HR Practice and Consultance - Term Paper Example

?HR Practice and Consultance Table of Contents Introduction 3 Overview Consultancy Process 3 Entry to the Organisation 4 Processes or Phases of the Consultancy Process 5 Entry Phase 6 Diagnosis Phase 6 Action Planning Phase 7 Implementation Phase 9 Termination Phase 9 Gaining Entry to the Organisation (BP Plc) 10 The Internal Consultancy Process 11 11 Internal Diagnosis 12 Consultancy and Organisation 13 Knowledge Sharing 14 Clinical Approach 15 Systematic Process 17 Conclusion 18 References 19 Bibliography 22 Introduction Human Resource (HR) is imperative in the modern business organisation. The Human Resource Management (HRM) system directs towards improving the organisational performance through recruiting the right personnel for the right kind of job. HRM assists in offering competitive advantage when the strategic needs of the organisation are aligned with it (Martocchio, 2008). The study will be based upon the consultancy process of the HRM. It will evaluate the ‘gaining entry to the organisation’ and other aspects in the hiring process. Different kinds of approaches of the consultancy process will be evaluated and discussed which will best suit the organisation. Overview Consultancy Process Human resource professional’s most important task is related to hiring of the employees along with other job responsibilities. In the HR process, finding the right candidate or qualified applicant for a particular job, filling the vacancy, upgrading the positions, creating new job, promoting employees and other necessary activities are the vital parts for the selection of the right applicant (University of Virginia, 2010). In order to get a clear understanding about the consultancy process, it would be better to take up a particular organisation. For this purpose the UK based multinational company, BP Plc, has been considered. It is a multi-national organisation that operates in the oil, gas and energy industry globally. There are thirty strategic performing units and other specialist support functioning departments. There are problems faced by the BP Plc such as shortage of professionals in the energy sector. Without appropriate number of personnel in this sector, it will be hard to uplift the future. Skilful and expert personnel are required. This gap can be bridged with the appropriate consultancy process that will assist in providing framework for the entry to the organisation (BP PLC, 2010). Entry to the Organisation The entry to the organisation is the initial phase in any consulting process. During this phase the interaction between the applicant and the HR manager takes place, where the HR tries to acquire knowledge about the applicant as much as possible. The outcomes of the consulting, discussion, and the planning phase are then presented in the consulting contract. The signature of the applicant with the HR manager concludes the initial phase (Kubr, M & International Labour Office, 2002). In the phase of distinctive consulting intervention, the client and consultant execute a set of activities that are necessary for the achievement of desired changes and purposes. The activities that are involved are generally known as the ‘consulting processes’. The process is well defined and has clear beginning and end which assist in relationship building. Between the initial phase and the end phase, there are several phases that aid both the client and the consultant to be methodical and systematic, from operations to operations proceeding from one phase to another (BSC, 2002). Processes or Phases of the Consultancy Process There are various phases or ways of subdividing the consultancy process that are found generally in different kind of literatures by various authors. There are many instigators who have provided several phases in the process that range from three to ten. For the BP Plc, which is an organisation belonging to the energy sector; a simple five-phase model would be suitable that consists of the “comprising entry, diagnosis, action planning, implementation and termination”. This is illustrated below for better understanding in figure 1 (BSC, 2002). Phases of Consulting Process Figure 1: Phases of Consulting Process (BSC, 2002). Due to the situation that is prevailing in the BP Plc in the energy segment, it is not prudent to apply universal model. Nevertheless this will assist in catering excellent framework for the organisation in the consulting process and for planning and structuring the contracts and projects of various natures. Depending upon the BP Plc, there is probability that the phases in the process of consulting might overlap each other or the implementation phase might begin before the action planning phase is completed. The evaluation of the process might support the assessment of the consequence and benefits of the changes in the process. It also assists in decision making in order to take different approaches. Each phase can be divided into sub phases. The BP Plc needs to apply flexibility in the model implementation with innovative ideas which will provide maximum advantage to the organisation. Entry Phase In this phase, the consultant starts working with the client. The phase includes the discussion on the objectives of the clients to achieve any kind of modification in the organisation, which will be beneficial for the explanation of the respective roles and the negotiation and contract of the consulting agreement. This stage is the planning phase and lays the foundation for everything that need to be followed. That’s the reason this phase needs to be stronger in influencing the work to be qualitative. In this initial phase there might be certain contracts or agreements that are not agreed upon. The contracts are to be redrafted that suits the client and the consultants (BSC, 2002). Diagnosis Phase This phase is extremely important as it provides an in-depth diagnosis of the problems that are to be solved. The problems of the BP Plc in the energy sector are to be analysed thoroughly in order to find out the actual causes and then develop the alternatives for the solution. During this phase the consultant and the BP Plc management will identify the necessary changes that are required and define the objectives in details for achieving the hiring of skilful professional. Different problems or changes will be identified that might be technical, organisational, psychological and informational or of other nature. If it is found that difficulties are present in more than one area, then the most crucial one among them will be selected first. The effect of this phase is to be synthesised and conclusion needs to be drawn from the action proposals that will be effective enough in solving the problems of BP PLC for the energy sector. There are possibilities that during this phase certain solutions might emerge. In this phase, the facts finding can be included as well, but it should be within reasonable limits by determining objectives and the nature of importance (BSC, 2002). Action Planning Phase The action planning phase aims to find out different solutions to the problems. This is done through the development of various alternatives of solution and then they are evaluated. There are different alternatives that the consultancy develops, but BP Plc needs to take active participation in deciding the suitable alternative. This phase requires creativity and innovative ideas with a precise and systematic approach in recognising and investigating feasible solution. The consultant eliminates the alternatives and proposals that might be considered as insignificant and unnecessary in the BP Plc and decide the exact solution to the problem. This way the unnecessary alternatives are eliminated and the crucial alternatives are evaluated for the decision making for the problem (BSC, 2002). Implementation Phase This phase is important in deciding the feasibility of the solution. In implementation the consulting process caters an acid test for the relevance that was developed by the consultant. The changes that were planned and proposed start turning into reality. During the implementation the desired plans for the objective might be implemented according to the plan or against the plan. There is every possibility that unexpected new obstacles and problems might occur in the implementation phase. The assumptions that were made in the entry and diagnosis phase and the planning errors might be uncovered in the implementation. There might be certain level of resistance in the recruiting policy by members. The assumptions made regarding the resistance in the diagnosis and planning phase might differ in the implementation phase and increase the level of complexity. Due to this the original plan and action plan need to be altered. It is not possible to foresee every detail of relationship, attitude and events. Due to this the implementation often diverges from the plan and monitoring and managing implementation become difficult (BSC, 2002). Termination Phase This phase is the final phase and it includes lot of activities. The final reports are presented and then they are discussed. Mutual commitments are established and misconceptions are settled out with future negotiations. Once this is settled and the activities are completed, the contract between the BP Plc and the consultants will be terminated through the mutual contracts and the consultant will withdraw from the client (BP Plc) organisation (BSC, 2002). Gaining Entry to the Organisation (BP Plc) The entry phase is a crucial period between the invitation to discussion of the possible arrangements for the organisation and the reward of the contract to the consultancy. The entry to the organisation is the matching exercise. BP Plc needs to identify the consultancy firm that is appropriate for the solution developing of the problems of the organisation (Sadler, 2002). There are several objectives of the entry phase from the perspective of the BP Plc and the consultancy. The consultancy needs to think in the perspective of BP Plc that will lead to the success path of developing the alternatives of solutions for the problems. The purpose from the BP Plc can be viewed as benefiting economic advantage from the consequence of the interventions. Matching the view of the consultancy with the understanding of the BP is quite significant. BP tries to understand the capabilities of the consulting firm that will assist in delivering the effective and expected outcome. Signing the legal contract between them is important, which will assist in delivering the results (Sadler, 2002). From the viewpoint of the perspective of the BP Plc and the Consultancy, common objectives are derived such as understanding, relationship building and contract. Understanding the problems in the BP Plc related to the hiring of the personals for the energy sector needs to be well communicated and understood by the consultancy firm and the consultants in order to identify the appropriate solutions for the problem. During the entire phase of the consulting process, the consultants should maintain positive relationship with the management of the BP Plc in delivering the effective outcomes. The contract is important because without this the process and the outcome cannot be achieved which describes the importance of the process to achieve the expected outcomes with rewards (Sadler, 2002). The Internal Consultancy Process The internal consultancy process assists in engaging the BP Plc with the consultants to recognise the problems, generate alternatives and implement the solutions. This process of internal consultancy engages deployment of set of abilities and skills in managing the detailed relationships that are attempted to achieve BP’s desired outcomes. The internal consultancy process consists of various stages with the processes and the contents issues at every stage (Holbeche, 2005). The creditability and confidence are the two major variables that highly define the relationship between the management of the BP and the consultants. If these variables are not clear and unresolved, then the consultancy’s work will result to be unproductive. When these are solved with mutual trust, then the BP and the consultant can share a better professional relationship and the results can be effective. For the effective implementation of the planning phase and the entire process a mutual expectation with responsibility and negotiation is necessary. There are certain limitations of the organisation which the consulting firm needs to understand. Contracting is the key element in the determination of identifying and outcomes with contents and process issues. This contracting clarifies various issues between the BP and the consultancy that establish the mutual relationship and expectation of the role of the organisation and the consultancy (Holbeche, 2005). Internal Diagnosis The internal diagnosis involves the data collection, wide range of options, construction of decisions and planning. At a skill level data are accumulated that consist of suitable techniques of data collection and encouragement of ‘client ownership of data’. The success of the diagnosis for the changes is determined by both accurateness and the BP Plc’s acceptance of the diagnosis. Mainly internal consultancy jobs are associated with the transactional alteration. In these changes, the elements of the organisation undergo changes but the organisation as a whole remains unchanged (Holbeche, 2005). Diagnosis consists of wide range of models and framework that assist in understanding the organisation, groups and individuals and maintains a decisive approach culture. Through this it will become easy for the BP Plc in developing the appropriate decision in implementing the procedures for the energy sector to minimise the gap. There are possibilities that internal consultancy in a particular situation under the pressure for bringing out the expected planned program of the changes in the recruitment of BP Plc might fail or succeed. However, the process for being systematic and monitored constantly, the possibilities of being successful is more than failure (Holbeche, 2005). The changes in the recruitment planning and strategies will facilitate the BP Plc in achieving maximum benefit from the consultancy intervention in the organisational changes with respect to recruiting program. This involves the ‘recognition, diagnosis, planning and action taking’ steps and then evaluating the entire process with alteration in the desired area which is followed by repeating the process to derive the expected outcome of the recruiting policy (Holbeche, 2005). The recruitment and retention in the short run represents a problem, but in the long run this might reflect a systematic problem. For this purpose, the HR of the BP Plc should focus upon the outcomes of the shot run programmes for the recruitment and retention that are influenced by the long run organisational potentials. The HR and internal consultancy of the BP Plc should not only focus upon the indicators of the retention and recruiting issues but should also identify the root causes of the employees for not joining the organisation and employees’ turnover while determining the short and long term policy. Thus, the HR with the consultancy team should develop coherent and clear objectives that will be required to strengthen the approach required for the sustainable performance in order to achieve the expected return. The agenda development for the changes in the recruitment policy or program involves the organisational development issues that are necessary to be evaluated in the consultancy process as they might be the reasons for certain problems if they are not properly identified. This is necessary as it might facilitate BP Plc to be highly successful if they are strengthened before the commencement of the consultancy process (Holbeche, 2005). Consultancy and Organisation Handling over the overall responsibility of the BP Plc’s recruitment phase to the consultant might be easy, but if it is done in a planned basis through mutual understanding and systematic approach, the result will be highly successful. The consultants can offer the processes, resource of human capital and advice. However, it is the HR management of the BP Plc, who should ensure that the organisation’s values and prerequisites are efficiently embodied in the process of consultancy. This will increase the probability of achieving the expected results from the program implemented (Dale, 2004). If the search process is implemented in the BP Plc through the consultancy process, the managers and other staffs might be able to refer suitable applicants or individuals. This is also one of the techniques that can be effectively utilised in the organisation to make the process of the recruitment easier for the right kind of applicant. The consultancy from the outside of the organisation has huge data about applicant and they can assist in the process to get access to right skilful personals. In this way, the HR management and the consultancy can work mutually to achieve the objective of BP Plc (Dale, 2004). Knowledge Sharing The consultancy firms have different sets of knowledge that assist the organisation in the planning of the framework for the recruitment policy. This type of intervention of the consultancy in the organisation of BP Plc will not only enrich the knowledge but it will also develop appropriate plan for the short and the long run purpose. This is necessary as recruitment and retention is crucial for the long run, but it effects the short run operations as well. With the adequate knowledge of the consultancy firm and the mutual knowledge sharing of BP Plc, it will generate the expected outcome (Robertson & Et. Al., 2000). The process of consulting in different environment settings of the BP Plc requires certain changes in the consultancy process. For this purpose, before the planning and analysis take place the internal consultancy or the external consultancy needs to recognise the BP Plc as a complex system because they operate in the complex business environment. The effect of the environment upon the policy formulation is huge and the consultant needs to develop the framework policy for the recruitment and retention in such a way that the environmental effect is low upon the process and the outcome (Sadler, 2002). Clinical Approach In order to achieve the expected outcome for the retention and recruiting policy of the BP Plc, the approach of the consultancy process needs to be ‘clinical approach’. Through the clinical approach the consultancy will be able to understand the complex and internal dynamics of BP Plc. This approach involves the techniques of observation, careful attention to the aspects within the organisation and be cautious about the BP’s needs and requirements in solving the problem of recruitment (Sadler, 2002). When the consultancy process is involved in the BP Plc there will be certain changes in the business operations. These affect the effective implementation of the consultancy process in the organisation. The changes can be in different phases of the consultancy process and its effect may vary from phase to phase. Before implementation of the consultancy process the consultants and other management personal of BP Plc should recognise these factors of changes and assume them and its effects. After this is done, they should provide the responsibility of managing these limitations and anxieties of changes at a strategic level from the beginning point of the process. This will assist in minimising the limitation and the changes that affect adversely. This kind of approach and knowing the limits of operations will assist in developing a stronger framework and plan that will deliver the expected outcome for BP Plc (Sadler, 2002). The internal or external consultants of BP Plc need to manage themselves with the aim to bring about certain changes in the recruitment policy and retention. This way the consultants provide a secure base to the BP Plc in the changing environment. This kind of behaviour from the consultants will allow the BP Plc to supervise the organisational regulations and anxiety of alteration, ambiguity and changes. To perform well in the alteration of the recruitment and retention framework for the BP Plc, the consultants should develop the capacity to manage uncertainty, unawareness and the nonalignment of the objectives to achieve the desired outcomes. The proposition is that the consultants need to extend supplementary perspective in their knowledge of BP Plc. In addition, the consultants also need to develop an extra set of skill in terms of undertaking psychodynamic and systematic organisational intervention in the BP Plc’s complex business environment that is external and internal in nature. Thus, the program of such intervention with training facility in advance in the consultancy process for BP Plc will develop the abilities and create a better framework and solution to the problems. With the clinical approach and psychodynamic systematic approach and development in the consultants will supply the initial steps towards developing professional competency in achieving the objectives of the organisation (Sadler, 2002). Since the problem is in recruiting and retention, it is not technical in nature. It involves the human psychology and the clinical intervention for the consulting process that is appropriate. This intervention is superlative than the intervention of the human system. This approach does not immediately implements the strategy just by identifying the problems. It forces an introspective openness and sincerity in addressing the potential problems and then develops the framework and planning for the solution of the problem (University of Manchester, n.d.). Systematic Process The efficacy of the consultancy process in BP Plc and the capability of the internal and external consultants of the organisation along with the systematic process benefit its overall framing of the policy for recruitment and retention. The systematic approach that follows step-by-step method facilitates the organisation with service that is exactly derived by the organisation. The process might be slow, but it is effective in delivering the service as expected. By developing the systematic approach for solving the problem of recruitment and retention problem of BP Plc, it will deliver the appropriate framework for the process in each phase as it is itself based upon step-by-step approach. It is important to protect the methodologies of the organisation that are unique in nature along with the expertise and knowledge brought in through the consultancy process (Phillips, 2006). Conclusion The intervention of the consultancy process in the organisation provides advantage to the organisation in framing the policy and developing the alternatives of solutions for the problems that are faced by the organisation. The benefits that are derived from such interventions are influenced by the knowledge and the expertise of the consultants. The approaches such as systematic, clinical and process are applied in order to identify the problems, framing them, planning, developing the alternatives, selecting the suitable one, implementing them, generating feedbacks and meeting the desired outcome. The organisation faces changes in the environment that affect the policy formulation and implementation becomes difficult. This also solved the consultancy process that assumes the change and develops strategies to adjust to these changes. Overall it is better for the organisations to approach in a systematic manner in the consultancy process that has been discussed and represented in figure 1 for achieving the expected outcome from the overall process. References BP PLC, 2010. Our Organization. Report. [Online] Available at: http://www.bp.com/assets/bp_internet/globalbp/STAGING/global_assets/e_s_assets/e_s_assets_2009/downloads_pdfs/Our_people.pdf [Accessed March 8, 2011]. BSC, 2002. Management Consulting: A Guide to the Profession. Consultancy Practice. [Online] Available at: http://www.bcs.org/upload/pdf/consultancy-practice-mgtconsulting.pdf [Accessed March 8, 2011]. Dale, M., 2004. Manager's Guide to Recruitment and Selection. Kogan Page Publishers. Holbeche, L., 2005. The High Performance Organization: Creating Dynamic Stability and Sustainable Success. Butterworth-Heinemann. Kubr, M. & International Labour Office, 2002. Management Consulting: A Guide to the Profession. International Labour Organization. Martocchio, J. J., 2008. Research in Personnel and Human Resources Management. Emerald Group Publishing. Phillips, J., 2006. How to Build a Successful Consulting Practice. McGraw-Hill Professional. Robertson, M & Et. Al., 2000. Creating Knowledge within Expert Consultancy Firms. The Role of Organizational and Institutional Arrangements. [Online] Available at: http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:_3T20t_4djMJ:citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download%3Fdoi%3D10.1.1.25.8830%26rep%3Drep1%26type%3Dpdf+recruitment+consultancy+process+site:edu&hl=en&gl=in&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEEShZi14lwxlf6EbngT5JVz3WOsdH1QxieBFvz36nhZZvOhpW86Cq2mfkSnw2veZIhnKZAhGjF75cFJi4Yn5e-D4BPmB2WK5Sc32SGf8VgokQD-D9crpJnx_0vn1yyF0J4tpz0-h8&sig=AHIEtbQ3awVf4zr0_KyHkGkVJvLOT-JmKg [Accessed March 08, 2011]. Sadler, P., 2002. Management Consultancy: A Handbook for Best Practice. Kogan Page Publishers. Sadler, P., 2002. Management Consultancy: A Handbook for Best Practice. Kogan Page Publishers. University of Virginia, 2010. Hiring Manager Toolkit. Human Resource Department. [Online] Available at: http://www.hr.virginia.edu/uploads/documents/media/Hiring_Manager_Toolkit.pdf [Accessed March 8, 2011]. University of Manchester, No Date. From Process Consultation to a Clinical Model of Development Practice. Clinical Perspective. [Online] Available at: http://www.sed.manchester.ac.uk/idpm/research/publications/wp/dp/documents/dp_wp48.pdf [Accessed March 08, 2011]. Bibliography Alvesson, M., 1993. Organizations as Rhetoric: Knowledge-Intensive Firms and the Struggle with Ambiguity. Journal of Management Studies. Buono, A. F., 2009. Emerging Trends and Issues in Management Consulting: Consulting As a Janus-Faced Reality. IAP. Cook, G. R & Belliveau, P., 2005. The Experiential Student Team Consulting Process. Dog Ear Publishing. Sturdy, A., 1997. The Consultancy Process – An Insecure Business. Journal of Management Studies. Starbuck, W.H., 1992. Learning By Knowledge-Intensive Firms. Journal of Management Studies. Salameh, M., 2010. Essential Tools for Management Consulting: Tools, Models and Approaches for Clients and Consultants. John Wiley and Sons. Read More