Strategic HR Development

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Challenge

One of the world’s largest reinsurance companies, recognized globally as a leader in risk assessment and analysis, wanted to reorganize their HR function to cut costs and improve their support for global units. When they began to create regional shared service centers for recruiting, compensation, and talent management, they recognized the need to develop their HR business consultants to become more strategically aligned, organizationally focused partners with business leaders and managers.

Solution

PDI joined forces with the company to clarify a vision for their HR business consultants. Together they designed and delivered a pilot program to develop a select cadre of the client’s best HR consultants from around the world. PDI outlined development needs for the HR business consultants and designed a customized development program. A three-day training based on business cases kicked off the program, where participants were taught the HC Bridge® Framework and human capital templates using a series of in-depth case studies. The templates included the four strategy lenses for looking at an organization’s strategic talent needs as described in Beyond HR: The New Science of Human Capital by John Boudreau and Peter Ramstad.

Over the following three months, the HR business consultants used the analysis techniques and templates they learned in the program and engaged with their line executives to evaluate the talent implications of the business strategy and operations. Each of the participants in the pilot program was paired with a peer to provide networking and support during this trial. Throughout this period, PDI consultants also provided coaching and support to participants via phone.

At the end of the three-month trial, PDI held a second simulation-based training, focused on building face-to-face consulting skills with line leaders. Two weeks later, the participants concluded the program with a series of case presentations to the HR leadership team, demonstrating what they had learned in the field.

Result

The program was a success for HR, line executives, and the business as a whole. As participants shared learning about the strategic implications of talent, they gained a broader understanding of the business and of their new roles as strategic HR business consultants. They also discovered important new ways to collaborate with each other across business units globally. With a cross-section of HR business consultants experiencing this program, new relationships were built that improved the old ways of operating and allowed for both personal and professional opportunities for working together more effectively. As HR consultants, they offered new insights into the business, as well as ways to support it more effectively. In case after case, participants were able to work more effectively with line executives and begin to develop the unique talent strategies required to drive business performance. Line leaders were so impressed that they actively sought out their respective HR business consultants, and HR business consultants began to proactively redefine their role with line leaders, beyond offering only administrative support.

PDI’s program helped the HR business consultants redefine their roles and their relationships with line executives. The program has proved to be so popular that many additional HR business consultants have expressed interest in the training as well, and PDI has been invited to facilitate and assist the organization’s leaders in the design of a worldclass HR curriculum.