Can You Get A Non-HR Job In Your Company?

Michael Haberman threw up some excerpts a while back from The HR Scorecard: Linking People, Strategy, and Performance, by Brian Becker, Mark Huselid and David Ulrich, at HR Observations focused on Competencies for HR Professionals.

My eyes always get a little glossy when I read Ulrich - but I know I should - read him, that is.  Here's the rundown of the five competencies from the book (in order of importance), as outlined my Michael in his post:

1. Knowing the business
2. Mastering HR practices
3. Managing culture
4. Orchestrating change
5. Demonstrating personal credibility

Not a bad list, even if managing culture and orchestrating change are hopelessly broad for the average HR Pro.  As an HR pro, I know you are going to try and master HR practices, so that leaves us with "knowing the business" and "demonstrating personal credibility".

How are you doing on knowing the business and personal credibility as a HR pro?  Here's the one question test you need to give yourself:

Could you get a non-HR job in your company?

If you've worked at learning the business and demonstrated that knowledge to the non-HR world in general, then chances are you could get a non-HR job in your shop.  Nothing builds personal credibility faster with your non-HR peers than you knowing the business. 

What about it?  Can your company see giving you a rotation into Marketing, Finance or Operations?  If not, you probably don't have #1 and #5 covered to the extent you need to...

Comments

[Ed Ross]

With a 50-60% pass rate on the PHR and SHRM certification exams, and the need of many to take a 40 hour SHRM "learning course" to demonstrate knowledge of HR, most HR professionals would do well to stick to their knitting and learn all they can about their own profession before using their "knowledge of the business" in other areas.

[Michael Haberman, SPHR]

Kris:
I think that is a good way to look at it. If you cannot show you know enough about the business to even get a temporary rotation in another department you are in a sad state. I think it is important for HR people to rotate through other departments and I think it is important for future company leaders to also rotate through HR.

Is Ed Ross' comment one on the complexity of HR or a slap at the dumb HR person? I think many bright sales and marketing types, accounting types, and manufacturing types would also struggle in HR.

BTW Kris, it is ok to link to my blog. lol

[Ed Ross]

My point is that all fields are difficult and that the professionals in them have their hands full in mastering them. That's why I cited the certification data. Also, general knowledge of the business should not be confused with technical expertise in a field.

[Jim Price, SPHR]

In my previous role, I worked with a Director who only gave HR the time of day because her boss made her. What finally won her over was my ability to demonstrate the same understanding of her day-to-day business as her own Operations Managers. I find that to have been a typical dynamic over my entire career: the more operations you understand, the more Operations will listen to you.

As for the quality of HR, I sometimes wonder if we shouldn't be politely asking 87% of "HR" people to change careers and instantly raise the credibility of the profession.

But seriously, I think the problem is that the field is very complex, and many people aren't willing to invest the effort required to perform at the level needed to elevate the profession. For those who do want to learn, they often don't have a decent teacher, so the cycle perpetuates.

It raises an age-old question in my mind...If one isn't happy with the quality of the average HR Practitioner, what should one be doing to change things?

[Jessica Lee]

so, can i just say that i'm always shocked when candidates tell me they are impressed that i know so much about my company, the job, and that they are taken aback about how informative i am about the in's-and-out's of the req i'm trying to fill... i mean really, shouldn't a candidate expect no less from me?

well, turns out there are a lot of bad recruiters and bad HR folks out there... and they are making me look really good. while that's lovely job security, i'd rather we all be just a bit more savvy and elevate the level and standing of the HR professional.

anyone care to join me?

[Andres V Acosta, SPHR]

"Knowing the business" doesn't necessarily have to mean being able to get a non-HR job in the same company.

Credibility is earned by (1) keeping your word, (2) following through and (3) adding value. I don't care what you know about the company, if you don't have those three things your credibility is dead-in-the-water.

I'm with Ed on this one.

[Kris Dunn]

Ed/Andres - I get your take. Remember the post material from Ulrich. I'm not measuring whether you are a competent HR person. I'm measuring whether you know the the business with the question. That being said, the question "Could you get a non-HR job in your company" is a simple, yet effective litmus test for whether you know the business while you are running the HR shop.

If you couldn't get another job in another department - any department - you don't know the business and/or you haven't established credibility with your working peers.

I agree with Jim and Jessica on their takes. It's not rocket science - it's being interested, listening and caring enough to understand. The bar's not that high, although with the number of HR people that want nothing to do with learning the business, you'd think it was like learning a second language.

Also, Andres/Ed - if you care enough to debate the topic, I have a feeling you probably understand the businesses you are in, which is kind of the point.

Michael - linked up to your blog after I got the email pop on your comment today. Sorry brother, keep up the great work...

Thanks - KD

[Chris Altizer]

I’m new to the blog, but can’t resist the topic…
Maybe it’s more about making your HR job - or even better your HR function - about the business you’re in? At Pfizer we’ve created a function called Human Capital Policy (HCP) that is focused on directly contributing to our business. As both a major employer and a healthcare company we have a real interest in the public policy debates about healthcare reform and affordable access. In HCP we’re working with our business & policy groups to bring Pfizer’s point of view as an employer as well as a business to these discussions through the HR Policy Association, American Benefits Council and the US Chamber of Commerce (I sit on the Benefits Committee). Since most companies prefer maintaining employer-sponsored healthcare for employers, it’s up to the business HR community to shape the solution or at least educate policymakers.

Another area of interest to science-based companies is the limit on global scientific talent caused by current US immigration policy. It’s not enough that we recruit well, but look to shape and expand the available labor market and the legislation that defines it.

To Jim's point on educated HR people, how many of us have taken the time to connect with HR graduate programs to provide seminars and shape curricula? Jim, I'd gladly join you!

This is all way of saying that our function can and should find ways to drive our respective businesses beyond what we think of as “HR work”. Imagine if you were able to contribute directly to your business through the connections or associations you have in the HR community?

[Dan McCarthy]

Kris –

I like the question. I’m responsible for management development at my company, and all of my team has line management experience. Members of my team have also moved on to have very successful management careers in sales and operations.

Moving in and out of training or HR benefits everyone. It brings real world experience and credibility into our functions and seeds the line organization with training and HR expertise and support.

[Vanna Paul]

Hi,

I agree with Kris and would love to be part of the 'make-a-difference-business aligned HR' function as Chris is. One needs to be passionate about the role and fully understand the impact of HR as as function in the company in order to pass the litmus test. It is as simple as that.

[Chris Ferdinandi - Renegade HR]

Kris, what about in a heavily technical company, where an HR pro might support business lines who do things so intensely technical that understanding the nitty-gritty of it is beyond you? Is understanding the general "how we make money" enough, or do you need to dig deeper than that?

- Chris

[Kris Dunn]

Hey Chris -

I don't think you have to code to answer the question. I think the question could be asked by doing a gut check whether you could go to work for the non-tech departments, like marketing, customer support, even finance. If you've got chops and they like the way you think, you would be a candidate for them, especially at an early stage in your career...

Thanks - KD