does HR play a role in
proactively managing risk
for the organization?
• Is a member of the HR team
part of the executive team?
• Does at least one member of
HR attend strategic planning
meetings with top leadership?
• Is HR seen as an agent who
drives change?
• Is HR part of developing and
carrying out key business
processes?
• Do functional business units
rely on and trust HR to lead
the people strategy?
• Does the organization tap
into and leverage people
management technology
infrastructure?

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• Does HR actively provide
leadership for labor relations
and negotiations?
• Does HR follow industry trends
in HR, as well as in specific
industry?
• Does HR have an integrated
technology infrastructure?
• Does the organization focus
on and give HR resources to
be an “employer of choice”
or a great place to work?
• Are talent management
practices well integrated
(hiring, onboarding,
developing, retaining,
promoting, retiring) into
functional work units/divisions?
Recruiting
• Does HR support development
of job descriptions and job
requisitions?
• Does HR screen candidates?
• Does HR provide guidance on
safeguarding against accusations
of harassment or discrimination
in the interview and hiring
process?
• Is there a method for interviews
that is followed by all involved
in hiring?
• Is the recruitment, screening
and selection process
documented?
• Does HR assist the final
authority to decide who is
hired?
• Does HR use recruiting best
practices instead of “spray
and pray” job postings?
• Are we posting marketing-like
job ads (for example, instead of
job descriptions)?
• Do we consider job
restructuring or other options
first before recruiting?
• Do we train those who
interview how to conduct an
interview?
• What is the turnover rate? Are
some departments higher than
others? Why? Is it in line with
industry standards? If not, why?
How can it be improved?
• Do recruiting methods
encourage a diverse pool of
applicants?
• Does HR use metrics (e.g.,
percentage of jobs filled from
within, percentage of jobs
filled from different recruiting
avenues, time to fill, etc.)?
• Does HR know future staffing
needs based on the
organization’s strategic plan?
• What are the gaps hindering
organizational growth?
• Do we have a strategic plan
for recruitment?
• Do we have and execute a
strategy for employer branding?
• What is our employer brand?
• What recruiting automation
do we have in place?
• How do we measure the success
of our recruiting processes?
• Are metrics used to make
business decisions?
• To what extent have we adopted
a competency model as a basis
for hiring, promoting, and
developing employees?
• What future staffing needs did
we discover as we participated
in creating the business’
strategic plan?
• Is there a succession planning
program in place?
• What are the gaps hindering
organizational growth and
how do we solve them?
• What is the ROI on our
recruiting automation
programs and processes?

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• Is pay fair and consistent, and
is it on par with industry
standards?
• Are references checked?
• Are conversations documented?
• Once the decision for hiring is
made, does HR contact the
candidate and how?
• Do we ask interview questions
that address culture fit?
• Do we offer career pathing in
order to promote from within?
• Do core competencies include
core values, and do we ask
questions about those
competencies turned values
in interviews?
• Do we have an employer
branding program in place,
and do we measure ROI in
terms of turnover and
employee satisfaction?
New Hire Process
• Who generates new hire
paperwork? Are new hire forms
and brochures provided in
compliance with federal and
state laws?
• Is there a new hire
probationary period?
• Is the contact person for
questions clearly defined for
new hires?
• Are we making all proper
notifications of new hires (for
example, state departments,
payroll, IT, etc.)? Is this process
streamlined?
• What is the orientation process
and agenda?
• Do we include more welcoming
information than just a new hire
letter? What else is included to
enculturate a new employee?
• What kind of training do new
hires go through? Who provides
it? Who documents it?
• What could we do to make
easing into the job better?
• Do we have metrics in place
for time to proficiency, self-
efficacy, retention rate, etc.?
• Do we have a mentor program
in place that includes training
for mentors?
• What is the onboarding process?
Is it clear and defined?
• Does the onboarding process
last for a minimum of six
months?
• Do managers and HR partner to
ensure a positive onboarding
experience?
• Do we measure new hire,
manager, and team satisfaction
with onboarding?
• How many hours do new hires
spend in training?
• Are metrics used to make
business decisions?
• Do we measure training
effectiveness and ROI?
• Are staff and managers made
aware of the onboarding
program and their
accountability to its success?
• Are department heads
rewarded for meeting set
new hiring goals (for example,
training, production, etc.)
• Is onboarding measured
against turnover?
• Is a new hire seen as cause for
celebration or stress?
• Are expectations for job
performance clear upon hiring?

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Compensation, Benefits, and Total Rewards
• Are salary ranges established?
How?
• Is sick and vacation time
offered and in compliance
with federal and state laws?
• Are required insurance benefits
provided and explained to
employees?
• Are the eligibility requirements
for benefits programs
communicated to employees
in a timely manner?
• Do we offer retirement plans?
• Do we offer paid holidays?
• Is time off calculated and
managed (for example, sick,
PTO, and vacation time)?
• Are there eligibility
requirements for PTO or
vacation time?
• Is there a cap to PTO or
vacation? If so, do we have
a process in place for
monitoring it?
• How do we handle PTO or
vacation time at the end of
the year (for example, roll
over or must use)? How is this
process managed?
• Are merit increases tied to
performance evaluations?
• Are compensation levels fair
and consistent and internally
equitable across the
organization?
• Are salary allocations
periodically reviewed for
competitiveness and
appropriateness?
• Is paid time off or vacation
time consistent with industry
standards?
• Are procedures and technology
in place to track and monitor
leave usage and time off?
• Does HR communicate
intentionally about
compensation, merit increases,
and bonuses across the
organization?
• Is our health insurance
contribution in line with industry
standards? Or standards from
within our local community?
• Do we have an employee portal
to give employees access to
pay and benefit information?
• Do we have metrics in place to
measure how compensation,
benefits and total rewards
affects recruitment, turnover,
and satisfaction?
• Do we have a total rewards
communication/marketing plan
that is measured for success?
• Are benefits and other perks
for employees periodically
evaluated for recruitment and
retention purposes?
• Are benefits in line with
employee needs? Do we measure
that? What else can we provide
that they can get excited about?
• Can employees contribute their
time off to other employees
who need it?
• What proportion of merit pay is
based on formal performance
appraisals?
• What is our current percentile
ranking for total compensation
and rewards?
• Are employees aware of and
understanding about their
compensation package?
• Are metrics used to make
business decisions?
• How is compensation tied into
our company culture, mission,
vision and values?
• Are merit increases and
incentives tied to performance?
• Is HR facilitating employee
competencies that are rewarded
and that result in organization’s
ability to achieve its objectives?
• Do employees take
accountability for managing
and understanding their
benefits packages?

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• What is the process for
requesting time off? Who
approves the request? Is it
documented?
• Does HR manage retirement
accounts and other benefits
after an employee leaves?
• Do we offer bonuses and if
so, does HR play a role in
managing them?
• Are nonexempt employees
receiving the right breaks
and mealtimes? How is this
managed?
• Do we contribute towards
health insurance coverage,
and if so, what percentage?
Training, Development, and Motivation
• Are employees provided with
enough training to perform
their jobs effectively?
• Do job relevant training
opportunities exist for
employees?
• Do we keep track of training
attendance records?
• What is the average length of
time someone works in the
organization before being given
the opportunity to move up, or
at least to achieve stretch goals?
• How much do we spend annually
on training and performance?
• Are formal training and
development programs made
available to all levels? If so,
what are they?
• Are training learning objectives
tied to performance-based
rewards?
• Do we measure behavior change
after training programs? Can
the impact on the business,
or return on investment (ROI),
be demonstrated for learning
events?
• Do we ensure managers and
supervisors know how to create
an environment that supports
learning events?
• Do we use metrics to make
business decisions?
• Do we have a talent
management strategy in place?
Does it incorporate succession
planning and are competencies
embedded in talent
development?
• Are career paths clear and
navigable by all staff
(including managers)?

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• Do we measure employee
response to training programs?
• Do programs promoting
employee wellness exist?
• Do programs recognizing
employee accomplishments or
milestones exist?
• Do advancement opportunities
and promotional pathways
exist for employees?
• Are managers trained to follow
through on learning objectives
and carry out additional training
as needed?
• How do we excel in our health
benefits and wellness programs?
What areas could we improve
upon?
• How can employees become
more involved in building
our wellness programs?
Has it become part of the
organizational culture?
• Do we measure and know ROI
of training and development
programs? Do we measure
programs against business
outcomes?
• Are employee engagement
survey results tied to
organizational performance?
• Are we a learning organization?
• Do employees understand our
competitive strategy and
operational goals?
• Do evaluation and compensation
practices seek out and reward
knowledge creation and sharing?
• Are we helping to develop
necessary leadership
competencies? Were those
competencies developed in
conjunction with the
organization’s strategic plan?
Performance Management
• Does HR play a role in
evaluating and measuring
performance?
• Do managers or supervisors
meet with their employees
at least once per month to
touch base?
• Are performance evaluation
forms reviewed and updated
regularly?
• Is HR involved in monitoring
the performance management
of deficient employees?
• Is the instrument used useful
and valid?
• Do we have metrics in place
(for example, absence rate per
manager, number of units
produced, voluntary turnover
rate of high and low performers,
etc)?
• Do we use metrics to make
business decisions?
• What is the extent to which the
average employee can describe
the organization’s strategic
goals and how their role assists
in achievement of those goals?

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• Do we have a step-disciplinary
procedure in place? Does it
provide an opportunity to skip
steps and move directly to
termination if needed?
• Who makes the final approval
for employee termination?
• Is the exit paperwork and final
paycheck provided to employees
compliant with federal and
state laws?
• Are the circumstances
surrounding terminations kept
confidential?
• Is discipline applied uniformly
and consistently across all levels?
• How involved in disciplinary
conversations is HR?
• How are good performance
and accomplishments
acknowledged and rewarded?
Is this done by managers or as
an organization-wide process
unified across all levels?
• Who is responsible for the
communication around an
employee termination?
• Do we perform exit interviews?
• Are managers trained to utilize
performance evaluation tools
and address performance
deficiencies in staff?
• Do supervisors and managers
spend appropriate amounts of
effort and time coaching their
teams for performance?
• Is the focus of performance
management what is going well,
rather than what is not working?
• When performance is suffering,
do managers and supervisors
provide resources and SMART
goals for improvement? How
and where is that documented?
• Do we have a rewards system
for high performers to include
incentives or promotional
pathways?
• What is the change in
performance appraisal ratings
over time? What are the changes
attributed to?
• Are employees growing toward
competencies?
• Are employees satisfied with
advancement opportunities,
compensation, etc?
• What is the percentage of
minority promotions?
• What percentage of the
workforce is promotable?
• What is the percentage of
retention of high-performing
employees?
• How quickly do new hires
become high-functioning
team members?
• What percentage of planned
development opportunities
are accomplished?
• What is employee turnover
by performance level?
• Are rewards structured to
foster leadership behavior?
• Are people rewarded for
demonstrating the core values
of the organization?

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• Do people know the core
values?
• Do we perform stay interviews?
Documentation and Compliance
• Who manages personnel files?
Are items stored in compliance
with federal and state laws?
• Is the process for documenting
time off, vacation, sick time, etc.
in compliance with federal and
state law?
• Does HR hold interview notes,
resumes, and personnel files
for required periods of time?
• Does HR document receipt of
updated corporate policies and
other types of communications?
• Are mandated posters updated
in all locations? Does HR ensure
updated posters are available
at all times?
• Are we compliant with all state
and federal laws (ADA, Title VII,
FMLA, OSHA, etc.)?
• Do we document injuries and
illnesses on the job?
• Are job descriptions reviewed on
a consistent basis? How often?
• How do we document training
and professional development?
• How do we document
performance conversations?
• What is the process for updating
and communicating corporate
policies?
• Is the corporate policy handbook
up to date?
• Has an attorney reviewed and
approved our policy handbook?
• Are we in compliance with
required safety training?
• Is a cost-efficient payroll process
is established?
• Are we using our payroll service
provider to the fullest extent in
terms of services they offer?
• Are documents, policies and
procedures available to
employees online or in some
type of eformat?
• Is the policy handbook written
in a tone that matches our
corporate culture?
• Do we have an internal auditing
process for proper records
retention?
• Do we seek competitive bids
for our payroll service provider
each year?

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• Do we have all of the appropriate
insurance (for example,
employment practices liability)?
• Are we filing state and federal
tax documents?