Evaluation of HRD function performance
If you are responsible for HR functions and services to internal and/or external customers, you might find it useful to go beyond Kirkpatrick's evaluation of training and learning, and to evaluate also satisfaction among staff/customers with HR department's overall performance. The parameters for such an evaluation ultimately depend on what your HR function is responsible for - in other words, evaluate according to expectations.
Like anything else, evaluating customer satisfaction must first begin with a clear appreciation of (internal) customers' expectations. Expectations - agreed, stated, published or otherwise - provide the basis for evaluating all types of customer satisfaction.
If people have expectations which go beyond HR department's stated and actual responsibilities, then the matter must be pursued because it will almost certainly offer an opportunity to add value to HR's activities, and to add value and competitive advantage to your organisation as a whole. In this fast changing world, HR is increasingly the department which is most likely to see and respond to new opportunities for the support and development of the your people - so respond, understand, and do what you can to meet new demands when you see them.
If you are keen to know how well HR department is meeting people's expectations, a questionnaire, and/or some group discussions will shed light on the situation.
Here are some example questions. Effectively you should be asking people to say how well HR or HRD department has done the following:
- helped me to identify, understand, identify and prioritise my personal development needs and wishes, in terms of: skills, knowledge, experience and attitude (or personal well-being, or emotional maturity, or mood, or mind-set, or any other suitable term meaning mental approach, which people will respond to)
- helped me to understand my own preferred learning style and learning methods for acquiring new skills, knowledge and attitudinal capabilities
- helped me to identify and obtain effective learning and development that suits my preferred style and circumstances
- helped me to measure my development, and for the measurement to be clear to my boss and others in the organisation who should know about my capabilities
- provided tools and systems to encourage and facilitate my personal development
- and particularly helped to optimise the relationship between me and my boss relating to assisting my own personal development and well-being
- provided a working environment that protects me from discrimination and harassment of any sort
- provided the opportunity for me to voice my grievances if I have any, (in private, to a suitably trained person in the company whom I trust) and then if I so wish for proper consideration and response to be given to them by the company
- provided the opportunity for me to receive counselling and advice in the event that I need private and supportive help of this type, again from a suitably trained person in the company whom I trust
- ensured that disciplinary processes are clear and fair, and include the right of appeal
- ensured that recruitment and promotion of staff are managed fairly and transparently
- ensuring that systems and activities exist to keep all staff informed of company plans, performance, etc., (as normally included in a Team Briefing system)
- (if you dare...) ensuring that people are paid and rewarded fairly in relation to other company employees, and separately, paid and rewarded fairly when compared to market norms (your CEO will not like this question, but if you have a problem in this area it's best to know about it...)
- (and for managers) helped me to ensure the development needs of my staff are identified and supported
This is not an exhaustive list - just some examples. Many of the examples contain elements which should under typical large company circumstances be broken down to create more and smaller questions about more specific aspects of HR support and services.
If you work in HR, or run an HR department, and consider that some of these issues and expectations fall outside your remit, then consider who else is responsible for them.
I repeat, in this fast changing world, HR is increasingly the department which is most likely to see and respond to new opportunities for the support and development of the your people - so respond, understand, and do what you can to meet new demands when you see them. In doing so you will add value to your people and your organisation - and your department.
