Recruiting & Retaining Internal Consultants

Newport O'Connor - AIMC Presentation - March, 2004

Recruiting & RetainingRecruiting & RetainingInternal ConsultantsInternal Consultants

AIMC National Conference2004


The Internal Consultant as ExpertThe Internal Consultant as Expert

Senior level employee Exposure to a number of departments in

the organization Promoted as an “expert” in a particular area to

assist with “special projects” and internal operations.

Usually self selected by undertaking further education or having a special interest in an area where expertisewas required.

Might otherwise be selected by the company and sponsored for further education and/or management programs.


The Internal Consultant as Change The Internal Consultant as Change AgentAgent

Mid-level management Internal employee or external consultant Change Agent/Facilitator Project management skills rather than any

technical specialization per se. Vendor selection, management and liaison Responsible for taking external expertise and

disseminating it throughout the organization.


The Emergence of the The Emergence of the Internal/External Consultant Internal/External Consultant

“Cost centers” becoming “profit centers” by on-selling the tools/processes they have developed internally to corporation clients or providing them on a pro bono to on sell products/services and increase revenues.

New requirement for internal consultants to have business development skills beyond the advocacy skills needed internally.


General Requirements for the JobGeneral Requirements for the Job Inherent

– Intellect– Objectivity/Integrity– Excellent interpersonal skills– Ability to influence others– Flexibility and adaptability to change

Acquired – Project Management skills – Inherent understanding of the

organization/business – Relevant experience/education (as far

as possible)– Expert attributes


Strategic Competency Based Strategic Competency Based Approach vs. Passive Approach vs. Passive

Administrative Approach to HRMAdministrative Approach to HRM

Human Capital/IntellectualCapital is the essence of a consulting organization

Competitive Advantage Change in Roles & Workplace


Core CompetenciesCore Competencies

A competency is an inherent characteristic of an individual that is believed to cause and is therefore used to predict future behavior.

The term “competencies” is accredited to Richard Boyatzis who discussed competencies in his book “The Competent Manager: A Model for Effective Performance” where he detailed 21 competencies to build up a psychological profile to predict future performance.


Five Types of Competency Five Types of Competency CharacteristicsCharacteristics

1. Motives – drive, direct & select behavior2. Traits – physical characteristics or

consistent responses3. Self Concept – attitudes, values, self

image

4. Knowledge – information possessed5. Skill – ability to perform a physical or

mental task


Core Competencies and aligning Core Competencies and aligning HR and Corporate StrategyHR and Corporate Strategy

Organization Assessment Role definition Recruitment requirements Assessment criteria On boarding/Orientation Evaluation Training & Development Succession Planning Exit strategies


Benefits of CompetenciesBenefits of Competencies

Standardized process using a set of common denominators

Facilitates a closer match between a person’s abilities, skills and interests and their role in the organization

Helps prevent:

– unfair discrimination

– cloning


Criticisms of CompetenciesCriticisms of Competencies

– Assumptions/Interpretation of Behavior

may not truly be objective

– Past events may not guarantee future

performance

– Prevalence may reduce effectiveness


The Most Desired CompetenciesThe Most Desired Competencies

12 most common competencies* desiredin employees by organizations are (and applicable to employing internal consultants):

– Communication - Achievement– Customer focus - Teamwork– Leadership - Planning & Organization– Commercial Acumen - Flexibility/Adaptability– Developing Others - Problem Solving– Analytical Thinking - Building relationships

*Competency Journal


Recruitment -Recruitment -Creation of a Role rather than Creation of a Role rather than

Filling a JobFilling a Job

From a competency perspective, know and understand:

– Your brand & Your clients– Your industry– Your business– Your department – Your teamIn order to know how to recruit, develop and retain potential employees


Recruitment Approaches – Recruitment Approaches – Passive/ActivePassive/Active

Promotion Internal Referrals Alumni Network Brand Advertising (website, job boards, media)

Research Database Mining Social Networking “Headhunting”


Assessment ToolsAssessment Tools

Resume & Application form (low cost, medium validity, front end)

Ability Tests (medium cost, high validity, middle) Behavioral Based Interviews (medium cost, high

validity, mid-end) Work samples/Business Cases (medium cost, high

validity, mid-end) Personality Questionnaires (medium cost, medium

validity, end) Assessment Centers (high cost, high validity, end) References (medium cost, medium validity, end)


Recruitment/Assessment/Selection Recruitment/Assessment/Selection ProcessProcess

Synergistic validity to using more than one approach.

Process adopted will depend on the number of roles, seniority of positions, amount of available candidates and the relative validity of the recruitmenttool/method vs. available resources.


““Fit”Fit”

Qualitative, statistical and “empirical” evidence is not going to determine the finalhiring decision – that will be the result “gut feeling” or whether you like them or not.

Authorities suggest that these decisions should notbeen made during the interview process but in conjunction with other assessment tools.

Matching organizational “culture” with candidate “fit” –key to the perfect match.


Recruitment Issues Recruitment Issues To Keep In MindTo Keep In Mind

Attraction – “war for talent” – although market dependent- available jobs are becoming more complex (technology &outsourcing) – not enough qualified candidates to cope with demand

Assessment – new factors to consider -integrity & ethics, adaptability to change, stress resilience, creativity & innovation, cultural sensitivity (globalization)

Selection – prevailing issues involving legality of hiring decisions (uniform and job specific criteria) & diversity/inclusion


Development & RetentionDevelopment & Retention Current Market – less

investment in training & development, less job security and low morale due to layoffs = greater likelihood of turnover (recent polls – Right Mgmt Cons.)

Change in the employment power dynamic betweenorganizations and employees (job for life, security,training, benefits vs. greater autonomy and responsibility - free agents motivated by opportunity, work and compensation

Motivators for employees – Maslow and Employee “Must Haves”


Maslow’s Hierarchy of NeedsMaslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Self Actualization

Esteem

Belongingness/Love

Safety

Physiological


Employees “must haves”*Employees “must haves”*

1) Type of work2) People3) Training & Development4) Chances of promotion5) Compensation 6) Job security7) Working Conditions8) Reputation of Organization9) Geographical location10) Work hours11) Benefits

*Pearn Kandola - Whiddett, Payne, Kandola - (1995)Occupational Psychology Conference Book of Proceedings, 205-211


Development & Retention StrategyDevelopment & Retention Strategy

Understand what motivates your employees on an individual basis and cater to these needs as far as is reasonably practicable.

The extent to which you do this will depend on their perceived value to your organization and market forces.


Development and Retention Development and Retention Issues to Keep in MindIssues to Keep in Mind

Development – increased onus on the candidate – but still need to consider as an additional selling point to attract talent

Retention – increased turnover due to increasingly mobile, virtual, flexible workforce - understand employee motivators

Succession Planning – impact of retirement of baby boomers – start planning with internal candidates and invest in developing potential candidate talent pools/networks


Further InformationFurther Information

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Recruiting & Retaining Internal Consultants

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