Professionalism in HR:

1

• Professionalism in HR
• What do we want?
• and
• How do we get it?
• By Gary Taylor

2
What does the HR body Want?

• to be valued as strategic business partners
• to be paid like other executives!
• to professionalise our image
• to define the profession and determine who is
  in

3
So What Have We Done?

• Established professional bodies (e.g. IPM, SABPP,
  HRCOSA)
• Enhanced our education and training
• Codes of Conduct
• Drafted an Human Resource Profession ACT

4
What Might Accreditation Deliver?

• Achieve better status for HR, such as with C.A.s
• SABPP to set standards for Registration levels
• Protect the public from unethical HR practices
• Maintain a high standard of professional conduct
  and integrity

5
Concerns With Regulatory Approach

• Cannot legislate HRs value to the CEO or
  shareholders
• Scope of HRs role is impossible to define (e.g.
  transformation, people management)
• Cannot prescribe to businesses who to employ in
  HR roles. Therefore, cannot make HR exclusive
  (hence revisions to Draft 1)
• Shifts the focus from qualitative (value add) to
  quantitative (CVs)
• Process followed in driving the Act thus far

6
Strategic vs Professionalism

• A professional accreditation will attest to my CV
  (inputs)
• But only my performance will attest to the value
  I add (outputs)
• Does an HR practitioner need a ticket to
  perform?
• NB My electrical compliance certificate must be
  issued by a qualified electrician, but that
  does not make the electrician strategic to my
  business

7
Problems With The ACT

• Not demanded by society (for protection)
• Not demanded by business (for value)
• Not demanded by Dept of Labour (for
  conduct)Therefore
• Driven by HR bodies for their own purposes
  (funding, membership, status, internal
  regulation, positioning vs other HR bodies))
• Advocates CPD, which has failed the medical
  fraternity
• Only 2 sentences deal with Conduct

8
Remember

• s 70. The SABPPs Code of Conduct governs
  members of the SABPP and Regulations issued from
  time to time in the Government Gazette.
• s 71. Matters of correction (disciplinary)
  actions are governed and executed according to
  the LRA.
• Essentially, there are no details as to how
  the public will be protected, from what, or how
  high standards of conduct and integrity will be
  maintained
• Enforced registration is impractical and
  undesirable
• Voluntary registration doesnt require an Act of
  Parliament

9
So What Should We Be Doing?

• Promoting voluntary professional association
• Promoting voluntary professional accreditation
• Promoting and living our Codes of Conduct /
  Ethics
• Encouraging HR Professionals to champion national
  issues e.g. transformation
• Encouraging HR professionals to deliver value
  added HR services which are relevant to business
  strategy

10
Conclusion

• True professionalism is not about a ticket or
  license (except psychometrics)
• Yet even Psychology has been regulated and
  registered for years. achieving what strategic
  relevance for HR or business?
• We earn (not regulate) our role as strategic
  partners
• Our status is a by-product of our performance in
  the organisation

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THANK YOU