2005 HRO Resolutions

Shed some HR worries by keeping these HRO New Years resolutions.

by Andrew Kris

New Years resolutions are easy to come by at this time of year. One of mine, just in case you are interested, is not to make any resolutions for 2005. Having broken so many so easily and so readily over the years, I have come to the conclusion that New Years resolutions are a great deal easier to make for other people. In doing so, at least I have the satisfaction of relieving myself of any obligation to actually do something different and better myself, at least until my colleagues or my wife remind me of some despicable aspect of character. It also leaves me deliciously free to criticize everyone else! So, like it or not, here are some HRO things that I would like you to resolve to do better in 2005.

 IF YOU ARE AN HR SERVICE PROVIDER:

Listen more to your clientsNo, not the things they are telling you, but to everything they are not saying. This means shutting up for a moment about how you will do things better, cheaper, faster, and make the world a better place for all mankind. Listen and understand why exactly it makes senseor does not make sense at allfor this organization to outsource an activity and act accordingly.

Meet your commitments2004 was littered with missed project deadlines and under-performing service delivery. Dont over promise despite the obvious temptations. Dont give your organization or the rest of the HRO industry a bad nameits too early for that. Say what you will do and do what you say.

Take more time to understand the dynamics influencing decisionsSo many deals lost their way in 2004 and wasted millions of euros because providers simply did not understand the drivers, or more accurately the politics, that are motivating the HRO decision. Who are the real decision makers? This may be even more difficult for U.S.-based providers to understand, as they are more at ease with North American corporate dynamics that are, not unsurprisingly, different in the European corporate world.

IF YOU ARE A BUYER OR POTENTIAL BUYER OF HRO SERVICES:

Select your advisors more carefullyYou should use advisors early on to help articulate your case and say some of those things that may be difficult for people in the organization to say themselves. You will find plenty of experts, but not necessarily in HRO. Every consultant who can spell HR is latching on to HRO as todays moneymaker for advisory services. So do your due diligence. Ask for specific references in HRO work. Understanding HR processes is not enough.

Be honest, especially with yourselfIs your organization really ready to go HRO? Or is your project nothing more than a fact-finding mission that will take long enough so the heat on HR effectiveness cools down? Please do not waste your time or the providers or advisors creating plans for projects that you know just wont fly. Dont waste your life attempting to do the impossible. If in doubt, get another job!

  Get out there and learnThere are plenty of conferences and networking opportunities in Europe, for example those organized by the SBPOA or IQPC. Talk to people who have been there and have come through the eye of the HRO storm. Why is it that so many organizations fail to learn from others? Learn from the mistakes of others and adapt their experiences to the realities of your organization. Offering obvious solutions to the same problems, time after time, is the most inefficient way for advisors and providers to become even better off. Instead, spend some on your own education at the SBPOA University and save the rest.

For my part, I am determined to make sure that in these columns I keep you motivated to pursue HRO initiatives in Europe, even if it means breaking my own New Years resolution! With the chilly wind of competitive pressure from Asia blowing across the entire continent, no government or organization can afford to remain complacent. And whether we like it or not, as nations or individuals, HRO provides one solution in the basket of many to keep our European economies competitive.