Introduction
Individuals who make up the workforce of a given organization, corporate sector, or economy play a crucial role in determining the realization of the set goals and objectives. Thus, the human resources (HR) department needs to ensure that the necessary standards set are met to foster workers’ professionalism, regardless of their area of specialization (Harrison 914). As such, the CIPD professional map provides the best practices that HR and L&D parties need to embrace for the improvement of their standards in the various industries.
Noticeably, the map provides professionals and organizations with the definition of the necessary building blocks required for sound HR management in at least 10 areas of specialization besides underpinning at least eight professional behaviors for effective practices. In this light, this paper evaluates the meaning of a HR professional and the extent to which the CIPD professional map fosters its definition. Further, an evaluation of the way the two professional areas and at least two behaviors promote “HR Professionalism” would be the focus of this paper. Finally, the paper will provide an analysis and explanation of the drive, meaning, and practical application of the four CIPD concentric circles of HR professionals.
The HR Professional and the CIPD Professional Map
The HR aspect of an organization should be set in a professional way for the sake of bolstering the standards of the input or services offered by the workforce. As such, HR professionalism implies the ability of employees to offer value to the shareholders of the organization in an ethical manner by considering the outcome of their (employees) actions to the society (Ulrich et al. 57). Thus, HR professionals demonstrate the necessary skills and expertise by knowing how and/or when to apply the knowledge in their area of specialization.
As such, the HR professional focuses on the management of self, as well as teams and groups. Additionally, the expert manages all areas of the organization. Therefore, the HR professional focuses on the integration of management roles at different levels, thereby fostering the realization of a shared value among the entire shareholders in an organization. In fostering the amalgamation of administration roles, the HR professional observes several attributes, including flexibility, integrity, ethical conduct and confidentiality, conflict management, customer-focus, and outward-looking, and a thinking-performer perspective (Harrison 919). The CIPD fosters HR professionalism in a manner that makes it an essential map for experts, as well as other organizations.
The CIPD professional map plays a central role in fostering the meaning of the HR line of work by guiding the conduct of experts from the early stages of their careers to the latter phases. The four bands in the CIPD professional map underline the necessary behaviors and practices of professionals at different levels of seniority, ascending from the first to the fourth band (Harrison 922). Furthermore, the map facilitates the understanding of the HR professional by acknowledging the essence of effective management by engaging in approaches such as employee engagement, resourcing and talent planning, learning and development, and performance and reward.
The Two Core Professional Areas, Two Selected Behaviors, and HR Professionalism
The CIPD provides HR and L&D professionals with indispensable behaviors that foster their efficiency throughout their career. Two behaviors that are included in the CIPD professional map, namely, collaboration and curiosity, help HR and L&D experts to engage in effective execution of their roles and responsibilities. The collaborative and curiosity behaviors streamline the insights, approaches, and solutions that are required to drive their professionalism and the organization forward. Thus, the behaviors enhance the concept of “HR professionalism” at the various band levels.
Collaboration enables professionals to execute their tasks inclusively and effectively with a range of individuals situated within and outside the organization. For instance, at the band-one level, HR employees who join the industry are required to support their colleagues with the functions in administration and other processes. Doing so allows them to familiarize themselves with the effective ways of executing their functions as groups or teams. Further, the mutual behavior is important for L&D professionals since it enhances the interaction among team members at the band-two level in a way that identifies the issues among them before providing the necessary solutions.
According to CIPD, inquisitiveness is a behavior that influences the professional to focus on the future while embracing inquisitiveness and open-mindedness, thereby developing innovative approaches that add value to the organization (par.2). For instance, a curious HR consultant at the band-three level could provide solutions to the issue of employee unproductiveness by investigating the underlying issues within an organization in a way that fosters its medium and long-term performance. Similarly, band-four professionals, especially managers may apply curiosity to identify the necessary strategies that bolster the productivity of the HR unit. Thus, the map enhances HR professionalism by guiding the behavior of experts at different levels.
The Four Concentric Circles of HR Professionalism in CIPD
The CIPD assists professionals with varying levels of experience to execute their roles and functions effectively, thereby meeting the expectations of the various stakeholders of an organization or a sector of the economy. The four concentric circles in the CIPD foster the effectiveness of professionals by specifying the areas of focus. Therefore, the purpose of the four bands in the map seek to promote the establishment of a vivid pathway while at the same time influencing the professionals to focus on their development planning and specialized undertakings in the organization.
Therefore, the four concentric circles mean that the HR expert may apply the expected standards required for their professional engagements and development. In this light, the circles enable professionals with varying experience levels to enhance their professional growth and development as they seek to create shared value for the stakeholders within the organization. As such, employees need to fully participate throughout their career as a way of bolstering their continuous development.
The practical application of the four bands focuses on several areas of the professional’s specialization. The circles facilitate the improvement of relationships between the HR experts and their clients (Harrison 920). Further, the four bands influence specialists to focus on the relevant activities that boost their professional growth. Additionally, the CIPD concentric circles underline the areas that HR professionals need to spend their valuable time. Moreover, the four circles facilitate the assessment and evaluation of the success realized by the HR expert.
Conclusion
The CIPD professional map assists the HR experts to reflect their roles and the essence of effective performance. The HR professionals apply their knowledge and skills to manage themselves, groups and teams, and across the organization to meet the expectations of the stakeholders. The collaborative and curious behaviors that HR professionals embrace at the different bands of the CIPD map assist in fostering their career development, thereby underpinning HR professionalism.
Works Cited
“CIPD.” The CIPD Professional Map, 2017, Web.
Harrison, Patricia. “Learning Culture, Line Manager and HR Professional Practice.” Journal of European Industrial Training, vol. 35, no. 9, 2011, pp. 914-928.
Ulrich, Dave et al. “Toward a Synthesis of HR Competency Models: The Common HR Food Groups.” People and Strategy, vol. 38, no. 4, 2015, pp. 56-65.