Get Started With HR Project Management

Only 19% of HR respondents report their department is highly effective in project management (McLean & Company 2023-2025 HR Management and Governance Survey; n=1,681).
Gaps in project management fundamentals, including effective scoping, key player engagement, planning, and risk management, increase the risk of missed deadlines, rework, and key player dissatisfaction, limiting HR’s ability to deliver on strategic priorities.

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Speak With An Analyst.

Get on-demand project support
Get advice, coaching, and insight at key project milestones
Go through a Guided Implementation to help you get through your project

Our Advice

Critical Insight

Successful HR projects don’t happen by chance. Success results from deliberate planning and execution grounded in project management fundamentals that drive progress, optimize resources, build key player trust, and deliver measurable value to the organization.

Impact and Result

Effective HR projects deliver measurable value to the organization. From strategy development to program design, successful project execution translates into tangible outcomes that improve HR’s impact and support organizational objectives.
Project management fundamentals enable HR to streamline workload management, resulting in projects completed on time, on budget, and in scope.
Strong project management elevates HR’s role as a strategic partner. HR departments who highly rate their project management effectiveness are more likely to have high overall effectiveness and business partnership capabilities, enabling HR to deliver on organizational priorities with greater credibility and impact (McLean & Company HR Management and Governance Survey).

Get Started With HR Project Management Research & Tools

1. Setup

Prioritize change management, assess project complexity, clarify scope, engage key players, establish a project team, and prepare to manage scope creep.

2. Planning and execution

Prepare a project kickoff meeting, anticipate and assess potential risks, create a project plan, facilitate team touchpoints, sustain key player engagement, and monitor progress.

3. Closure

Wrap up project deliverables, gather project feedback, document lessons learned, and communicate project value.

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.

Need Extra Help?
Speak With An Analyst

Get the help you need in this 3-phase advisory process. You'll receive 8 touchpoints with our researchers, all included in your membership.

Guided Implementation 1: Set Up the Project

Call 1: Confirm completion of project initiation tasks and plan to assess project complexity.
Call 2: Discuss establishing a project team and engaging key players.
Call 3: Review finalized project scope and establish HR project management goals and metrics to drive success.

Guided Implementation 2: Plan and Execute the Project

Call 1: Prepare to facilitate a project kickoff meeting and anticipate and assess project risks.
Call 2: Review project plan.
Call 3: Discuss facilitating production team touchpoints, sustaining key player engagement, and monitoring project progress.

Guided Implementation 3: Close the Project

Call 1: Plan to wrap up project deliverables and close the project.
Call 2: Discuss gathering project feedback, documenting lessons learned, and communicating project value.

Contributors

Aaron Blair, Professor of Project Management, Conestoga College
Libby Clark, Director of HR & Safety, Platte River Power Authority
Cassandra Dobrzynski, Human Resources Program and Systems Manager
Ruth Flavier, Human Resources Manager, SELC College
Lina Neaga, Director, Project Management & Talent Initiatives, Nexus communications North America
Sam Prince, Former HR Project Manager, CyraCom Language Solutions
Harrick Snow, Change Practice Manager, Victoria University Wellington
Laura Wiliams, Director, Total Rewards
4 anonymous contributors