Leading the HR function

A new capability framework

To meet the demands of the future workplace, HR professionals need to be equipped with the right skills and knowledge. Editor of Human Resources magazine Kathy Catton spoke with HRNZ Chief Executive Nick McKissack and Manager Professional Standards and Development Amy Clarke to discover what HRNZ’s new Capability Framework aims to achieve.

Great to talk with you, Nick and Amy. Could you start by telling us what led to the update of the HRNZ competency framework? Why now?

Amy: The old HRNZ competency framework has been in place for over 15 years, so it was due for review. The old framework no longer reflected the values HR professionals need today and in the future. And, of course, the new framework underpins all our other service offerings at HRNZ, from Professional Accreditation to the Professional Development programme and courses, so we needed to re-look at it. framework. We wanted a tool that would work for New Zealand HR professionals while keeping an eye on global best practices. We have a unique culture here in Aotearoa. For instance, we know that we have a large proportion of small-to medium-sized businesses, and we know we are striving for a bicultural workplace. Our economy is unique and so are our people. Secondly, we wanted a framework that was futureoriented and that would provide scope for growth and change.

So how have you gone about devising the new framework?

Nick: Primarily, we’ve done a significant amount of engagement and research. We started with some desktop research on existing frameworks from around the world, and we’ve sought feedback on the usability of our old framework from a range of current users. We’ve not only reviewed what other professional associations are doing, but also identified HR capabilities for the future.

Amy: We did this by running an intensive design lab with senior HR professionals, non-HR managers and leaders from around the country. We wanted to explore what the HR landscape and good practice look like today. Then we tested and developed outputs from this engagement. We also completed an academic review of international HR frameworks and current trends.

What did you notice in carrying out this design work?

Nick: What was interesting was when we started to map out the development of the HR profession over time, we saw that two paths for the future were emerging: one was based on an evolution where we continued to react and conduct compliance-type work, and the other path saw HR people being more proactive and champions of culture and change. Obviously, HRNZ wants to opt for this bolder path.

Amy: It’s actually a really cool story to look at what’s influenced HR over the decades. Even given all this history, all the people in our design lab work recognised and wanted to embrace a new and ground-breaking approach. We’re not aware of any other professional organisation that puts ethical behaviours and people at its centre. With this in mind, Māori values and indigenous cultural models strongly influenced our final model.

How would you describe the end result of this work?

Amy: We’ve taken the best of every aspect of our collaborative work. We’ve refined prototypes and made them the best of the best. The result is a framework that acts as a tool to help HR professionals in Aotearoa shape their careers and develop their professional skills. Our goal is to make the tool attainable for all HR professionals – generalists and specialists.

Nick: That’s a good point. We wanted to be sure that the new model was inclusive of all HR professionals. For us, the concept of an HR generalist is changing – we believe that whether you’re a specialist or a generalist, you’ll still be displaying the core capabilities. This model outlines what makes an HR professional unique in a professional sense.

How does this differ from the old competency framework?

Amy: With the old model, some of the competencies were independent of each other. For example, business knowledge and business credibility were separate competencies. But what emerged from our design lab work was that these competencies are all interconnected. You are credible if you understand and value people, read the room or a situation, bring people on the journey and solve workplace problems. It’s all now connected to these new core capabilities.

Nick: I’ve talked before about how I sometimes wonder whether this large focus on business understanding is distracting us from the real purpose of our existence as HR professionals. We’re here to speak the language of people. We’re not here to bring the value of people down to dollars and cents, and in fact, every domain of an organisation or business needs to understand the business, whether that’s marketing, finance or sales – that’s not unique to HR. Let’s leave the number-crunching to the CFO while we get on with helping organisations provide a positive work environment where people are valued and supported. We are about building the craft of HR.

Where can HR professionals start with engaging with this new model?

Nick: We strongly encourage HR professionals to use this new model as an opportunity to identify learning and development paths for themselves. We have a user guide available that breaks down each of the capabilities and shows some of the practical skills under each of the six headings. My advice would be to look at it with an open mind and ask how you can engage with it to support your own development.

Amy: That’s right. We have tested the guide out on various groups, because we want to be sure it’s relevant and useful to a range of people, such as HR professionals, HR hiring managers, non-HR hiring managers, students and those new to HR. For example, this tool may be used by a business owner in Timaru who has 60 staff and realises she now needs to recruit an HR person to help with payroll, recruitment, and health and safety. We’ve stress-tested it from every angle to make sure it works.

How does the framework link with other parts of the HR world?

Nick: We have a working prototype now for how the framework interacts with our professional accreditation process. We’ve made a good start on this. We see that chunks of the Professional Development programme won’t change, but also some of our foundational courses will need to be revamped and we have just started the process of doing this with the intention of having new material in place for 2023.

Amy: At HRNZ, we are also very conscious of te ao Māori and how this is integral to our core capabilities. We have tried to make it as accessible as possible to people, but we recognise this will require effort, and it’s not just a tick-box exercise. We believe it’s well within people’s reach to grasp this crucial aspect of the world of work, and we’re also looking to provide lots of wrap-around support in this area. We’re engaging HRNZ’s rōpū Māori branch on this as well.

Where can people go to get more information?

Amy: We have a user guide. It outlines each element of the framework (the core capabilities, the capability levels and the domains of knowledge). It then goes into detail on each of the capabilities across the levels. You’ll be able to see what typical tasks each level might include and can find out more about how you might apply this framework in your own practice. There are also some fictional stories of HR professionals to demonstrate how the framework might be used and applied. For example, if you’re an HR adviser in a large company or a general manager in government, how would the framework apply to you?

Nick: We believe that this new framework reflects who we are as a nation and who we are as HR. Time moves quickly – we need to be thinking now about what the future looks like. The new Capability Framework helps to ensure that HR professionals are able to meet the challenges of the modern workplace both now and in the future and to do it with soul and heart.

Amy: We know this new framework is a massive jump from where we have been. And we know it will need to evolve as we do. But we are proud of this bold path we are taking. It’s a great baseline and we are ready to keep pushing the bar higher. Let’s not wait another 15 years before we review it again!

Nick: HRNZ would like to acknowledge and thank the design lab attendees in supporting HRNZ with this work. We are very grateful for all their hard work and feedback. Thank you Mondy Jera, Ben McCarthy and Tahlia Conrad-Hinga, Melissa Crawford, Deepika Jindal, Susan Lowe, Mark Daldorf, Sara Ebsworth, Henriette Scheepbouwer, Bridget Williams, Karli Te Aotonga, Pia Steiner, Aron Chantelau and Lara Robertson.

Thank you, Nick and Amy, for sharing this journey. Kia ora.