Consulting Capability Assessment - Essay Example

Consulting Capability Assessment Submitted [Pick the Contents Executive Summary 3 Consulting Capability Framework 4 Personal Capability Audit Table 7 Appendix A: References 13 Executive Summary Personal consulting capability assessment allows the assessor to evaluate one’s skill inventory and gain understanding of the gaps that exist between current and desired skill levels according to career preferences. With relation to my career choices in consultancy, I would prefer working on consulting assignments in the field of professional recruitment, compensation and benefits and organizational development. Careful analysis of these individual roles suggested development of certain skills. With the help of this assessment practice, it was identified that knowledge of current recruitment practices in different industries along with know-how of different jobs roles and organization models is necessary. On the other hand, compensation and benefit consultancy requires knowledge of taxation and payroll management along with prevailing market norms for development of market competitive package is necessary. Other than these roles of HR, OD consultancy is also an interesting field. Organizational development is an uncertain process that progresses on trial and testing. Therefore, strategic thinking along with leadership, intrapersonal, interpersonal and problem diagnosis skills, are necessary for this role. It is important that prior to working on the professional assignments, theoretical insight and practical exposure has been acquired through necessary trainings, apprenticeships and assisting seasoned professionals. Consulting Capability Framework In order to analyze the skills set required for this part of portfolio submission, I would like to pursue my career as HR consultant with core emphasis on compensation and benefits, recruitment and organization development. Careful analysis of market dynamics revealed that these positions are available globally and offer extensive learning and career development opportunities. Along with undertaking individual projects in these areas, delivering training sessions and conducting workshops would be part of the same career portfolio. Further analysis of these positions helped in identifying the skills expected from the professionals working in these particular fields. Some of the core yet common capabilities include exceptional communication skills, strategic thinking, team work attitude and effective time management (Ball, 1989; 1996; Roebuck, 1998). However, further emphasis on individual roles assists in identifying individual requirements of these roles. For recruitment consultancy, it is important that a consultant is aware of different requirement of in-house hiring and personnel management, outsourcing and executive search. Out of these executive search is the most rewarding and sophisticated role since a consultant needs to be aware of client as well as candidate’s needs and they are expected to find a match that is not only job-fit but is an organization-fit as well (Schoyen and Rasmussen, 1999; DuPreez, 2010). Due to extension of such roles globally, it is further important that a recruiter has to have an insight of cultural competence i.e. candidate’s values needs to match with organizational culture (Compton, Nankervis, and Morrissey, 2009). Furthermore, thorough knowledge of the role for which recruitment is being performed is also important. Most of the HR consulting firms performing executive search have separate domains for every sector such as banking, FMCG, logistics, services etc and also for different fields such as supply chain, mechanical, HR, finance etc. In addition to the role of recruitment or executive search consultant, a role of compensation and benefits consultant also has certain requirements in terms of skills. These key skills include relevant education in business and finance along with industry knowledge. Cultural sensitivity and global mobility policies are another criteria required to be fulfilled. Knowledge of international tax laws, compensations trends and payroll management with strong interpersonal skills and ability to work at different locations is also important (Biswas, 2012; Berger and Berger, 2008). Detail oriented attitude, problem solving skills, strategic thinking, ability to interpret financial data and know-how of accounting and statistical softwares, are important attributes to be developed for consultancy role on compensation and benefits (Scott, 2007). Organizational development makes an integral part of human resource management in every organization however formal acceptance of this role is still in its infancy. The process itself requires innovation and ability to adjust and readjust processes and behaviours as required. Basic skills required are intrapersonal, interpersonal skills and general consultation skills. Intrapersonal skills equip the consultants to acquire understanding of ambiguity and complexity of the prevailing operations and cultures and make informed judgments that are best suited for organization with reference to culture and industry (Eubanks et al., 1990; Alban, 2003). Reasonable learning and listening ability, potential to act as role model of the change introduced, perform effective diagnosis and develop suitable interventions with the help of basic diagnostic tools, are some of the basic requirement for this role (McNmara, 2006; Schein, 1992; Harris and Ogbonna, 2002). Other fundamental requirements for this role include knowledge of organizational development theory, effective leadership, and project management along with ability to influence, tolerate ambiguity, confront difficult situations, support and nurture, recognize correspondent’s feelings, teach, create, and maintain an effective environment (McLean, 2005, Jackson, 2006; Cummings and Worley, 2009). Personal Capability Audit Table Consulting Capability Framework Personal Consulting Capability Evaluation Consulting Capability Gap Action Plan Exceptional Communication Skills, Reasonable Learning And Listening Ability I have given training in few workshops and have worked for several clients mainly from Middle East. I have also acted as a public speaker at several university events and seminars. I need to know more about effective client negotiation and also more effective manner of handling employees at clients’ end. I will take some training on effective communication skills and practice them accordingly. Prior professional experience and academic information/ practice will help me in pursuing my goals. Effective Time Management I am really thorough about time management. During my academic career, I have been highly conscious about managing my time between assignments, part-time jobs and leisure of course. Furthermore, my professional experience has further strengthened my habit of effective time management. Potentially speaking, there is no visible gap. However, I would prefer paying more attention to my deadlines and ensuring timely submissions of my work. I would prefer ensuring submissions before the deadline instead of following the deadlines religiously (Smith, 1997). Strategic Thinking: Detail Oriented Attitude, Problem Solving Skills I have taken several courses about strategic management during my academic life and the theoretical models that I have studied have been practiced during my professional life as well. Strategic thinking is a skill that needs a suitable attitude and practice of strategic management models over time. Expertise comes with experience in this regard. Although I am well versed with the concepts and have been often labelled as a strategic thinker however I am still an amateur when it comes to it. I would strictly adhere to theoretical models and attend several trainings to fill in the requirement of academic knowledge. Furthermore, I will attempt to devise my working model in correspondence with these theories and will perform checks on my professionals decisions to ensure that I am practicing these theories. Team Work Attitude I am a social person with a suitable circle of friends. In addition to that, I have worked in various groups for academic assignments and have delivered exceptional results. My professional experience also enables me to work in teams. Although team work attitude appears to be a simple skill that everyone possesses however in today’s corporate world, this skill has an exceptional importance. I have suitable team work skills however I prefer working in situations where I have more room for decision making. Therefore, situations where my opinions are not being heard become difficult for me to survive. I would prefer learning some new techniques of having conducive team work attitude and exercise these techniques whenever require especially while handling difficult correspondence. Requirement Of In-House Hiring And Personnel Management, Outsourcing And Executive Search I am aware of the recruitment practices however in-depth knowledge is still required. I need to know relevant practices and industry norms in these three forms of hiring practices along with theoretical models. I will attend some trainings and seminars to fill in the gaps of theoretical knowledge. Joining some consultancy firm at a junior consultant level will further help in professional trainings. An Insight Of Cultural Competence Cultural competence is a skill that is essential for today’s diverse workplace. I have worked with in multi-cultural groups during my academic life and have also worked for several foreign clients. This is a skill that develops over time. I need to develop knowledge about the cultural backgrounds of the recipients or adopt neutral mannerism that would be acceptable to them. I would attempt to develop knowledge of different cultures as it is important part of this roles. Sufficient literature and online sources are available to provide necessary information in this regard. Knowledge Of The Position Prior knowledge of the role for which recruitment is being performed is important. I am not aware of many jobs and their specifications, and variations caused by industry. Despite my interest in recruitment and executive search, I don’t have knowledge about the roles that are present in organizations and their relevance to industry requirements. I would attempt to develop knowledge about different sectors/ industries and fields within them along with specifications of job roles at different levels. Understanding Of Industry Or Sector For Which Consultancy Is Being Provided Along with industry, knowledge of the client and client’s competitors is also important for a role of a recruiter. I have reasonable knowledge of banking, FMCG and construction industry along with the market leaders. I need to develop more knowledge about first and second tier organizations along with their respective revenues, remunerations scales and their brand value. Before working on the job position that is required to be filled in, I would attempt to develop knowledge about the client, competitors and industry norms through market intelligence, sector periodicals and industry newsletters. Relevant Education In Business And Finance Along With Industry Knowledge I have relevant academic background in business and finance. I need to know how my academic knowledge is related to the practical applications. I would learn relevant financial practices for payroll management and devising remunerations packages along with actuary. Global Mobility Policies and Ability To Work At Different Locations I have worked on assignments for foreign clients that involved sending personnel over an overseas location. I am aware of the importance of global mobility and its sophisticated nature as compared to regular personnel management. I need to develop knowledge of global mobility and its relevance to organisational talent management, project management, professional growth, leadership development and fulfilment of technical needs. I am more interested in developing knowledge of cost-reduction and talent management strategies along with overlapping in job roles with reference to resource mobility (Krupp, 2009; Bentley, 2010). Knowledge Of International Tax Laws, Compensations Trends And Payroll Management, Ability To Interpret Financial Data, Know-How Of Accounting And Statistical Softwares Having a business studies background along with reasonable economic know-how, I am well versed with international tax laws and prevailing practices for remuneration package designing. However, payroll management is a diversified field and varies along with industry. I am aware of practices in FMCG sector. I need to develop knowledge of taxation laws with reference to expatriates remuneration and allowances paid to them along with foreign remittances. Payroll management and treatment of allowances in accounting is another area that requires more attention. I will attend relevant trainings and take courses that would help me in these areas. Working with payroll department in any corporate organization or working as a junior consultant with other senior consultants will help in acquiring this knowledge. Ability To Adjust And Readjust Processes And Behaviours As Required OD is a process that requires constant changes as a result of trial practices. I have worked in the capacity of OD consultant in which singles departments were going through changes (Austin and Bartunek, 2006). So, I am well-versed with micro-scale practices. My core expertise only deals with restructuring and organizational changes within departments. I need to learn how to make changes organization wide. I need to gain theoretical and practical knowledge in this field. Attending trainings, conferences and seminars will help me acquire theoretical perspective. For practical exposure, I would prefer working on OD assignments while assisting seasoned professionals to gain necessary insight. Intrapersonal Skills and Interpersonal Skills These two skills require effective communication skills and cultural competence. I have reasonable command over these two areas. Being an OD consultant require exceptional communication skills along with listening ability, emotional intelligence and innovation. Focusing on theoretical knowledge and working with other professionals in junior roles with help in developing these skills (Reissner, 2005). Perform Effective Diagnosis and Develop Suitable Interventions Being an OD consultant involves performing diagnosis of underlying problems and suggesting relevant practices based on organizational structure and industry norms (Bradford and Burke, 2005; Brown and Harvey, 2005.). I have theoretical knowledge in this area. I didn’t have an opportunity to work in this role. Therefore, acquiring professional experience will do the needful. Working as an apprentice or assisting any seasoned OD consultant would help in developing this skill. Knowledge Of Organizational Development Theory I am well-versed with the theoretical models. I need professional experience that would help in practicing these theoretical concepts. Working as an apprentice or assisting any seasoned OD consultant would help in developing practical knowledge of this theory. Effective Leadership: Project Management Along With Ability To Influence, Potential To Act As Role Model Of The Change Introduced, Confront Difficult Situations, Support And Nurture, Recognize Correspondent’s Feelings I have worked in leading roles during various academic assignments, extracurricular activities, seminars and workshops. Furthermore, I have also worked as a team leader during professional assignments. I need to develop leadership skills for handling bigger and professional assignments. Theoretical knowledge along with volunteering for leading roles in small teams will help. Appendix A: References Alban, B., 2003. The future. In M. Wheatley, R. Tannenbaum, P. Y. Griffin, and K. Quade, (Eds.), Organization development at work: Conversations on the values, applications and future of OD (pp. 113-136). San Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer. Austin, J. R., and Bartunek, J. M., 2006. Theories and practices of organization development. In J. V. Gallos (Ed.), Organization development: A Jossey-Bass reader (pp. 89-128). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Ball, B., 1996, Assessing Your Career: Time for Change? BPS Books. Ball, B., 1989. Manage Your Own Career, Kogan Page. Bentley, A., 2010. Global Mobility, Available at: http://www.ipmglobalmobility.com/documents/Global_Mobility_Managing_Costs.pdf [Accessed 10 January, 2012]. Berger, L., and Berger, D., 2008. The Compensation Handbook, McGraw-Hill. Biswas, B.D. 2012, ‘Compensation and Benefit Design: Applying Finance and Accounting Principles to Global Human Resource Management Systems’. FT Press. Bradford, D. L., and Burke, W. W., 2005. ‘Reinventing OD’. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Brown, D. R., and Harvey, D., 2005. An experiential approach to organization development Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice-Hall. Compton, R., Nankervis, A. and Morrissey, B., 2009. Effective Recruitment and Selections Practices. CCH Australia Limited. Cummings, T. G., and Worley, C. G., 2009. Organization development and change. Cincinnati, OH: South-Western College Publishing DuPreez, S., 2010. The Executive Search Process: A step-by-step guide to finding a right candidate. Available at: http://executive-search-process.com/pdf/SamplePages_1-9_The_Executive_Search.pdf [Accessed 10 January, 2013] Eubanks, J.L., O’Driscoll, M.P, Hayward, G.B. Daniels, J.A and Connor, S.H., 1990, Behavioural Competency Requirments for Organziational Development Consultants, Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 11(1): 77-97. Harris, L. C., and Ogbonna, E., 2002. The unintended consequences of culture interventions: A study of unexpected outcomes. British Journal of Management, 13(1), 31-49. ‘How to Become an Organizational Development Consultant’, Available at: http://education-portal.com/articles/How_to_Become_an_Organizational_Development_Consultant.html [Available at 10 January, 2013] Jackson, J. C., 2006. Organization development. Lanham, MD: University Press of America. Krupp, N., 2009, Critical Aspects of Effective Global Mobility Policy Design, Available at: http://www.worldwideerc.org/Resources/MOBILITYarticles/Pages/0309krupp.aspx [Accessed 10 January, 2012]. McNmara, C., 2006. ‘Field Guide to Consulting and Organizational Development: A Collaborative and Systems Approach to Performance, Change and Learning’. Authenticity Consulting, LLC. McLean, G. N., 2005. Organization development. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler ‘OD Practitioner Skills and Activities’, Available at: http://www.zainbooks.com/books/management/organization-development_12_od-practitioner-skills-and-activities.html [Accessed 10 January, 2012] Reissner, S. C., 2005. Learning and innovation: a narrative analysis. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 18, 482-494. Roebuck, C., 1998, Effective Communication. The Essential Guide to Thinking and Working Smarter, Video Arts/Marshall44 Publishing. Schoyen, C. and Rasmussen, N., 1999, Secrets of the Executive Search Experts. AMACOM. Schein, E. H., 1992. Organizational culture and leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Scott, D., 2007, Reward Programs: What Works and What Needs to be Improved. 16(3). Smith, J., 1997. How to be a Better Time Manager, Industrial Society/Kogan Page. Read More