The HR Manager as a Leader

Every human resource manager plays different pivotal roles in the organization. Each role
differs in function. Its impact and influence on people also differ on the qualities and
characteristics of the human resource manager himself or herself. To mention, HR managers
roles include, presenter, innovation, motivator, change agent, strategic partner, competency
developer, human capitalist, delegator, and a leader. One role shifts to another role. One of the
best roles most described by HR practitioners is being a leader.
In the article of Suresh (2015), Qualities and Characteristics of Successful Human
Resource Managers he claims that a leader is one who visualizes big picture, focus on people,
progress and achievements, does the right thing and encouraging a rewarding culture. And these
are what the successful HR Managers possess. This goes to show that the HR manager should
look on all situations in the organization.
Visualizing big picture tells that the HR manager being a leader has a vision and mission
and could sense what the organization will become in the future. This thing can happen if the
leader is focused on its people progress and achievement. Every leader has to remember that
people or the human resources are the best assets of the organization. No organization exists
within human resource, precisely because they are the workforce. Thus, an HR leader has to do
help people to become productive to eventually achieve progress. Development and
encouragement of people to do better in the job should be an organizations culture.
In another article Six Qualities of Human Resource Managers HR manager is best sees
a leader. Accordingly, HR manager as leader must be concerned to put employees or the people
in the organization together as one, together as a team to achieve the common goal of the
organization. Practitioners in the field of the organization see that leadership helps in balancing
people in the organization which eventually lead into running the business smoothly hence,
leadership affects a friendly atmosphere in the organization climate.
The article points out the importance of team spirit that should be initiated by the HR
manager. Being a leader, it is in his or her command lies the spirit of unity in the organization.
People have to be acquired this culture. Everyone must be a team player because this is an
important ingredient towards a successful organization.

Furthermore, effective HR leadership goes beyond managing all the tasks and
responsibilities carried out by the HR function. It also requires the critical soft skills needed from
any leadercourage, judgment, influence, political agility, effective communicationall of
these applied to the unique position that HR occupies in an organization.
In conclusion, with the concept of paradigm shift from traditional leadership to new
leadership, the latter is more focused on the improvement, effectiveness, and efficiency in the
organizational performance. HR leadership is better seen as a leader with great sense of
responsibility, functions, and behaviors. It changed so because of the diverse scenarios and
situations in the workplace.
Source:
Suresh, Amara (2015) Human Resources Leader | Building solutions in HR
Retrieved from: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140916185301-43374179-qualities-andcharacteristics-of-successful-human-resource-managers

The HR Manager as a Strategic Partner

As mentioned, with the shift of paradigm in human resource management, HR manager
plays various roles. One of the transform roles of HR manager is being a strategic partner in
which HR manager can be a more effective resource for the organization and contribute to the
organizations credibility.
In an internet article The Critical Importance of HR Service Delivery, various HR
organizations are dared by the need to strike a comfortable balance between achieving greater
HR service-delivery efficiencies and maintaining the "personal touch" culture. Experts claim that
HR professionals' continuous struggle to evolve into strategic partners within their organizations
often causes them to dismiss the service delivery component of HR as something tactical. The
opposite, present that effective service delivery is considered the very criterion through which
HR can become a strategic partner.
However, obstacles to excellent HR service delivery include HR's desire for building
greater complexity into program design rather than convincing business leaders that they're better
served with a simpler, well-executed approach. Another problem to successful delivery efforts
has been HR's ineffective use of technology, which means, not fully understanding the benefits
of existing technology or inappropriately using technology to do the wrong things faster.
Hewitt consultant John Sanders says that HR service delivery will become all the more
critical over the next decade due to factors such as increasing cost pressures, global workforce
and processes, demand for 24/7 information and answers, flexible and fuzzy organizational
boundaries, and rising customer expectations. The possible adverse effects of these external
forces emphasize the position of executing HR service delivery extremely well. Thus, HR's shift
into a strategic partner for the organization undeniably depends on it.
With this scenario, the need to create excellent service delivery is necessary. Hewitt
partners with companies conceived and conceptualized means and ways to develop opportunities
for better HR service delivery offerings. To mention, some success strategies that have emerged
from these partnerships include: (1) Meeting customers' needs may mean saying no; (2) design

for the 80% solution; (3) Get out of the middle; and (4) total control of the work. Instead of
falling victim to a "one-off" or crisis-driven approach to HR management, Hewitt suggests
taking a more cost-effective approach by narrowly defining which customers should be served
exceptionally well in accordance with business needs and HR's overall philosophy of operation.
On the other hand, Hewitt describes the term "80% solution" to mean that a delivery process
should be designed to meet the needs of the majority of customers, and that outlying situations
should be handled separately. Meanwhile, get out of the middle means that sometimes HR's role
in an organization lacks clearly defined accountability, which may hinder efforts to provide
superior service delivery. Hewitt suggests establishing expectations for HR's involvement up
front. HR maintains total control of the work is reflected in an organized and effective HR
service delivery. This shows that HR organizations moved to shared services models in which
these focused on expertise of doing and designing programs for better delivery of services.

Source: http://www.aon.com/human-capital-consulting/thoughtleadership/outsourcing/article_transforming_hr.jsp

The HR Manager as Competency Developer

Another paradigm shift in Human Resource Management roles is HR manager is playing
the role of a competency developer. Competency is the defined as the art and science of
acquiring, motivating, maintaining, and developing human resources in the light of doing this
jobs as they take personal, professional and technical knowledge, skills, potentialities, needs, and
values

It is the art and science of acquiring, motivating, maintaining and developing people in their jobs
in light of their personal, professional and technical knowledge, skills, potentialities, needs and
values in synchronization with the achievement of individual, organization, and societys goals.
Functions of a Human Resource Manager
* In charge of the management of an organizations workforce, or human resources *
Responsible for the attraction, selection, training, assessment and rewarding of employees *
Oversees organizational leadership and culture
* Develops new approaches
* Generates innovative ideas that are strategically aligned with department goals * Serves as a
change
agent and leads change efforts
HR Manager as Competency Developer
Human Resources is an asset that need to be managed conscientiously and in tune with the
organizations needs. Todays most competitive organization are working to ensure that now and
a decade from now they have employees who are eager and be able to address competitive
challenges, this means recruiting and retaining superior talent and stimulating employees to
perform at peak levels.
For organization to succeed in todays competitive and complex environment, employee at all
levels need to develop and demonstrate the personal capabilities, underlying characteristics and
behaviours that drive superior performance at work.
Keeping the organization and its human resources competitive is one of the most important role
of a Human Resource Manager.
Competency
* It is the ability of an individual to do a job properly * It is a combination of knowledge, skills
and behaviour used to improve performance * It is linked with personal development as a
management concept * Competency is not fixed they can usually be developed with effort
and support * Competency should be made visible/accessible
Competencies are coachable, observable, measurable and critical to successful individual or
corporation performance
Why the need to develop competency:
Why the need to develop competency:
* Highlight the value of the organization
* Provide clear guidelines of success

* Enable greater flexibility to move people laterally and encourages development * Provide
practical tools for performance management
* Help to identify gaps between current capabilities and future requirements * Help in focusing
training and development efforts on areas with greatest need and/or impact * Facilitate
organizational change and building desired culture * Provides employees with a roadmap for
building strengths and closing development gaps
Competencies, when correctly identified and used, have proved to be one of the most powerful
tools for an organization to meet its business results, through its people. Competencies help in
establishing common criteria for hiring, training, measuring, and rewarding people with the right
capabilities to help the organization gain competitive advantage Competency models are often
used within human resource departments of organizations to define success of both individuals
and groups. Competency models can be used in a variety of ways, such as assessing of
candidates qualifications for jobs to developing training programs and in executive recruitment
and coaching.
Effectiveness of Competency Model
Must:
* Be aligned with business and organization goals and needs * Support
the business strategy
* Be future focused
* Translate abstract concepts into observable behaviours and activities * Be suitable for multiple
application (if necessary)
* Be selective, focused on a few competencies that are actually key for company or individuals
performance * Do make so specific that it cannot be used elsewhere in the organization
Types of Competencies
When we speak about competencies, they can generally be divided into two main categories: 1.
Core Competencies
Core Competencies are based on the organizations mandate, key values, and goals. They
describe those behaviors that are necessary for successful performance in all jobs throughout the
agency. In other words, these core competencies are necessary for the agency to meet its strategic
goals and priorities. They are found in every job, but to varying degrees.
The core competencies for all roles are:
* Building Relationships
Builds rapport, develops relationships and identifies opportunities for Partner/Community
involvement, collaborates with stakeholders on an on-going basis and establishes new
partnerships/strategic relationships
* Developing Others
The ability to foster the learning and development of others (individuals, staff, and peers)
through coaching, mentoring and empowering so that people have a deep sense of commitment
and ownership. It includes promoting an environment of continuous learning and selfdevelopment that contributes to on-going success. Developing others is applied to all roles and is
not limited to formal positions of authority
* Integrity
Acts consistently, in the workplace, according to Basic Values of openness
and honesty Acts on Values despite emotional risk to self
* Listening, Understanding and Responding
Listen actively and responsively

Accurately assesses Human Behaviour

* Advocacy
It is a focus on and commitment to involving the individual in the community and influencing
the community to assist in meeting the needs and goals of the individual. It involves the use of
persuasive techniques or negotiation skills to achieve desired results, advocates for the rights of
the individual and proactively encourage the integration of the individual into the community. At
higher levels, advocacy involves thinking about what the other party cares about, thinking winwin, and framing arguments in light of their issues
* Quality of Service
Maintains clear communication
Takes personal responsibility for correcting problems
Acts to improve quality of service for the individual of stakeholder Addresses underlying needs
of individual or stakeholder
Uses a long-term perspective/acts as a trusted advisor
It is important here to understand that these competencies will help agency staff to more
effectively meet the needs of the individuals that are served by the agencies. For example, by
engaging in advocacy and building community relations, accessibility and community education
will be strengthened. As leaders help staff to grow and develop, staff members can better assist
individuals to grow and develop. A strong service orientation helps everyone stay focused on
who we serve and allows us to adapt to changing expectations and needs. A strong ability to
listen and understand underlies all that we are trying to accomplish in being person-centered and
respectful. Over time, a path for superior performance is laid.
2. Job-Specific Competencies
Job Competencies refer to the key interpersonal and personal skills and abilities that are
necessary to specific types of jobs within the agencies. The job specific behavioural
competencies are:
* Professional Excellence
Wants to do job well
Creates own measures of excellence
Improves performance
Sets and works to meet challenging goals
* Flexibility
The ability to adapt to and work effectively within a variety of situations, and with various
individuals or groups. Flexibility entails understanding and appreciating different and opposing
perspectives on an issue, adapting ones approach as the requirements of a situation change, and
changing or easily accepting changes in ones own agency or job requirements.
* Information Gathering and Analysis
Ask questions
Investigates and sees patterns
Researches and applies complex concepts
Clarifies complex concepts and scans the environment
* Opportunity Seeking
The ability to identify a problem, obstacle or opportunity and take action and/or proactively
create opportunities to resolve or prevent problems. It is an orientation towards actively seeking
out opportunities for the individual that will assist in enhancing involvement within his or her
community.

* Self-Control
The ability to keep ones emotions under control and restrain negative actions when provoked,
when faced with opposition or hostility from others, or when working under conditions of stress.
It also includes the ability to
maintain stamina under continuing stress
* Strategic Thinking
Aligns current actions with strategic goals of the organization Integrates goals with plans and
approaches
Integrates goals with operations
Understands external impact on internal strategy
* Team Leadership
Keeps people informed
Promotes team effectiveness
Obtains resources/takes care of the team
Positions self as the leader
Communicates a compelling vision
* Teamwork
Involves working co-operatively with others, being part of a team, working together, as opposed
to working separately or competitively. These behaviours apply when one is a member of a
group of people functioning as a team
It is important to note that these competencies are defined at different levels for different jobs. At
the same time, it is important to keep in mind that we need to think through issues and concerns,
solve problems and stay aware of our environment. We need to work as a team and support each
other. As issues change, we must remain flexible, but never lose sight of what the agency is
trying to accomplish. We must focus on achieving results and taking initiative to help support the
individuals we serve, and to allow them to participate fully in the community.
Human Resource Development
Human Resource Development is the framework for helping employees develop their personal
and organizational skills, knowledge and abilities. Human Resource Development includes such
opportunities as employee training,
employee career
development, performance management and development, coaching, mentoring, succession
planning, key employee identification and organization development.
The Human Resource Manager should identify, administer, develop and evaluate the training and
development needs of personnel. Through this training and development, personnel acquire not
only skills and competency in their present jobs but also capacities for future managerial
positions.
The efficiency of an organization depends greatly on the training and development of personnel.
Training
* Improving employee competencies needed today or very soon * Typical objective is to
improve employee performance in a specific job
Development
* Improving employee competencies over a longer period of time * Typical objective is to
prepare employees for future roles
Importance of Training and Development
* Develop competencies that match strategy

* It helps personnel to utilize and develop his potential * Foster cohesiveness and commitment
* Improve commitment and retention
* There will be competent replacement for more responsible positions * Career advancement
opportunities
* Improve competitiveness
* Increase productivity
* Improve service
* Implement new technology
* Trained personnel increase their market value and earning power
HR Managers need to provide opportunities for employees to improve their knowledge, skills
and expertise, but at the same time they have to find ways to retain employees and their
knowledge. HRM practices and HR strategies have to be designed and delivered to keep
employees and their knowledge in the organization. It is not always possible to retain employees
in organizations and, sometimes, it is even good idea to let go of some of the existing staff and
introduce a new wave of employees to the organization to improve innovation and creativity.
However, this does not mean that organizations should also let go of the knowledge they have
invested to be created and developed over the years. Although employees come and go,
knowledge should be kept and developed for the future competitiveness of the organization. HR
Manager as a Change Leader
Change Leadership is the ability to energize and alert groups to the need for specific changes in
the way things are done. People with this competency willingly embrace and champion change.
They take advantage of every opportunity to explain their vision of the future to others and gain
their buy-in. HR Managers should play an active role in developing and maintaining an
organizational environment supportive of change and diversity * Encourages others to value
change
* Effectively communicates the reasons for change
HR Managers should be anticipatory and proactive rather than reactive. Because of rapid change
in both technological and demographic, HR Manager is in a pivotal position for helping to create
an organizational environment supportive of such change
HR Managers should also develop innovative approaches to streamline complex situations.
Best practice
The planning processes of most best practice organizations not only define what will be
accomplished within a given time-frame, but also the numbers and types of human resources that
will be needed to achieve the defined business goals (e.g., number of human resources; the
required competencies; when the resources will be needed; etc.).
Organizations must also have a talent management HR system that stores and reports information
on employee competencies, and enables some or all parts of the Career Development and
Succession Management process, for example: * employee / multi-source competency
assessment;
* catalogued learning resources;
* on-line registration for courses / programs;
* job / role matching that compares employee competencies against targeted role / job
requirements; * various reporting capabilities that support both Succession Management (e.g.,
lists of employees ready for targeted positions / role) and broader HR Planning.
References

* Michael Armstrong. A Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice. 2007 * Zorlu

Senyucel. Managing the Human Resource in the 21st Century. 2009 * ITAP International. Global
Competency Development. 2013 * Jackson, Schuller & Werner. Managing Human Resources. *
HRMBusiness.com.Competency Development: The HRM Professionals Key Role.2008 *
Success through HR Professionals.novascotia.ca.2012

Group 1
Marilyn D. Alva
Russel R. Recana
Mavel P. Regio