Creating credible activists

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present the 2007 Human Resource Competency Study (HRCS) from David Ulrich and his associates who gave a clear account of what HR should be doing and the skills needed for high‐achieving HR people to perform even better ( www.rbl.net ). However, what no study has yet covered are the actual processes needed to make this happen. The first author outlines how her research has found that many HR business partners (HRBPs) are still not spending a large percentage of their time fulfilling the role as set out by Ulrich. She highlights the factors that are holding HRBPs back from being truly strategic, offers solutions to overcoming these hurdles and provides advice on how HR can play such a strategic role. The second author outlines the transition that HR advisers at Linklaters have gone through by working with the first author and Orion, including the development and exercises used and how they helped the team to provide greater value and to contribute at a more strategic level to the business. Design/methodology/approach – The study draws on ongoing research conducted by the first author, including surveys and interviews with HR people, and the experience of the Linklaters HR team. Findings – One of the key drivers to making HR more strategic is confidence, both in its ability to be strategic and in the desire of the business that it supports for it to be so. If HR understands the barriers that stop strategic action, it can move forward – those barriers can often be broken down if they are recognized. Originality/value – The paper presents a number of well‐defined techniques and practices that can be incorporated into training and support for HR people to help them develop the skills needed to perform better.