HR Department Maturity Questionnaire
This questionnaire is designed to establish the maturity of your HR Department. The maturity of a department is not determined by the maturity of the individuals within it, but reflects the focus of the department and the type of work in which it is engaged.
The factors considered in this instrument for rating the maturity of your department are: RECRUITMENT; APPRAISAL; PAY, TERMS, AND CONDITIONS; INFORMATION MANAGEMENT; ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE; TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT
You are asked to consider the individual behavioral indicators and descriptors within each column and decide which COLUMN of descriptors is most characteristic of your department. You are likely to find that some descriptors from different columns apply to your department but are asked to select the column that is most characteristic. You should rate this honestly and not respond with how you would like it to be, or how you think your organization should be.
Example
Organizational Change
The focus of our department with regard to Organizational Change can typically be characterized as:
|
Respond to calls for organizational change from the line—inform on implications such as headcount and impact on staffing budget Ensure legal responsibilities are not compromised Handle questions from individuals with regard to the likely impact of change on their personal circumstances |
Advise managers on best way to implement changes to roles, working practices, and terms and conditions Work with line managers to ensure any changes to current practice are implemented within the law while minimizing cost to the business Work with managers to overcome concerns about implementing change in their areas |
Work on HR impact of business process re-engineering and the need to develop key staff to cope Highlight the need for change in competencies and approach and work with line managers to embed these Deal with conflict between managers over the implementation of change and potentially negative impact of one area on another |
Suggest restructuring and radical organizational change as part of developing business strategy Act as “corporate conscience” on defining and living the values—feedback to all those not acting in keeping with these Drive change that impacts directly on the business outside of HR specific concerns |
Recruitment
The focus of our Department with regard to Recruiting can typically be characterized as:
|
Plan recruitment once notified by the business that there is a need to recruit Target recruitment on the basis of a job title and a salary range Draft advertisements to attract candidates Interview candidates Take responsibility for organization of interviews and the drafting of offer letters Ensure new starters are registered on all HR systems |
Invited by the business to advise them how to approach a recruitment need Work with the business to define a Job Specification to guide recruitment Employ agencies to draft advertisements and/or find potential candidates Interview and use psychometric tests in some instances Take responsibility for information provided for hiring managers in addition to organization of the process Encourage the business to provide a structured induction for new starters |
Liaise with the business to anticipate their need to recruit Work with the business to define a Job and Person Specification to guide recruitment Employ search firms to find prospective candidates and advertise internally Train or coach line managers on interviewing skills and use assessment centers for managerial posts Take responsibility for quality of the assessment process and its organization Organize the induction for new starters |
Determine recruitment plans as part of the strategic business planning process Supplement the Job and Person Specification with an exploration of future demands and business direction to guide recruitment Apply a range of methods for locating potential candidates, e.g., subsidiaries, secondments, internet Utilize customized state-of-the-art assessment procedures at all levels Take responsibility for the overall effectiveness of recruitment and assessment decisions Organize and monitor the effectiveness of induction for new starters and intervene to resolve issues or make improvements |
Appraisal
The focus of our department with regard to Appraisal can typically be characterized as:
|
Encourage appraisal of performance to underpin recommendations on remuneration Log recommendations for pay awards from line managers Issue timely reminders that pay reviews need to be conducted Action recommendations on pay awards |
Manage a formal annual appraisal process based on performance against objectives Record the levels of performance against objectives achieved within the business in the form of appraisal ratings Monitor the level of appraisal returns from within the business Advise on development options available to managers looking to develop key staff |
Manage a formal annual appraisal process based on performance against objectives and some behavioral criteria. Provide briefing for managers Record the levels of performance against objectives and behavioral criteria achieved within the business and document individual development needs Monitor the distribution of appraisal ratings across the business Follow up on priority development needs emerging from appraisals |
Manage a formal annual appraisal process based on performance against objectives, behavioral competencies, and corporate values. Both brief and train managers extensively on process Record the levels of achievement attained against objectives, competencies, and behavior and evaluations of future potential. Collate this information to gauge and publicize corporate capability Identify and act upon weak spots in managerial appraisal providing feedback and assistance to improve Formulate individual and corporate development plans as part of succession planning, highlighting vulnerabilities |
Pay, Terms, and Conditions
The focus of our department with regard to Pay, Terms, and Conditions can typically be characterized as:
|
Administer an off-the-shelf or part manual payroll system Remuneration is predominantly salary based within the organization Use historical data to set levels of remuneration and adapt these according to market conditions Pay increases determined by reference to inflation and typically “flat rate” |
Administer a part-customized payroll system capable of modification by in-house remuneration experts Remuneration features some benefits and company bonus scheme Research pay surveys to ensure remuneration is in line with the market and demands of specialists Pay increases and bonus determined by company performance |
Oversee purpose-built, fully customizable payroll system Remuneration includes multiple benefits and personal bonus based on company and individual performance Link pay to performance wherever possible maximizing elements such as bonuses and profit-related pay Pay increases determined by personal and company performance |
Largely outsourced payroll system flexibly modified on request Reward schemes enhance typical remuneration strategies offering flexible packages tied in to business, team, and individual performance Link pay and reward directly to value add to the business Rewards fully flexible to accommodate exceptional input and acknowledge contribution to team and to the wider organization |
Information Management
The focus of our department with regard to Information Management can typically be characterized as:
|
Repository for basic biographic detail about staff IT Development targets storage capacity and speed of processing Information accessed for routine purposes or in response to specific requests from senior managers Separate systems maintained for different aspects of HR work |
Maintain records on staff work history and experience IT Development targets extending the range of data held and its accessibility Information accessed for standard reports, e.g., headcount, etc., and in response to managerial requests Periodic updates of information and database cleaning planned to minimize discrepancies in information held |
Retain and update records on individual work performance and history IT Development targets functionality and reporting capability Information produced to supplement business reports and to support decision making; intranet provides contact details and HR news Systems updated regularly and data managed actively |
Manage a system that captures detailed information about individual performance, aspirations, and competence IT Development targets creation of expert system and predictive/modeling capability Information synthesized to create succession plans and model what–if scenarios; controlled open access to data via intranet available and this developed to answer frequently asked questions and advice Fully integrated systems allowing rapid updates and communication between databases |
Organizational Change
The focus of our department with regard to Organizational Change can typically be characterized as:
|
Respond to calls for organizational change from the line – inform on implications such as headcount and impact on staffing budget Ensure legal responsibilities are not compromised Handle questions from individuals with regard to the likely impact of change on their personal circumstances |
Advise on best way to implement changes to roles, working practices, and terms and conditions Work with line managers to ensure any changes to current practice are implemented within the law while minimizing cost to the business Work with managers to overcome concerns about implementing change in their areas |
Work on HR impact of business process re-engineering and the need to develop key staff to cope Highlight the need for change in competencies and approach and work with line managers to embed these Deal with conflict between managers over the implementation of change and potentially negative impact of one area on another |
Suggest restructuring and radical organizational change as part of developing business strategy Act as “corporate conscience” on defining and living the values—feedback to all those not acting in keeping with these Drive change that impacts directly on the business outside of HR-specific concerns |
Training and Development
The focus of our department with regard to Training & Development can typically be characterized as:
|
Administer training budget and assist managers in finding course to meet specific training needs Fund training in response to specific requests from line managers Use external training professionals or in-house experts to teach staff Take note of dissatisfaction or criticism of training providers to update and amend list |
Agree training budgets as part of review of training needs with departments Publish a prospectus of courses available from which managers may select Deliver the bulk of training through in-house trainers using externals for specialist courses Canvass delegate opinion to monitor satisfaction with training provided |
Advise managers on options available to meet training needs identified through appraisal Obtain business case from managers in support of requests for training Utilize external trainers to supplement own resource or deliver on high-profile programs Conduct trials and observe courses directly to evaluate their effectiveness |
Determine training and development priorities based on appraisal information in the context of business strategy Training and development strategy determined for the business as integral part of strategic business planning Maintain a preferred supplier resource pool and partner with them to design and deliver training and development programs Measure directly the impact of training and development on performance to evaluate and improve course content and delivery |
HR Department Maturity Questionnaire Scoring Guide
Transcribe your scores for each section into the corresponding boxes below and add up the number of ticks in each column
RECRUITMENT
APPRAISAL
PAY, TERMS, AND
CONDITIONS
INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE
TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT
TOTAL
The largest total indicates the most characteristic column for your department
To plot your position calculate the following:
TOTAL
TOTAL = ________
This is a great tool for finding out where you are now and can be used to brief others in the training function about the need to change/improve. It’s particularly interesting to compare how your customers (managers and directors) see you compared to how you see your own department.