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The Iowa Experience:Human Resources as a Strategic Business Partner

Mollie K. Anderson, DirectorIowa Department of Administrative ServicesFor the International Personnel Management AssociationOctober 1, 2004

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Why Did You Choose HR?

Why did you get into HR?

How long have you been in this field?

Where do you want this profession to take you?

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What an HR Professional Is

The systemizing, policing arm of executive management

An advocate for employees

Strategic business partner for customers

A champion for change

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The Primary HR Goal Get the right person…

With the right skills… Into the right job…

With the right supervision to meet performance expectations and …

Add value to the organization.

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How do you attract and retain quality employees?

How can you become a strategic partner with your customers?

How do you improve productivity and ROI?

What issues affect employers’ ability to meet company goals?

The Primary HR Questions

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HR Challenges Today Changing employee demographics and needs

More competition for a skilled workforce

Focus shifting from regulation to service

Demand for customized service

The need to support desired business outcomes and affect the bottom line

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The Iowa Experience

Department of Administrative Services combined 3 ½ agencies in 2003

Adopted the entrepreneurial management concepts of strategist David Osbourne

Four goals: Improve customer service, save money, streamline, and use resources in a more flexible manner.

Unique financing approach

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Entrepreneurial Management A customer-focused (NOT program

focused) approach…

To delivering services (NOT running a program)…

In a competitive marketplace (NOT a monopoly.)

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How DAS is Set Up in Iowa

A complement of infrastructure and facilities services, including full range of HR functions

Each fee-based operation covers its costs Customer Councils set utility rates

‘Rowing and steering’ functions separated

Moving toward one-stop shopping model

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What DAS Started With Traditional financial infrastructure ‘Old’ agencies without legislative champions

Thirty percent budget cuts over three previous fiscal years

Highly tenured, program-focused employees

Grumpy, uneducated customers

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What DAS Has Done Passed enabling legislation

Developed fee-based financing models, determined service costs, and reduced cross-subsidized ‘drug deals’

Adopted an internal shared services model

Established and empowered customer councils

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What DAS Is Doing Now

Refining financing and legislative framework

Eliminating silos between merged agencies

Engineering a culture change

Re-motivating employees with training and incentives

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The Iowa Approach to HR

Define internal and external customers

Know your customer(s) and their business(es)

Know your business goals and what it takes to achieve them

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Setting HR Priorities Know your customers’ (internal and

external) priorities

Understand the financial risk

Evaluate the potential for improvement

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How to Create a Compelling Picture for Action Do your homework and be prepared to tell

your story

Identify risks of inaction

Know the impact on financing and productivity

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How to Get Your Own Team On Board Lay out clear expectations

Use a customer service representative model and service delivery agreements

Use performance evaluations and reward programs

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Example: Workers Comp

Start with the viewpoint that people are the face of government

Tell the story simply, using the numbers

Define the risk (financial, productivity) if no action is taken

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How to Get Invited to the Decision Making Table Connect with customer goals—save

money, streamline processes, etc.

Know your business—and your customers’ business

Articulate a compelling story

Follow up!

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What Role Does Communication Play? Start with research—know the facts

Tell your story in a compelling, understandable way

The ‘visual identity’ concept works

Repeat, repeat, repeat

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Use the Tools

For the basics, an FAQ

Annual reports

Newsletters or bulletins

Crisp financial results

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What You Can Measure Customer satisfaction

Financial goals

Grievances

Processing time

Turnover/retention

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The Bottom Line

Watch the people who have leveraged their HR expertise to move ahead.

HR is no longer just a knowledge game—you must be able to apply what you know.

You must be able to listen, evaluate and persuade.

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What You Can Do to Develop Your Skills and Career Education Write and talk Use associations and seminars Move around in HR specialties and to career

opportunities Cross-functional teams Look for emerging issues

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Lessons Learned—a Recap

Be proactive, not reactive Know your customers and your business Do your homework Learn from others when you can Be concise and clear Keep current on emerging issues Get involved in HR organizations Sometimes you have to move You can’t go it alone

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Question and Answers

Visit the DAS website,http://www.das.iowa.gov