When I was asked to prepare this article for Red Fordih besides feel honored, I started thinking what would be the best approach. In the role of Managing People and Resources Humans have often had the tendency to create for ourselves our own islands of responsibility, which has led in many cases to be relatively away from the strategy of the company and not part of the decision-making.
addresses international human resources as part of corporate governance are affected by these circumstances. Recently I participated in working sessions on the Cranfield Study-Esade comparing various aspects of the Human Resources function. This study conducted every 10 years has a great relevance and provides much data of interest. I culled those that fit over the title. Three
first aspect to highlight in general, namely
A. - "Things have not changed substantially" .- Human beings have a natural tendency to think that when we live apart from unique - it is - is the most wonderful and important in all history, that is, we tend to lose historical perspective and wisdom (in the classical Greek sense of "take away"). M. Sandford said Jacoby that:
"is a human tendency to believe that you live in an era exceptional"
What generally finds the study is neither more nor less than 10 years the situation has not changed appreciably, that those who function we may seem wrong, but if we go deeper it is quite true that there has been little movement on the functions and dedicated human resources departments. It is still very reactive, wasting much time and many people on routine, repetitive, administrative and little added value.
B. - "Descent of the strategic impact of the" .- There is also a degree of involvement and the beginning of the intervention of the department later in the influence and impact of Human Resources in the field of strategic decisions company. Then we will see in greater detail.
C. - "Increasing numbers of women departments ".- The number of women who make up the departments has increased significantly, while still in the early levels and positions of the function is to be done. It is nevertheless true that the percentages of women in human resource management is significantly higher than in other areas of the company. Some see this as a negative interpretation, arguing that to be a residual and non-strategic area is where there is ample opportunity for women.
I can not share this opinion, I think it has more to do with the skills and capabilities developed in women than in men in the management of people.
address some of these sections by providing some facts and figures, we begin by feminization.
C. - INCREASE FEMINIZATION
As seen in ten years the structure has been spectacular, the number of women has come to mean more than 50% just 51%, has grown eight percentage points, or nearly one percentage point year.
Comparing these data with those managed by the European Foundation for Improvement of Working Conditions and Life (European Union Agency for these studies), Spain is one of the countries lowest percentage number of women have as leaders - 13 % ie approximately less than half countries with highest percentage.
In the area of \u200b\u200bhuman resources, there are some positive differences we see in the chart below:
The figure refers to the person who occupies the top-level management position in the Human Resources Department, the graph of EFIWLC referred to any level of organizational unit, which can mean a significant increase in this figure for the area of \u200b\u200bhuman resources, without fear of being wrong would say that you could easily be doubled, which would be around 30%. In other countries there is also the same phenomenon of increased presence of human resource policies.
C. - DESCENT OF THE STRATEGIC IMPACT
Looking at the chart below, it appears that the same could be inferred that the importance of the role of human resources continues to grow, as more than three-quarters of the heads of human resources belong the Steering Committee, on the other side in an article published by Expansion and Employment last year on the IBEX 35 companies only 50% had their management / human resource to the Steering Committee.
As additional data we see that evolution in ten years is virtually nil. It is not data except that we shall see, is how much impact and influence on company strategy is the manager / a.
Particularly interesting is the chart below, it has fallen is the involvement of the HR function from scratch in corporate strategy. This has particular relevance with regard to the Directorates of Human Resources because usually one of the strategies that more are carrying out the English organizations is its internationalization. Lead to a dynamic situation in which as has happened many times "we are the last to know." Negative is remarkable for the increase in companies where not even be consulting the department, from 3% in 95 to 8% in 2005.
Another important and is greatly connected with the company's strategy are the kind of society changes. The acquisition of another organization, the absorption and relocation are assumed where the International Human Resource Management plays a major role. Almost 50% of companies have experienced some type of corporate change. Although we have percentages of this, a high percentage are acquired or absorbed companies belonging to foreign countries. This as we said earlier would result in immediate a high involvement of international human resources area. Deepening
more effective involvement of the human resource function, we see that the situation is really improved. Greatly surprised that just over half the time (56%) engages the department since the beginning of change. We know how essential it is the intervention of the human resources function before these changes occur. If there is no intervention from before executing the operation, problems will arise then multiplied exponentially. There have been many mergers and acquisitions that have failed miserably or simply aborted the lack of intervention in matters relating to people.
way of example only enunciate what were the main causes for such failed transactions involving the most important barriers. Difficult it will minimize or mitigate if we can not intervene earlier.
most important barrier to integration failure
commitments with employees
employees Barriers
the controls
interemedios
Cultural Barriers
Lack of commitment of managers
Source: Worldwide Survey by AT Kearney 1998 -99
Finally I like to address what will be the challenge of managing people for the coming years. The study are addressed and is subject to two interpretations of the results. On the one hand, still appear the "big issues" that were already on the agenda, first training with 26% in second culture-business environment and strategic alignment, and third the climate and related issues to productivity. It is curious to observe how subjects that occupy large spaces in the media such as the reconciliation of professional and personal lives, flexibility and social responsibility are given a very relative importance, being all below 10%. Another aspect that draws
little attention is the importance of career plans (7%) and comparatively high percentage of recruitment and selection (15%). With these results, one conclusion may be that as we have said on other occasions we too stuck "in our world, very focused on activities and less to the value added of activities linked to strategic plans. We remain focused on day to day and with little opportunity to shape the future.
Finally, and regardless of what the study raises and that has served us for a series of reflections, I would conclude that I think are really the challenges of the future of the Directorate of Human Resources and more specifically the international area:
generation and maintenance of employee engagement .- In this new model coming organizations, tools and systems from the human resources function will aim to maintain the commitment of employees and professionals, this function should strengthen its involvement in strategic areas of the company to achieve greater consistency between the values \u200b\u200band principles governing the organization and the systems themselves trying to impregnate a high degree of consistency in them. Internationalization
employees (Managing Diversity) .- The openness to other ways of thinking and addressing problems, adapting to other environments and the search for the best, irrespective of where it comes from, will require great skill of understanding the environment and a new way to address the attraction and retention talent. Integrated
function .- Increasingly all decisions are implemented from the function will have two shafts that are inseparable: a) the company's strategy and b) consistency with the business, sector and time of organization. Any new tool will be integrated within this environment, so that professionals must have a function great business knowledge and be fully involved in the dynamics.
relativization and Identification of policies .- The major systems and tools to be applied globally to all environments and situations have rapidly lost its validity today requires systems integration, as we have seen, but accompanied by a large aperture individualization and relativization of policies. This will require professionals to function a huge effort in understanding the different needs of business and each employee.
Management of uncertainty, expectations and psychological contract .- Related with the uncertainty of markets, relocation, and the variation in the psychological contract, human resources professionals will have to redefine their role and find ways to act to ensure that professionals and businesses to find common ground that everyone can develop better skills so that the uncertainties and frustrations do not interfere with motivation.
Translating strategy into strategic initiatives function .- It is imperative that all strategic initiatives developed from the human resource function in line with company strategy and the needs of internal customers. Therefore
professionals in the future of the Human Resources function should improve the skills and personal skills to adapt to these new needs. Without being exhaustive stress the fact that I believe should help achieve this way to the new roles of the function (strategic partner and change agent):
• Improved decision analysis under uncertainty.
• Increased leadership (proactivity and creativity).
· Higher degree of persuasion, negotiation and demand with the line.
• Increased sensitivity to people.
Improves the legitimacy and credibility.
• Increased communication capabilities.
This will be essential, and would still have to add something vitally important is the belief that companies and their chief executive, that the best management in the management of people get better and more efficient organizations with results significantly more successful. The maturation process is launched and English organizations is only the human resources function to push and support to their highest levels.
