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Redesign Your HR Structure

Create a fit-for-purpose HR structure.

  • There is no one-size-fits-all HR structure, as no two HR functions are the same – they have different strategic objectives, clients, employee value propositions, etc.
  • Designing an HR structure is complicated and often doesn’t produce the desired results.
  • A poorly structured HR function impacts the larger organization, as it can result in bottlenecks and delays in meeting client needs or misalignment between priority HR capabilities and HR resource allocation.

Need Extra Help?
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

  • There is no one-size-fits-all structure. Invest time in identifying how the HR function enables your unique organizational strategy.
  • Optimize HR to ensure resources are allocated where they will have the biggest impact and create no conflict between subfunctions.
  • Prepare for iteration. Designing an HR function is an iterative process that requires re-evaluating previous design decisions to ensure they are still appropriate.

Impact and Result

  • Design a fit-for-purpose HR structure rather than replicating or copying another.
  • Design for the future, aligning HR structure and HR functional capabilities with organizational and line of business strategic objectives.

Redesign Your HR Structure Research & Tools

2. Define delivery characteristics

Determine each capability’s priority, centralization level, co/outsourcing, and delivery mode.

3. Create the new HR structure

Create capacity work units as well as their accountabilities and responsibilities to finalize the new HR structure.


Prepare for an HR Structure Redesign

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This program has been approved for continuing professional development (CPD) hours under Section A of the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Log of the Human Resource Professionals Association (HRPA).

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McLean & Company is recognized by SHRM and can award Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for the SHRM-CP® or SHRM-SCP®.

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HR Certification Institute's® (HRCI®) official seal confirms that McLean & Company meets the criteria for pre-approved recertification credit(s) for any of HRCI’s eight credentials, including SPHR® and PHR®.

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: 4
  • Estimated Completion Time: 1.5 hours

Learning Outcome

After completing this course, learners will be equipped to develop and customize an HR structure that not only meets their organization's unique needs but also boosts employee engagement and propels the company toward its current and future goals.

Learning Objectives

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

  • Use McLean & Company’s 3-step approach to create a fit-for-purpose HR structure that will be most beneficial and relevant to the organization.
  • Develop and implement an HR structure that aligns with organizational and HR strategy to best fit the organization’s current and future needs.

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


Workshop: Redesign Your HR Structure

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: Discuss Design Principles and Capabilities

The Purpose

  • Assess current-state implications and identify future state.
  • Draft and discuss design principles and capabilities.

Key Benefits Achieved

  • Reviewed and assessed the current state of the HR structure
  • Vision for the future statement determined
  • Identified the design principles and capabilities for the HR structure

Activities

Outputs

1.1

Review the assessments.

1.2

Identify current-state implications.

  • Current-state assessment
1.3

Determine future state.

  • Future vision
1.4

Draft design principles.

  • Design principles
1.5

Discuss the capability model.

  • Capability model ranking assessment

Module 2: Design HR Operating Model

The Purpose

  • Finalize capability heat map.
  • Review centralization, decentralization, and sourcing.

Key Benefits Achieved

  • A finalized HR capability heat map
  • A finalized level of delivery centralization/ decentralization map (if applicable)
  • Sourcing options defined

Activities

Outputs

2.1

Review and finalize capability heat map.

  • HR capability heat map
2.2

Discuss centralization and decentralization.

  • Level of delivery centralization/ decentralization map (if applicable)
2.3

Determine and define sourcing options.

  • Sourcing map

Module 3: Design HR Operating Model

The Purpose

  • Review capabilities and design potential HR structures.

Key Benefits Achieved

HR operating model reviewed and two potential HR structures identified

Activities

Outputs

3.1

Review capabilities against design principles.

3.2

Review HR operating models and build two potential HR structures.

  • HR operating models and two potential HR structures

Module 4: Design HR Work Units

The Purpose

Select and modify HR structure and discuss HR work units.

Key Benefits Achieved

  • HR structure selected and modified if necessary
  • Completed responsibility and accountability matrix

Activities

Outputs

4.1

Select final HR structure and modify, if necessary.

4.2

Complete responsibility and accountability matrix.

  • Capability-based responsibility and accountability matrix
4.3

Discuss HR work units.

Module 5: Finalize Work Unit Structure

The Purpose

Finalize work unit structure and create high-level plan for next steps.

Key Benefits Achieved

  • Finalized work units, and if time permitting, inclusion of work unit responsibilities
  • Review future-state HR structure presentation template for completion (time permitting)

Activities

Outputs

5.1

Finalize HR work units.

  • HR work units
5.2

Complete work unit responsibilities.

5.3

Start mandate statements, as time allows.

5.4

Document high-level plan for next steps.

  • Future-state HR structure presentation template
Redesign Your HR Structure preview picture

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 5 touchpoints with our researchers, all included in your membership.

Guided Implementation 1: Align HR structure with strategy
  • Call 1: Discuss stakeholder consultation plan and required information/analysis.
  • Call 2: Review design principles and chosen HR functional capabilities.

Guided Implementation 2: Define delivery characteristics
  • Call 1: Review selected delivery characteristics and discuss structural implications.

Guided Implementation 3: Create the new HR structure
  • Call 1: Review work units and discuss other options or changes.
  • Call 2: Identify possible efficiencies in final structure and discuss next steps.

Contributors

  • Ronald Capelle, President, Organization Design Consultant, Capelle Associates Inc.
  • Anton Fishman, Managing Director, Fishman & Partners Ltd.
  • Cathy Lyttle, SVP, Chief Human Resource Officer, Worthington Industries
  • Jim Rankin, Organization Change Management Consultant, Jim Rankin & Associates Inc.
  • Paul Sparrow, Emeritus Professor of International HRM at Lancaster University Management School
  • Naomi Stanford, Organizational Design Consultant
  • Dr. David Weiss, Author, Strategist, Consultant, Educator, President and CEO of Weiss International Ltd.
  • Stuart Wigham, Content Manager and Consultant, On The Mark
  • Jan De Visch, Owner, Managing Director, Connect & Transform