SHL launches consultancy skills training

New course answers changing needs of HR highlighted in SHL survey

A recent survey by SHL has highlighted that HR professionals are under increasing pressure to change their working practices to meet the needs of today's organisations. Rather than being primarily process-driven, companies now require HR departments to actively drive organisational change and development. To be successful, HR professionals must adopt a new set of skills to enable them to answer their clients' needs.

The survey, which questioned 350 HR professionals attending a series of roadshows held by SHL across the UK, showed that HR departments believe they are still seen as process-oriented and divorced from the business by managers, whereas they are actually expected to bring solutions to specific business challenges.

Respondents to the survey said that the biggest problem they face from their clients is the perception that they are an obstacle to the business, rather than a facilitator of change. Being 'slow and bureaucratic', 'caught up on legislation' and 'not understanding the needs of managers' were cited as some of the most common perceptions of the HR department. Respondents also felt they were perceived as 'insufficiently strategic' within the business as a whole.

To help HR professionals develop the new skill sets they need to deliver valuable consultancy to organisations, SHL has launched a new consultancy skills training course. A two-day workshop, the course has been designed to help HR professionals develop client-centred, collaborative relationships. In particular, it allows them to practise the six key stages of consultancy: scouting, entry and contracting, diagnosis, planning and negotiating interventions, taking action and evaluation.

Roy Davis, head of communications at SHL, commented: HR professionals are undoubtedly aware they must become a more proactive part of the business if they are to continue to play a role as business evolves. To do this, they need to develop specific consultancy skills. The new course we are offering enables them to do just that by using practical tools, processes and techniques to see through consultancy assignments and manage clients effectively. It also helps them to identify the factors that contribute to the success and failure of HR consultancy.