Skills across the board expected of generation Y Human Resource Professionals entering the workforce

With thousands of graduates in Human Resources entering the workforce over the next few months, more is expected of new workers than ever before. Generation Y is predicted to be the most high-performing workforce ever, with all the information and resources available at their fingertips today. According to a new study by The RBL Group and the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, with help from regional partners, greater demands and expectations in competency areas across the board are being placed on Gen Y professionals entering the workforce.

In order to be prepared for the greater demands being placed on them, new human resource professionals must define, assess, and improve their performance against a set of specific competencies, according to the 2007 round of the Human Resource Competency Study. The following six key areas defined in the study, employers expected new professionals entering the field to have at least basic skills and understanding in each area. In past studies new professionals were expected to be proficient in only a few core areas.

ï CREDIBLE ACTIVIST: The most essential core competency, being a credible activist in an organization, is what ties all the other areas together in becoming an overall effective HR leader.

According to the study Credible Activists are credible by being respected, admired, and listened to and activists by offering a point of view, taking a position, and challenging assumptions.

ìBecoming a Credible Activist in their organization is what new professionals should strive to become. HR professionals who are credible but not activists are admired, but do not have much impact. Those who are activists but not credible may have ideas but will not be listened to,î said Dave Ulrich, partner and founder of The RBL Group, and a professor of business at the Ross School of Business.

ï CULTURE AND CHANGE STEWARD: HR professionals who recognize, articulate, and help shape a companyís culture.

ï TALENT MANAGER/ORGANIZATION DESIGNER: HR professionals mastering theory, research, and practice in both talent management and organization design.

ï STRATEGY ARCHITECT: HR professionals who have a vision for how the organization can win in the future, and play an active part in the establishment of the overall strategy to deliver this vision.

ï OPERATIONAL EXECUTOR: HR professionals executing the operational aspects of managing people and organizations, such as drafting, adapting, and implementing policies. HR professionals also ensure that employeesí basic needs ñ including being paid, relocated, hired, and trained ñ are efficiently delivered through technology, shared services, and/or outsourcing.

ï BUSINESS ALLY: HR professionals contribute to the success of the business by knowing the social context or setting in which their companies operate. They know how the business makes money ñ who their customers are, and why they buy the companyís products or services. And they have a basic understanding of the functions of various corporate departments.



The top four human resource competencies ñ Credible Activist, Culture & Change Steward, Talent Manager/Organizational Designer, and Strategy Architect ñ account for more than 75 percent of the success of a human resource professional, according to this comprehensive study.

New and seasoned professionals alike can gain an understanding of their strengths and the areas they need to build by using the HR Competency Suite, which is based on the latest round of the HRCS. ìIn closely examining over 400 companies and 10,000 participants all over the world, we are able to report with statistical accuracy what HR professionals and departments are doing and where critical competencies need to be further developed,î said Ulrich.

The following HR Competency Suite tools would be particularly useful to new professionals:

INDIVIDUAL HR COMPETENCY 360: The Individual HR Competency 360 is a tool that can be utilized by individuals who wish to independently assess themselves and identify how to succeed in the profession. The Individual HR Competency 360 provides an Individual Feedback Report that includes both self scores and assessment by managers, peers, and non-HR internal and external clients. Scores are benchmarked against global and regional norms. Upon completion of the 360, participants have the option of utilizing the HR Competency Toolkit, an online learning and action-planning workshop to help HR professionals make the most of their report.

HR COMPETENCY SELF-ASSESSMENT: The HR Competency Self-Assessment is an online self-scored assessment of the individualís personal views on their competency within the six domains and related factors. The HR Competency Self Assessment includes an Individual Feedback Report, self-reported scores against global and regional norms and the option of utilizing the HR Competency Toolkit, an online learning and action-planning workshop to help HR professionals make the most of their report.