HRPA Competency Framework

Professional Practice for HR Professionals

Human Resources Professional’s mandate is to manage the “human resources” of an organization. Their role is to balance the needs of the organization, its people, and society. They have a significant influence on the culture of the organization in creating an efficient workplace. They need to create working relationships that enhance teamwork. Much of the work of HR Professionals follows the four Ps: policy, practice, procedure, and programs. Strategically, HR Professionals must consider the topics listed in the table below.  The table shows the alignment between the topics, the competencies and the chapters of this textbook.

Table: HRPA Competency Framework Mapped to This Book
HRPA Competency HR Topics Book Chapter
10 Strategy Think and act strategically Chapter 1
Apply strategic practices to international offices Chapter 11
Design a systematic process for job and analysis and job design Chapter 4
Design a strategy that is diverse, inclusive and equitable for all employees Chapter 3
Adhere to all federal, provincial and territory laws Chapter 3
20 Professional Practice Conduct oneself in a professional manner Chapter 12
30 Organizational Effectiveness Maximize performance of individuals, teams and organization Chapter 1
Assess performance of individuals and teams Chapter 8
40 Workforce Planning and Talent Management Recruitment and selection of human resources Chapter 5
Plan for human resources to respond to future demands and trends Chapter 2
Adhere to legal requirements for recruitment and selection Chapter 5
50 Labour and Employee Relations Manage relationships between employees and employer Chapter 10
Adhere to labour and employee legislation Chapter 10, Chapter 3
60 Total Rewards Manage rewards to execute strategy Chapter 7
70 Learning and Development Develop competencies, skills and talents of individuals, teams and organization as a whole Chapter 7
Develop international training programs Chapter 11
80 Health, Wellness and Safe Workplace Create and maintain healthy and safe work environment Chapter 9
Adhere to health and safety laws Chapter 10
90 HR metrics, reporting and financial management Collect, manage, coordinate and analysis information and financial analysis to make decisions Chapter 2

The  HRPA competency framework can be found in section 12.1 HR Professionalism and certification. 

These strategies help build employee retention, increase productivity and performance, and maximize the return on investment of people’s resources. It is essential to systematically monitor and measure performance, devise interventions for change, and communicate what is expected of the employees.

HR Professionals need to understand these strategies related to what is happening outside and inside the organization. They must constantly scan the work environments for changes and trends in people management (scan, forecast, monitor, and assess). HR Professionals need to know these trends to plan for the future of their people and organization. They need to express these trends and forecasts in financial terms. Budgets allow continuous evaluation, predict future control of expenses and income, let stakeholders know the company’s financial situation, and aid in making decisions.

HR Professionals can prepare and monitor information through Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS) to gain credibility. These systems provide personal employee information, job categories, attendance and absenteeism, applicant tracking, job descriptions/specifications, performance records, wage and benefit summaries, training programs, health and safety records and trends, succession plans, union contracts, and employment equity records. This information can be connected to the strategic plan and budgets.

HR Professionals must keep current on legislation and political and technological changes that may impact policy within the organization. The social and cultural dynamic of the workplace is constantly changing. Other considerations are the trends with unions and what types of collective agreements are being negotiated. Most recently, HR Professionals need to consider environmental concerns such as reducing the imprint on the earth, looking at the environmental issues within the company, and how HR supports a growing number of remote workers post-COVID-19. Another trend in companies is contracting out work to other experts. HR Professionals must understand project management and know when and how to hire external consultants to assist with company activities.

Human Rights, Pay Equity, Employment Standards, Workers’ Compensation, and the Canada/Quebec Pension Plan are critical legislation under the Human Resources role. HR Professionals must ensure the company’s policies and practices align with these legislations.

HR Professionals must have a sense of social responsibility, a responsibility to their employees and to the employer to ensure the company is profitable. They have moved to a place of being a strategic partner who can justify HR activities and focus on return on investment (ROI) and contributing to the company’s financial stability.

The Human Resources Professional Association (HRPA) ensures HR Professionals have current and relevant tools and skills needed to work with and lead employees. Members are held to high standards.

License

Icon for the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

Human Resources Management Copyright © 2023 by Debra Patterson is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

Share This Book