HR Contribution Research Articles

Transforming HR as Agile Business Partner: The Case of Accenture

Organizations are increasingly pursuing agility and flexibility by working across and beyond conservative boundaries of time and place. The role of human resources can contribute to building a culture of high performance and innovation. That's because HR is no longer just about operations and people management. It's a strategic unit that delivers business value in terms of cost savings, efficiency gains, and growth capability-all of which are key aspects of agile organizations. If our organization is going to become agile, it needs to start with its human resources. The HR's contribution in the agile transformation is considered a necessity. In any organization, HR can be playing fundamentally different roles. There can be three possible roles HR can play in an agile organisation. One is a kind of “administrator” acting principally as agent implementing processes on behalf of the top management. A second is that of a “moderator,” who seeks to be responsive to the needs of all stakeholders-managers, staff, shareholders; in this role, when HR refers to customers, it is usually referring to internal customers. And third is where HR is acting as “Agile business partner” in a role that is focused on delivering value for external customers. Their competence with people and soft skills is of great interest in making the transformation smoother. To be able to deliver and develop products and services more efficiently and with better quality it is claimed that an organisation must adopt the Agile philosophy and becomes fastest in realising an opportunity and connecting it to a customer need wins, and will also become a leader on the market. In this study, the researcher explores: what does the Agile business partner role look like in practice? And how Accenture is using HR in transforming itself into an agile organisation.

Human resource analytics

Understanding HR's contributions in driving organizational performance is nowadays essential. HR professionals have to face the new realities and accept an integrated management model in order to provide the best actions regarding the management of human capital. An organization needs and can quantify the HR's overall strategic impact by finding the proper ways for measuring its impact on the success drivers. Today, the business environment is more dynamic than ever. In this often volatile environment, Human capital is arguably the most sustainable source of completive differentiation and value creation. This paper is focused toward understanding the concept of HR analytics and its benefit and challenges.

Talent‐spotters' ladder to success

PurposeThis paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting‐edge research and case studies.Design/methodology/approachThis briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.FindingsThe leaders of business functions are turning increasingly for competitive insights to the massive data they can now capture. But human resources departments have lagged behind the efforts of marketing, IT, CRM and other functions. Jeanne G. Harris et al. of Accenture Institute for High Performance, in Boston, MA, demonstrate how executives can start using data to measure and improve HR's contributions to business performance.Practical implicationsThe paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world's leading organizations.Originality/valueThe briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy‐to digest format.

Talent and analytics: new approaches, higher ROI

PurposeMore and more, the leaders of business functions are turning for competitive insights to the massive data they can now capture. But to date, human resources departments have lagged behind the efforts of marketing, IT, CRM and other functions. The purpose of this article is to show how executives can start using data to measure and improve HR's contributions to business performance.Design/methodology/approachThe article identifies six analytical tools that HR can use to connect HR efforts to business performance. Survey results underscore the value of an analytical approach while revealing that many HR departments are heavily focused on internal measures rather than business outcomes. Each analytical tool is exemplified through case studies. A model is presented to suggest how executives can get started by focusing on five key areas.FindingsLeading companies are using six analytical tools to improve the connection between HR investments and business returns: employee databases; segmentation of talent; targeted investments; customization of the employee value proposition; long‐term workforce planning; and talent supply chains.Originality/valueAs the case studies reveal, the tools identified here can help HR leaders actively shape their organization's future – managing talent and directing programs toward the long‐term needs of the business. Survey data shows that most companies increasingly seek to use analytics for long‐term advantage, and the model presented here can help HR executives take the first critical steps.

If HR were really strategically proactive: Present and future directions in HR's contribution to competitive advantage

If HR were really strategically proactive: Present and future directions in HR's contribution to competitive advantage

If HR were really strategically proactive: Present and future directions in HR's contribution to competitive advantage

Current business conditions mandate greater competitive advantage from HR agendas and processes. To add greater competitive advantage, HR must contribute strategic value against criteria from customer and capital markets. HR can add strategic value either reactively or proactively. In its strategically reactive mode, HR assumes the existence of a business strategy and adds value by linking HR practices to the business strategy and by managing change. In its strategically proactive mode, HR creates competitive advantage by creating cultures of creativity and innovation, by facilitating mergers and acquisitions, and by linking internal processes and structures with ongoing changes in the marketplace. This article defines and describes these specific practices through which HR can contribute to greater competitive advantage. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.