Developing Yourself as an Effective Human Resources practitioner

Developing Yourself as an Effective Human Resources practitioner – MAY 2020

AIM

The following activities will assess your ability to:

• Understand the knowledge, skills and behaviours required to be an effective HR practitioner;
• Know how to deliver timely and effective HR services to meet users’ needs; and
• Reflect on your own practice and development needs, and maintain a plan for personal development.

Assessment brief

Download the detailed assessment brief

Assessment guidance

The guide below will help you complete your assessment activities. It contains information about the different assessment criteria and some hints and tips on what to include for each of those criteria. The guidance also includes some examples you could use to improve your assessment.

REMEMBER: All reference sources should be acknowledged correctly and a bibliography provided where appropriate (these should be excluded from the word count).

Activity 1

Using the CIPD Profession Map as a reference, write a report in which you:

• Briefly summarise the CIPD Profession Map (i.e. its purpose, values, two of the core knowledge areas,  the specialist knowledge areas and the behaviours); and
• Identify the specialist knowledge areas(s) which you consider most relevant to your own role and comment on the relevance of the knowledge standard (at foundation or associate level) to your role.

Briefly introduce the core purpose of the New Profession map. Summarise the New Profession map’s contents (i.e. the Core knowledge areas, Core behaviours, and Specialist knowledge areas)(The New Profession map can be accessed here: https://peopleprofession.cipd.org/profession-map)

Assessment criterion: 1.1 Summarise your own (or a typical) HR/L&D role and identify at least 3 aspects of specialist knowledge that are essential to the role.

Part 1

Summarise the CIPD Profession Map by including

• Its purpose, e.g. to champion better work and working lives
• A brief paragraph on any of the two core knowledge areas:

– People Practice
– Culture and Behaviour
– Business acumen
– Analytics and creating value
– Digital working
– Change

• One sentence on the purpose of each of the nine specialist knowledge areas
• List the eight core behaviours

Part 2

Identify one or more specialist knowledge areas (i.e. Employee relations, Resourcing. Draw upon the professional standards at foundation or associate level and explain the knowledge that is essential to perform the duties of your current HR role OR an HR Assistant Job role. Explain any relevant behaviours that you consider are important to be able to carry out the job duties for your own HR role or an HR assistant.*

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Evidence to be produced:

Report of approximately 750 words.

______________________________________________________

Activity 2

The HR function in your organisation is centralised and therefore you are responsible for providing a wide range of services to a variety of internal and external customers. Sometimes your customers will request things to be done all at the same time. It is your responsibility to prioritise their requests, whilst still ensuring that you maintain excellent customer service.

Continue your report from Activity 1, and:

• Identify THREE customers who would use your HR services. You are also required to explain why they might need your services; giving a specific example for each customer. You should then explain how you would identify the conflicting needs and prioritise the three requests.

Assessment criterion: 2.1 Explain your main HR customer groups (at least 3) and the services you offer for each. Provide an example to explain how you prioritise any conflicting customer needs

• Identify that HR have many customers and stakeholders.
• Identify three customers, including at least one external.
• State their service need.
• Explain what the conflict is e.g. they all want the service at the same time.
• Explain how you will prioritise the order and justify this.

You could use Covey’s matrix as well as stakeholder analysis in your explanation of the prioritisation.. You could include which values and core behaviours you could adopt for each from the New Profession map.

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• Considering the THREE customers above, explain how you would effectively communicate with each. You should include THREE different methods of communication and the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Assessment criterion: 2.2 Describe how customers can communicate with you (3 methods) and the advantages and disadvantages they may find of each method

• Identify one different communication method for each customer, e.g. email, telephone, face-to-face, etc.
• Explain at least two advantages and two disadvantages of each of the three methods
• The explanation must relate to the method not the person. For example, emails: “there can be a delay in replying” is not an acceptable disadvantage.
• Is the method appropriate; two-way communication; clear; straightforward; honest and adaptable?
• Link the communication method with the customers or stakeholders.

Note: A table may be used to structure your answer here, but it will be included in the word count.

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• The nature of the HR function can result in you dealing with some emotive customer issues. Describe how you would endeavour to establish positive working relationships and deliver an efficient and effective service. You should consider how you would:
  • Deliver service on time;
  • Deliver service on budget;
  • Deal with difficult customers;
  • Handle and resolve complaints.

Assessment criterion: 2.3 Describe how you build and maintain a timely and effective service for your customers

Focus on the day-to-day practicalities, such as:

• Delivering service on time;
• Delivering service on budget;
• Dealing with difficult customers;
• Handling and resolving complaints

You should include tools such as policies, software and personal skills needed

Consider the following:

• Covey’s matrix
• Stakeholder analysis
• Which core behaviours would you adopt from the New Profession map?

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Evidence to be produced:
Report of approximately 750 words.

_______________________________________

Activity 3

As an HR practitioner you are required to log, monitor and update your continuing professional development (CPD).
Activity 3 is all about you and your plans for your career in HR.

• Defining continuing professional development (CPD) and explain its importance from the perspective of the employer and the employee;

Assessment criterion: 3.1 Explain the concept of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and why it is an important practice for a HR/L&D practitioner.

• Identify and explain the concept of CPD, including the fact that it is a professional requirement of the CIPD.
• Discuss how CPD is beneficial to the employee. For example, it increases employee motivation and engagement.
• Explain how it benefits the employer. For example, motivated and engaged employees are more productive and maintain healthier stakeholder relationships.

You must note at least TWO benefits each to an employee and employer.

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• Referring to the CIPD’s new Profession map, assess your strengths and weaknesses against ONE knowledge area at either Foundation or Associate level

This part of the activity is best viewed as a whole and in a slightly different order than on the assessment brief.

Assessment criterion: 3.2 Undertake a self-assessment against selected areas of the CIPD 2018 Profession Map and identify your development needs.

Stage 1:

• Carry out a self-assessment against the CIPD’s new Profession map in the form of a SWOT to identify what knowledge and behaviours you have, and what your will need to achieve your HR goals in the next 12 months. This should be at a foundation or associate level. It is recommended that you focus on a specific HR specialism that you want to enter and develop a SWOT based on that.
• Include a brief explanation of why you believe you possess those competencies, e.g. experience.
• State that your development needs are contained in your PDP with a brief explanation of why you have chosen them.
• You should state at least four development needs for your self-assessment.

In your self-assessment, explain why you want to develop in that area and the core knowledge and behaviours that you have currently, and those that you wish to develop further. Give brief reasons for any competencies you believe you already have.

You should state at least four development needs from your self-assessment. These can be developed into objectives in your personal development plan.

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• You will need to evaluate the options available to you to achieve at least THREE of your chosen development needs stating the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Assessment criterion: 3.3From the self-assessment, identify areas you would like to develop and evaluate (at least 3) different options to meet your identified needs.

Before you produce your personal development plan you need to consider the pros and cons of different ways you could achieve your development need.

Pick three development needs on which to base this evaluation. For example, gaining your qualification is a development goal. Options to achieve this could be either studying for it online, or, attending a local college. Your table should show the pros and cons of these options, and your conclusion for the most suitable option, which you can then put in your personal development plan.

• Using a template, such as the one found here https://www.cipd.co.uk/learn/cpd/cycledevise a personal development plan (PDP) to meet at least FOUR of your development needs, including those identified above, and the achievement of your CIPD qualification. The plan should be for a minimum of 6-12 months.

Assessment criterion: 3.4

Stage 2: 

Devise a CPD plan which clearly states your needs and your selected options.

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Stage 2: 

Using the PDP template (not included in word count) complete your plan

You need a minimum of FIVE objectives one of which must be the L3 CIPD Qualification in HR practice

Use the development needs your self- assessment identified to create the SMART objectives.

You can also create objectives for any other development areas relevant to an HR role.

The plan should cover no more than 12 months.

 

Evidence to be produced:

A written piece including a development plan (PDP). No word count.

______________________________________________________

Activity 4 (Ongoing throughout course)

 

NOTE: This activity will not be complete until you have finished the entire course. (Not just 4DEP).

 

• During the period of your studies, reflect on your performance against the plan, including learning gained from each unit of your qualification. Add reflective comments to the plan, or as a separate reflective statement, as the course progresses. As you progress, identify any further development needs and revise your plan accordingly.

Assessment criterion: 3.5

Reflect on performance against the plan, identify learning points for the future and revise the plan accordingly.

Now that you have completed a PDP and set yourself personal development objectives to work towards, assessment criterion 3.5 is completed by keeping a reflective journal. This should include some or all of the following:

• What you have learned?
  • Think about the learning you have completed for each unit and what skills, knowledge and behaviours you have developed.
• What went well and not so well?
  • Which units did you enjoy the most and why? Which units did you not enjoy and why?
• What will you use in the future?
  • Are you able to put your learning into practice in the workplace?
• What you would do differently?
  • Consider your current practice and think about how the learning has developed you? Think about what you would change?
• What core behaviours from the New Profession map have you utilised? What did you learn from this experience?
  • Review the CIPD Profession Map and consider which behaviours you have developed and have been able to exhibit.
• Do you need to review/amend your PDP?
  • Reflecting on all your learning and the skills, knowledge and behaviours you have developed, review your current PDP and consider if you need to make any amendments to your current objectives.

Each reflections statement should be approximately 200 words and no more than 400.

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Click here to download a PDP template

This reflective activity is best completed as soon as possible after you have completed each unit. At the end of each unit in the Assessment Week, you will find an activity called Formal Reflective Statement. This is where you should record your reflections.

Now that you have an understanding of how to reflect, it is the ideal time to complete your reflective statements for both 4DEP and 3HRC. Go back to 3HRC to review your activities in order to refresh your memory.

Evidence to be produced:

Written records of on-going reflection and, where appropriate, revision of the plan to include further development needs and solutions. (Activity 4 will therefore not be complete or marked, until the end of the course).