The mysteries of measuring performance for HR and L&D professionals
For salespeople, success comes with a very tangible metric – the more you sell, the logic goes, the better you must be. But when you work in HR or L&D, the factors that constitute excellence can be harder to pinpoint. If you’re thinking about a promotion or a potential career move, what’s the best way to benchmark what you have to offer?
The CIPD has tools that can help, says Katie Sloggett, head of the CIPD Profession Map. Professionals can use the map to judge not just where gaps in their theoretical knowledge lie, but how their behaviours fit with what they’re trying to achieve. “It’s not just what you do but how you do it,” she says. “You can use the map to understand where you are against the professional standards, and create a development plan for your next step.”
For example, an individual could plan a move from Band 2 on the map (where they advise on or manage HR related to a team) to Band 3 (addressing key HR challenges at an organisational level). Within each band they will identify areas and behaviours that need to be developed, or those that become less relevant. “It’s not just about moving upwards,” adds Sloggett. “It’s about lateral development, too. So if you want to add employee engagement to your skills base, you can see where the gaps are and work out how to fill them.”
One practical way to benchmark yourself is to look at advertisements for jobs you’re considering, says Jonathan Whymark, senior occupational psychologist at search firm Veredus. “Find out what the ‘ideal’ candidate looks like and what competencies are required for the position, then compare it to your own personal skill set. Even if you feel you don’t have direct experience in some areas, consider how your attributes could be transferable and actually fit the role,” he says.
Some HR teams have linked the Profession Map to formal corporate initiatives such as appraisals, using the job ‘families’ to plan objectives for individuals. One organisation has developed 360-feedback tools based on the behaviours in the map, as part of a transition to an HR business partner model. It plans to use the 360-assessment at the start and end of the transition to measure progress.
When it comes to benchmarking behaviours, one of the challenges is that they can be highly subjective. Sloggett recommends using 360-feedback tools or psychometric assessments to get a rounded view of how your personal approach to your role affects how successful you are. MBTI tests, for example, can give you an idea of your own styles and preferences, and the results can be used to adapt how you communicate. They could even help you gauge whether you’d fit into a particular working environment.
In some organisations, it may be possible to shadow a job or fill in for another position. Whymark adds: “It’s important to not only benchmark skill sets, but also motivation. Some people will be well-suited to their current role, but less so to a managerial position they may not find as engaging.”
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