The purpose of the CIPD Profession Map (CIPD, 2017), is to describe what a HR professional needs to do, what they need to know and how they need to do it within each professional area at each stage of professional competence. There are two core professional areas at the center of the profession map, they are; Leading HR and Insights, strategy and solutions.
Leading HR is at the core of the map, it means developing actionable insights and solutions which are prioritized and tailored to a deep understanding of the business. Insights, strategy and solutions provides active, insight-led leadership. It is concerned with owning, shaping and driving the individual, others and activities within the organization. Within the inner ring of the map are eight professional areas.
They identify the activities and knowledge that are required to provide specialist support. They are: Employee relations: Ensures that the relationship between an organisation and its staff is managed appropriately within a clear framework and that relevant employment law, policies, procedures, communication, negotiation and consultation are adhered to. Employee engagement: Ensures that in all aspects of the employment experience, the emotional connections that employees have with their work, colleagues and organisation is positive and understood. Examples: looking at workplace behavior, diversity of people’s needs, internal communications engagement interventions. Performance and reward: Builds a high-performance culture by delivering programmes that recognise and reward critical skills, capabilities, experience and performance.
Ensures reward systems are market-based and equitable and cost effective. Learning and talent development: Ensures people at all levels possess and develop skills, knowledge and experiences to fulfil the short and long-term ambitions of the organisation (such as L;D solutions, talent management). Resourcing and talent planning: Ensures the organisation is able to identify and attract key people with the capability to create competitive advantage. Examples: workforce planning, resourcing, assessment and selection, induction/exit. Organization and development: Ensures the organisation has the committed ‘fit for future’ workforce that is needed to deliver its strategic ambition.
Ensures that an organisation’s culture values and environment support and enhance its performance and adaptability Examples: communication change, project management, assessing capabilities. Organization design: Ensures that the organisation is appropriately designed to deliver organisational objectives in the short and long term and that structural change is effectively managed. Service delivery and information: Ensures that the delivery of the HR service and information to leaders, managers and employees within an organisation is accurate, efficient, timely and cost effective. Human Resource data is managed professionally. The outer band consists of the eight behaviors. They detail how professionals need to carry out their activities and make a contribution to organizational success.
They are; role model, curious, decisive thinker, skilled influencer, personally credible, collaborative, driven to deliver, courage to challenge. Explain the bands and their transitions: one, two, three, four The four bands of professional competence define the contribution that professionals make at every stage of their HR career. The bands help to give a clear pathway and focus to developmental planning and activities.
- At the first band, staff support colleagues with administration and processes, they effectively manage information and are customer orientated.
- At the second band, staff advice on and/or manage HR related issues relating to an individual or a team, they have a clear understanding of the evaluation process and the solutions available.
- At the third band staff act as consultants or partners by leading a professional area, they address key HR challenges at an organizational level for the medium and long-term.
- At the fourth band, staff lead and manage a professional area(s) and/or organization, they are responsible for developing and delivering organizational and HR strategy.
