A ‘good’ HR Strategy challenges established thinking, focuses HR spend and effort, integrates HR into strategic decision making and (most importantly) develops a more business-orientated HR function. Yet it’s surprising how many organisations do not make this critical link between organisational strategy and HR.

Here at cda we have worked with a variety of organisations to develop an effective HR Strategy by:

• Benchmarking current policies and processes against external standards and best practice
• Evaluating the implications of organisational strategy (e.g. for skills or HR processes)
• Surveying the views and requirements of internal customers
• Facilitating discussion to agree priorities and success measures
• Advising on the best way to communicate the HR strategy to the wider organisation
• Evaluating the skill levels and career priorities of HR team members
• Re-visiting the HR Strategy to evaluate progress and update priorities

Arla Foods UK plc wanted to establish a strategy that would provide a strategic framework for HR. We worked with the HR Directorate to develop a seamless HR plan, which pulled together the HR agenda for the ‘new’ organisation. It was linked to the new vision, strategy, & values – ‘Taking the Lead’ - and reflected the practical priorities for the business. Importantly for successful implementation, it linked to a detailed delivery plan for HR with priorities, timescales, and resources.

Following our support for the strategic review of the AWG business, we worked with the newly formed HR team within Anglian Water Services to define an HR Strategy which would support business objectives. The strategy was centered around the development of a Skills and Behaviours Framework which defined the competencies that would form the basis for the achievement of AWG's Vision. The HR Strategy provided a platform for a range of new initiatives designed to support the achievement of business strategy by developing the key Skills and Behaviours set out in the Framework.

The Risk Assurance Division team with the Department of Work and Pensions asked is to work with them to develop a Training Strategy which would identify the training and development needed to help the RAD team meet the challenges of the future. We worked with the top team to agree a Skills and Knowledge Framework, which summarised the key areas of skill and knowledge that would make a real difference to the success of the RAD team in the medium term. We then carried out a 1:1 assessment and development planning interview with over 200 staff, and summarised the results as a Learning and Development Strategy for RAD.

Sixty UK (owners of the ‘Miss Sixty’ brand) wanted to develop their HR function to support the growth of the business. We carried out a strategic review that identified HR priorities for the company and developed a competency framework and performance management process aimed at developing the skills, knowledge and behaviours needed to grow the business. We continued to support the business to help these new HR tools to become established.

How do you create an integrating HR strategy for a fast moving, high tech, Pan European Internet business? This was the challenge Yahoo! presented to cda. After spending time inside the business to understand ‘what made it tick’ and taking into account that English was the second language for many members of the team, we designed and facilitated a highly interactive strategy planning session. The output was a medium term HR strategy supported by key project initiatives that drove the priorities of the HR team's two to five year business plans.