HR, HRO, World, Europe, Transformation, Outsourcing

HR professionals need ‘clear vision and nerves of steel’ according to HRO World Europe

Over 300 European HR and management professionals gathered in Brussels last week at the HRO World Europe Conference to learn more about the pressures and pitfalls of transforming human resources through shared services and outsourcing in the current economic climate.

Delegates heard presentations from some of Europe’s most powerful and influential companies including Unilever, Centrica, SAP, Bayer, Marriott Hotels and Procter and Gamble. They learned that all transformation planning, whether via outsourcing, shared services, in-house change management or a combination thereof, requires long-term commitment, clear vision and nerves of steel.

Speaking about Centrica Plc’s current transformation and outsourcing plans (due to go live in early December), Hetty Barkworth-Nanton, Program Director HR Transformation, told delegates, “Despite detailed and rigorous planning we still had a major wobble just before we signed the final contract in March. It’s so easy for nervousness to creep in at the last minute. But you have to keep your eyes on the prize and not be sidetracked by internal or non-commercial issues. From the start we told ourselves that ‘success is not to make the decision to outsource, but to make the right decision’. So we also decided to develop a viable internal option. This gave us a safeguard and the confidence to push on with our transformation ambitions, even when it got tough.”

Delegates also heard Reg Bull, Senior Vice President at Unilever, explain that he found the best way to get through the final stages of his company’s recent global HR outsourcing program was “not to listen, not to feel, not to talk and not to care.” He explained, joking aside, that making tough, commercial decisions does not always come easily to HR professionals. “Our mantra was ‘it’s going to be tough so we’re going to have to be tough in response’,” he said. He also reminded the HRO World Europe audience, “this was a total transformation, not just of HR but of how all managers manage their people.”

Speaking at the end of this third annual two-day European conference, Andrew Kris, Chairman of SharedXpertise, the managing company of the HROA Europe that organized the conference, said, “There’s clearly a very strong appetite for companies throughout Europe to reap the benefits of transformation. However, our conference feedback shows that some HR executives still welcome practical support on that transformation journey. Some of them are ready to take the plunge and others are looking to organizations like the HROA to help develop their capabilities.

“It’s clear we have a key role to play in bringing HR executives together to share experiences and develop a common understanding of what works and what doesn’t.  Providers of outsourcing services also have a responsibility to put their money where their mouth is and make serious capital investment in developing their capabilities if they are to meet the expectations of their future clients.”

Details of the HROA’s training program – Transformation Through Capability – can be found at www.hroassociation.org/training.

Editor’s notes
+Photos, presentations and case studies available until NOVEMBER 28TH, 2006 can be found here

+HRO World Europe is the largest and most comprehensive HR transformation conference in Europe. It brings together more than senior executives from over 20 countries to exchange views and experiences on how to transform human resources activities within complex organizations. It is organized by SharedXpertise.

By Jessica Marquez, Workforce Management