The big questions will take centre stage at the CIPD annual conference. Meet two experts with some answers
“We need to stop beating ourselves up”
Susannah Clements, deputy CEO, CIPD
A year into her tenure as second-in-command at the CIPD, and Susannah Clements is ready to take stock of the state of HR. She certainly likes what she sees. “People talk about HR stepping up,” says Clements, who joined the institute after a career in the private sector. “I want to change that script, because HR professionals are stepping up. We spend far too long beating ourselves up. HR people forget they’re professionals and experts – a lot of what we do seems like common sense to us, but to do it properly takes skill, knowledge and expertise.” It’s a theme she will be expanding on at the CIPD Annual Conference and Exhibition in Manchester, where she will talk about how HR can come to the fore during periods of change for organisations. This includes using social media and stakeholder analytics as key levers, building a change toolkit for staff, getting the basics right (“If you can’t pay people on time, you can’t expect to be asked to lead a business transformation”) and applying the latest research on motivation and reward to the process. Ultimately, says Clements, an HR-driven change initiative shouldn’t feel like it has come from HR, just as the most effective HR professionals don’t restrict themselves to a single mindset: “They’re pragmatic and come across as bright and thoughtful. They don’t like to say no. They see themselves as business facilitators. And they don’t talk in buzzwords – they use terms anyone across the business can understand.” They’re also sensible enough not to define change in strict terms, she adds. “You almost sow the seeds of your own defeat if you give it a name.” Far better to define an overall strategy that is agile enough to bend to the demands of an evolving organisation. It’s a lesson Clements says applies to her day job – she’s about to enter her second year at the CIPD, where she says her mission is to help HR’s human side stand out: “We want to change the profession one conversation at a time, rather than one process at a time.” She is enthusiastic about her partnership with CIPD CEO Peter Cheese (“we have different but complementary experience”) and is working to increase the CIPD’s impact, with a clearer, more distinctive voice. Hear it for yourself in Manchester… Potted CV 2013- Deputy CEO, CIPD 2012-13 Group HR director, Carillion 2010-12 Group HR director, Care UK 2009-10 Interim director of L&D, ITV 2009 Vice president – people, Orange 2004-09 Group HR director, Anglian Water 1998-2000 HR development director, Whitbread |
Susannah Clements will be speaking on ‘Driving Real Change in Organisations Through HR’ at 11am on Thursday 6 November. For more information, visit cipd.co.uk/ace
“Leaders are cut off… we can help burst the boardroom bubble”
Norman Pickavance, advisor, author and former HR director
The trend for ‘selfies’ might seem harmless enough. But spend too long staring into your phone and you’ll end up narcissistic, whether you’re a gadget-loving teenager or a global business, says Norman Pickavance.
“Selfies are popular because they allow people to take the optimal photo of themselves. People prefer something they see as perfect, rather than an accurate image, and the same is true of corporations. They spend an inordinate amount of time trying to perfect their image, and they come to believe the selfie rather than the reality.”
The former HR director of Morrisons is trying to redress the balance through his work with the Blueprint for Better Business (blueprintforbusiness.org), a movement to ensure profitability, human dignity and the common good are seen as mutually beneficial in the boardroom. He is actively recruiting a team of coaches and consultants to spread the message, but believes HR professionals have an even wider role to play: “HR directors need to burst the boardroom bubble. They can help executives see that they are increasingly cut off from a rapidly changing world, which is a risk to the future of their business.”
At the CIPD Annual Conference and Exhibition, Pickavance will debate the state of the UK labour market, a topic he is well-versed in after leading a review of zero hours contracts on behalf of the Labour party. He is concerned with the quality of jobs being created during the recovery: “If people are assets, we are not investing in that asset base, and like any asset if you don’t invest it will fall apart. The short-term nature of our labour market offers maximum flexibility but little sustainability.”
Ultimately, he says, HR can help leaders reconnect with their humanity. “It’s about not leading a divided life. If the standards by which you expect a member of your family to be treated don’t apply to people at work, it means you’re conflicted.”
Potted CV
2012- Advisor, consultant and non-executive director 2007-12 Group HR director, WM Morrison
2004-07 Group HR director, Northern Foods
2000-03 International HR director, Marconi
1995-2000 Global HR director, Perot Systems
1990-95 European HR director, Fujitsu-ICL
Norman Pickavance will be speaking on ‘The Future Challenges of the UK’s Labour Market’ at 1.30pm on Thursday 6 November. For more information, visit cipd.co.uk/ace