34 Human Resources Management for Public and Nonprofi t Organizations
The downsizing and reorganization of public and nonprofi t agencies,
along with a strong focus on results, are forcing agencies to validate their
business processes, reassess the role of the HR function, and evaluate the
adequacy of the work performed by HR employees.
To be strategic partners, HRM departments must possess high levels
of professional and business knowledge. HRM must establish links to
enhance organizational performance and be able to demonstrate on
a continuing basis how HRM activities contribute to the success and
effectiveness of the organization.
Unfortunately, many HRM departments have spent their time ensuring
compliance with rules and regulations, so they lack the skills and com-
petencies to act as a strategic partner. For organizations to be successful
in implementing SHRM, they need the collaborative effort of agency
leaders and human resources (HR) professionals, who themselves need
the knowledge and skills to undertake a more proactive role. In “ Why We
Hate HR, ” Hammonds (2005) notes, “ The human resources trade long
ago provided itself, at best, a necessary evil — at worst, a dark bureaucratic
force that blindly enforces nonsensical rules, resists creativity, and impedes
constructive change.... They are competent at the administrivia of pay, ben-
efi ts, and retirement, but companies are increasingly farming those functions
out to contractors who can handle such routines at lower expenses ” (p. 40).
To identify the skills that high - performing HR professionals need,
Dave Ulrich and Wayne Brockbank, professors at the University of Mich-
igan and other partners, conducted the 2007 Human Resource Com-
petency Study. Over the course of the research, they identifi ed six core
competencies: credible activist, cultural steward, manager/organizational
designer, strategy architect, business ally, and operational executor (Brock-
bank, Johnson, & Ulrich, 2008; Grossman, 2007):The credible activist is respected, admired, and listened to and offers a
point of view, takes a position, and challenges assumptions by:
Delivering results with integrity
Sharing information
Building relationships of trust
Doing HR with an attitude (taking appropriate risks, providing
candid observations, infl uencing others)
The cultural steward recognizes, articulates, and helps shape an
organization ’ s culture by:
Facilitating change
Crafting culture