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Create a People Strategy

Focus HR resources where they will have the greatest organizational impact. Download McLean & Company's research to develop a people strategy.

  • Truly understanding organizational goals, sources of competitive advantage, and critical capabilities requires a different skill set and approach than HR may be accustomed to.
  • Limited resources for strategic initiatives and an ongoing commitment to deliver core HR services restrict HR’s ability to create value for organizations.

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Critical Insight

  • Senior leaders are demanding more strategic value from their HR departments, but are not changing the level of resources available to them.
  • This means that while there are myriad effective HR programs and processes that will benefit organizations, there are not enough resources to execute even half of them well.
  • HR leaders must prioritize aspects of the workforce that are critical to executing a people strategy and identify HR initiatives that will best support them.

Impact and Result

  • Identifying the key talent implications required to achieve the organization’s goals enables the creation of targeted HR initiatives.
  • Reviewing existing initiatives and reallocating resources to strategically aligned activities will make the most out of limited resources, while helping to build the case for additional resources.

Create a People Strategy Research & Tools

1. Identify talent implications

Determine the scope of the talent strategy, considering key insights and talent implications.

Create a People Strategy Storyboard
Create a People Strategy Executive Briefing
Case Studies: Create a People Strategy
Talent Implications Checklist
Strategy Discovery Tool
Strategy Exploration Guide
People Strategy Presentation Template
Standard SWOT Analysis Template
Standard PESTLE Analysis Template

2. Establish the future state

Prioritize talent implications, create strategic pillars, and identify HR outcomes.

People Strategy Workbook

3. Pinpoint gaps

Understand the current state compared to the desired future state to determine gaps that HR initiatives will address.

 
Online Workshop: People Strategy

4. Create a roadmap

Develop an action plan and communicate this strategy to the organization.

Standard HR Scorecard

Talent Strategy

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How to complete this course:

Use these videos, along with the Project Blueprint deck above, to gain an understanding of the subject. Start with the Introduction, then move through each of the Course Modules. At the end of each Module, you will be required to complete a short test to demonstrate your understanding. You will complete this course when you have completed all of the course tests.

  • Number of Course Modules: 5
  • Estimated Completion Time: 1.5 hours

Learning Outcome

Lead the HR function through a process that will create a talent strategy that targets the specific talent attributes needed to achieve the strategic aims of the organization.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

  • Identify the critical aspects of an organization’s direction needed to create a talent strategy.
  • Create strategic pillars and HR outcomes that will help the organization achieve its goals.
  • Prioritize HR initiatives that will have the greatest impact on the organization.
  • Communicate effectively throughout the process so all major stakeholders are aware of and informed about the talent strategy.

Course Modules

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Introduction

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Module 1

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Module 2

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Module 3

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Module 4

Workshop: Create a People Strategy

Workshops offer an easy way to accelerate your project. If you are unable to do the project yourself, and a Guided Implementation isn't enough, we offer low-cost delivery of our project workshops. We take you through every phase of your project and ensure that you have a roadmap in place to complete your project successfully.

Module 1: Identify Talent Implications of Organizational Direction

The Purpose

  • Create a targeted talent strategy.
  • Determine how the talent strategy will effect organizational talent.

Key Benefits Achieved

  • Current state evaluated.
  • Talent implications realized.

Activities

Outputs

1.1

Review strategic documentation

1.2

Conduct a SWOT analysis.

  • PESTLE and SWOT analyses
1.3

Debrief HR Stakeholder Management Survey

1.4

Prioritize talent implications

  • Talent implications

Module 2: Determine Strategic Pillars and HR Outcomes

The Purpose

  • Define the directional statements that will become the strategic pillars.
  • Determine how HR will accomplish the strategic pillars.

Key Benefits Achieved

  • Strategic pillars defined.
  • HR outcomes described.

Activities

Outputs

2.1

Create strategic pillars

  • Talent strategy strategic pillars
2.2

Create HR outcomes.

  • Talent strategy HR outcomes

Module 3: Evaluate HR’s Ability to Achieve the Outcomes

The Purpose

  • Identify initiatives that will elevate the strategic contributions of your HR function.
  • Discover gaps in HR capacity to deliver HR outcomes.

Key Benefits Achieved

  • HR initiatives identified.
  • Gaps in capacity analyzed and areas of growth pinpointed.

Activities

Outputs

3.1

Conduct a SWOT for HR

3.2

Identify gaps to deliver HR outcomes

  • Critical gaps between HR outcomes and current ability to deliver on them
3.3

Create initiatives and a timeline for implementation (as time permits)

  • Action plan
3.4

Review existing initiatives for alignment with new talent strategy (as time permits)

  • Alignment of existing initiatives identified
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About McLean & Company

McLean & Company is an HR research and advisory firm providing practical solutions to human resources challenges via executable research, tools, diagnostics, and advisory services that have a clear and measurable impact on your business.

What Is a Blueprint?

A blueprint is designed to be a roadmap, containing a methodology and the tools and templates you need to solve your HR problems.

Each blueprint can be accompanied by a Guided Implementation that provides you access to our world-class analysts to help you get through the project.

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Get the help you need in this 4-phase advisory process. You'll receive 8 touchpoints with our researchers, all included in your membership.

Guided Implementation 1: Identify talent implications
  • Call 1: Discuss analysis and activities to understand organizational direction.
  • Call 2: Determine strategy scope and proper communication plan.

Guided Implementation 2: Establish the future state
  • Call 1: Review talent implications and discuss potential omissions.
  • Call 2: Review strategy pillars and HR outcomes for alignment and clarity.

Guided Implementation 3: Pinpoint gaps
  • Call 1: Review HR Stakeholder Management results and discuss communication strategy with stakeholders.
  • Call 2: Discuss gaps and identify appropriate initiatives and related McLean & Company resources.

Guided Implementation 4: Create a roadmap
  • Call 1: Discuss prioritization of initiatives to help identify critical tasks.
  • Call 2: Review completed talent strategy prior to distribution and discuss key messaging.

Contributors

  • Carol Beatty, Director of the Industrial Relations Center, Queens University, President, Warp Speed Training Enterprises
  • Robert Carlyle, Director, Strategic Workforce Management, Royal Bank of Canada
  • Alfonsina Chang, Professor, Seneca College
  • Courtney Harrison, Consultant
  • Michael Hoseus, Executive Director, Center for Quality People & Organizations (CQPO)
  • Lisa Jenkins, Process Optimization and Change Management Consultant
  • Sonya Kunkel, Chief Inclusion Officer and Vice-President, Talent Strategies, BMO
  • Danielle Mandell, VP, People, Habitat for Humanity GTA
  • Andrew Mayo, Human Capital Management Professor, Middlesex University London
  • Jackie Meagher, VP of HR, Info-Tech Research Group
  • Dennis Miller, Speaker, Author, and Leadership Coach, The Power of Strategic Alignment: A Guide to Energizing Leadership and Maximizing Potential in Today’s Nonprofit Organizations
  • Nan Oldroyd, HR Executive
  • Tracey Pope, Chief People Officer, Canadian Red Cross
  • Jennifer Riel, Managing Director, Knowledge Infrastructure Project, Co- Author of Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works, University of Toronto, Rotman School of Business
  • Brenda Rigney, Vice President of People Operations, Hootsuite Blog
  • Harleen Smith, CHRO, Houston Airport System
  • Dave Ulrich, Professor and Author, Ross School of Business, University of Michigan
  • Jeanne Wisniewski, Chief People Officer, Vitals

Related Content: HR Strategy