Driving HR Forward:

A Practical Guide for Making the Shift from Administrator to Strategic Advisor

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Table of Contents
03 04
Introduction: The New World of HR View from the Top: What Executives Expect from HR Today Keep It Simple: Streamlining Workforce Management Cracking the Talent Conundrum: How to Find, Develop, and Keep the Best People Decoding the Cloud: What New Technology Means and Why It Matters What Next? Determining the Right Path for Your Organization

08

12

16
Executives most pressing concern?

41 percent
say: competing for talent globally.
Source: Deloitte, Talent Edge 2020: Redrafting Talent Strategies for the Uneven Recovery, January 2012

20

Introduction: The New World of HR

The C-Suite wants more out of its Human Resources department. In a 2012 global survey by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) only 38 percent of CEOs and CFOs saidtheir head of HR was a key player in their companys strategic planning. However 80 percent of the executives arelooking for HR leaders to make this contribution. So what can HR do to close this gap?
Its clear HR today is about more than just transactions. HR leaders are expected to have a holistic view of the business and provide valuable insights to help the company make the right talent decisions, whether regarding recruiting, compensation, leadership development, or succession planning. But its not a matter of ignoring the day-to-day to focus on loftier matters. The successful HR organization needs to be a combination of operational efficiency and big-picture planning. This e-book draws on the insights of independent researchers, Oracle Human Capital Management (HCM) product and industry experts, and Oracle HCM customers. It aims to provide both inspiration and practical roadmaps to simplify workforce management, build the best talent, and help HR leadership make a major contribution to their companies overall success. It also looks at the toolkit of the modern HR organization. Throughout the book, well discuss technological advances in human capital management and show real-life applications and success stories from companies across the world.

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View from the Top: What Executives Expect from HR Today

Its a new world for HR. HR leaders are looking at new business metrics, developing stronger relationships with line of business owners, and evolving from tactical manager to valued consultant. This all sounds great in theory, but many organizations are still struggling with the reality. So how does HR reach these new heights? In this section, well take a look at what C-level executives say HR can do to drive growth, and how new technologies can help.

The Changing Business of HR

To create a forward-looking plan for your HR organization, first take a step back to understand how the role of the HR leader has changed. In this short video, Oracle VP of Product Strategy and former HR practitioner Gretchen Alarcon outlines the fundamental shifts that have taken place in HR over the past five years and provides specific steps the savvy HR organization should take to succeedboth now and in the future.

66 percent
ofCEOs say the lack of the right skills is their biggest talent challenge.
PWC 14th Annual Global CEO Survey, McLean & Company, 2012

Watch now

Executive Insights: Mark Hurd on How Data-Driven HR Decisions Maximize ROI

Business today is conducted in the language of numbers. Every business unit in a company is expected to make and defend decisions based on data. Crunching numbers can be an intimidating and unwelcome prospect to the HR leader, but in this video from TaleoWorld 2012, Oracle President Mark Hurd explains how making those data-driven decisions is easier than ever with the right analytical tools. He discusses the key metrics a CEO expects to see from the HR team, how they contribute to the bottom line, and how quicklyand painlesslythey can be sourced.

The Relationship between the C-Suite and HR

Weve all heard that the C-Suite wants HR to take a more strategic role, and we know they want hard facts to back up recommendations and drive decisions. But what exactly do executives think of their HR leaders today? This infographic, based on the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) 2012 global survey of CEOs and CFOs, breaks it down. See the highlights, and then download the full CEO and CFO perspective reports to get a deeper look at these crucial and complexrelationships.

See the infographic

Watch now

The Changing Business of HR Watch now

Executive Insights Watch now

The Relationship Between the C-Suite and HR See the infographic

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How HR Can Take on a Bigger Role in Driving Growth? CEO PERSPECTIVES

In the following report, the full results of the EIU 2012 survey are presented from the viewpoint of the CEO. The report explores the nature of the HR/ CEO relationship, how that relationship has been affected by the economic downturn, and how it varies across industries and regions. It also looks at how two trendsthe growth of the knowledge economy and the move away from administrative functions are potentially reshaping the role of HR in the corporate world.

The following report, presented from the CFOs perspective, presents evidence of the friction between HR and finance, explores what this discord can cost companies, and suggests ways HR can improve the relationship to the benefit of business units and the company as a whole.

Get the report

A New Day: Taking HR from Chaos to Control

Thinking about the new opportunities for HR is exciting. Who doesnt want to be seen as invaluable to a companys success? But transformation is impossible if you cant get a handle on all the demands on your time and the many tasks thatlets face itjust have to get done. Only 13 percent of HR officers say that they have the analytics and tools they need to properly drive their functions. See how you can go from frazzled to focused with applications that were created with the busy HR leader and the average employee user in mind.

Get the report

CFO Perspectives
Although the CEO certainly thinks about financial impact, the CFO eats, sleeps, and breathes numbers. And with people representing the most expensive outlay for many organizations, the relationship between HR and finance is a critical one. According to the EIU survey, most companies have a lot of work to do in this arena.

See the infographic

Power HRs Business ContributionYour Time is Now

Todays CHRO is expected to be a blend of functional wizard, strategic advisor, personal coach, and executive leader. Join us for an insightful conversation about this expanding role of HR, as Gretchen Alarcon outlines specific examples of HR challenges and walks you through how you can use technology to meet each of them head-on. Gretchen covers complex yet common executive requests, such as examining labor costs in a particular region, understanding attrition rates, uncovering issues in the employee review process, and supporting a company expansion with the right talent and workforce planning to make the move successful. She also highlights the two tenets of the strategic HR organization: simplifying people management, and building the best talent. Well cover core principles in the Webcast and will then dive deeper into each concept in the following sections.

Only of HRs time is spent on strategic activities, while 71 percent is still spent on service delivery, record keeping, compliance, and internal management.
HR Transformation in EMEA, Mercer 2010

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Watch now

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How HR Can Take on a Bigger Role: CEO Perspectives Get the report

How HR Can Take on a Bigger Role: CFO Perspectives Get the report
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Power HRs Business Contribution Watch now

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Keep It Simple: Streamlining Workforce Management

Companies report that only 15 percent of HRs time is spent on strategic activities. That means the rest of time is spent on transactions, digging through systems and spreadsheets to find the answers you need, and trying to connect the dots. This isnt just frustrating for the HR departmentits also bad for the company. Inefficiency is costly whether you measure it by unnecessary staff hours spent on basic tasks or by the warning signals missed due to messy or inconsistent data. Without streamlined people management, building the best talent is out of the question. You simply wont have the information or time you need to succeed. In this section, well look at how you can clear out the clutter by empowering users with programs they can and will want to use, making better decisions with role-based metrics and dashboards, and using social networking capabilities to better connect to and understand your workforce.

Fewer than

organizations have access to the people insights they need.

HCI, 2010 Talent Intelligence Survey

25 percent of

Using Business Intelligence to Understand Future Workforce Outcomes

When it comes to business analytics, most companies have the basics down pat. They can easily tell you revenue outcomes for the past quarter or year, how many new clients they signed, and which lines of business were the most profitable. Thats all necessary information, but how many businesses operate in a state of looking backward? When it comes to analytics, many companies still struggle to tie their top-level strategy to daily operations and identify business outcomes based on workforce predictions. Predictive analytics are a standard part of the consumer experience. Think about it: how does your favorite bookstore or entertainment site know which books or movies you might want to explore next? How do credit agencies know whether youre able to handle a certain loan amount or credit line? In this Webcast, representatives from Oracle, Hologic Inc., and Performance Architects talk about applying those consumer concepts to the workforce and using them to predict business outcomes such as performance

and attrition. By embedding these analytics throughout HR, everyone involved in the management process, from the top down, can see predicted outcomes and proactively make the adjustments necessary to meet strategic goals. In addition, both management and staff gain a richer understanding of what employees need to do and how they need to develop to continually meet companyobjectives.

Using Business Intelligence Watch now

employees feel their work history and experiences are not leveraged by theiremployer.
Source: Taleo Research, UK Social Talent Management Report

75 percent of

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Getting a Handle on Your Workforce

As the HR leader you may be thought of as the people person, but when your data is scattered or messy, it can be hard to know and understand your workforce. The key is to implement the right tools to organize and monitor employee information so the answers to your workforce questionswhos strong? whos struggling? whos at risk? are right at your fingertips. Whats more, your tools need to be accessible to your line managers so they can take ownership of their organizations and not feel key employee data has disappeared down the HR rabbit hole. In this series of short videos, youll see a new approach to workforce management that provides interactive organization charts, rich employee portraits, and clear reports that show you critical details such as who your star performers are, what your attrition rates are and which critical employees are in danger of leaving. With a simple, user-friendly interface, line managers, HR leaders, and employees can quickly find the information they need, take immediate action to make certain organizational changes, and test out the implications of others.

Step 1 Interactive Org Chart Watch now

Step 2 People Portrait Watch now

Making Your Workplace Social

When you think of social networking at work, you may worry about employees wasting time on Twitter and Facebook or searching for their next opportunity on LinkedIn. Conversely, you may think about how you can tap into the social craze to improve recruiting. Good and bad, these are all valid pointsbut they arent the only applications of social media.

Step 3 Gallery Watch now

Step 4 HCM Analytics Watch now

If you want to keep your employees so engaged that they have no need for fooling around on Facebook, and you want to retain the socially savvy new hires you just found on LinkedIn, think about creating your own network. In this video, Oracle HCM experts Scott Ewart and Aaron Green explain how creating an internal social network can increase collaboration; strengthen employee connections to each other, to their managers, and to the company; and enable managers to see a fuller picture of their teams and employee contributions. The benefit for HR? Not only will you increase engagement, but youll also get a bigger, richer view of your employee ecosystem.

Making Your Workplace Social Watch now

Watch now

STORIES FROM THE FIELD: ARDENT LEISURE AUTOMATES AN END-TO-END HCM PROCESS
Ardent Leisure is one of Australias leading theme park and attraction operators. Before deploying Oracle HCM Cloud Service, the company lacked a true HCM solution. They only had payroll covered, causing what one manager called a very big gap in the HR environment. With the new Oracle HCM solution, Ardent Leisure has been able to automate an end-to-end HCM process thats clear, transparent, measurable and trackable. And its not just about efficiency the company has also been able to improve collaboration, support, and interaction between managers and staff within the organization.

Stories from the Field See how they didit

See how they did it

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Cracking the Talent Conundrum: How to Find, Develop and Keep the Best People
Talent used to be seen as only an HR issue. No longer. The war for talent is hitting companies bottom lines, and this means talent has shot up to the top of the CEOs agenda. Some sobering facts: disengagement costs North American companies more than US $368 billion dollars each year1, and despite the economic downturn, 52 percent of jobs at U.S. companies are going unfilled2 due to lack of the right talent. What does this translate to for a CEO? According to a 2012 global survey by PwC, it means higher expenses, the inability to innovate, missing out on opportunities, cancelling or delaying strategic initiatives, and falling short of growth forecasts. Its no wonder theres more pressure than ever on HR leaders to improve workforce planning. Talent management is a big nut to crack, so in this section well break down some of the essential elements of a strong talent strategy: leveraging new channels to source the best people, keeping top performers engaged, and building a talent model for continued success.
1 2

of HR and business executives believe that talent programs need to be improved.

Source: Deloitte, Talent Edge 2020: Redrafting Talent Strategies for the Uneven Recovery, January 2012

83 percent

Performance Point LLC Manpower 2012

Talent Intelligence and the Bottom Line

When it comes to talent, are executives more concerned about HR costs or employee satisfaction? How big a worry is the lack of a leadership pipeline? And what do CEOs and CFOs see as the biggest barrier to measuring HRs performance? Find out in this revealing infographic.

This 2012 HR.com study sheds some light. The study looks at the talent management tactics HR leaders say are working today, as well as the extent to which companies have been able to implement a streamlined, holistic talent process. In the white paper, HR leaders share their tactics for talent management, including how to improve retention, how to decrease the time to fill, and the best way to retain top performers (hint: it isnt always about money). They also discuss their progress toward talent management nirvana. How close to it are you?

Talent Intelligence and the Bottom Line See the infographic

A Seat at the Table: Talent Managements Role in Core Business Strategy

Weve seen in numerous studies and surveys that executives want strategic leadership from their HR teams. So what are organizations doing today, and how large is the gap between where HR is and where the C-Suite wants it to be?

A Seat at the Table Read the whitepaper

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Talent Scarcity: A New Reality

It seems impossible. The recent economic downturn and millions of skilled professionals out of work around the world should mean talent coffers are full. Companies should have their pick of the best and brightest. Yet as most HR leaders can attest, this is not the case. Companies are finding it harder than ever to find and retain the right talent. How can this be? Shannon Flinchpaugh, a former recruiter at some of the United States largest companies, has some answers. In this educational Webcast, Shannon examines the root causes of talent scarcityranging from unrealistic expectations and poor hiring to a lack of internal talent development and succession planning. He then goes into solutions, discussing actions organizations should start taking today and some of the new tools and channels that can help.

star performers who may not even be looking. But what many companies havent yet grasped is how to make the most of social networksits not enough to throw up some postings on LinkedIn and call it a day. In this how-to guide, well break down the essentials of an effective social recruiting channel, giving you seven simple steps to get started, highlighting the legal and compliance considerations you should take into account, and outlining how to measure your results.

Get the guide

A Step-by-Step Plan for Implementing World-Class Talent Management

Developing and maintaining a bestin-class talent management strategy isnt a quick fixnor is it an impossible dream. Talent management expert Pamela Stroko has spent more than 20years in senior business and HR roles at organizations such as RR Donnelley & Sons Company, Deloitte, The Coca Cola Company, ICI London, and Gap Inc. In this instructional Webcast, she takes a look at whats causing the talent paradox, the new expectations of employees, and the changing nature of career development.

Watch now

Creating an Effective Social Recruiting Strategy

The savvy recruiter knows that social media can be a powerful channel for finding quality candidates, especially

She then lays out specific steps for companies to take in building out their strategy, including how to honestly assess your talent landscape and develop a baseline, when to employ a build vs. buy strategy when it comes to filling positions, how to use onboarding to dramatically increase new-hire success, and how to make employee development a consistent part of your businessprocess.

Talent Scarcity Watch now

Watch now

Stories from the Field: Companies Tackle Talent Retention

Great talent drives great business performance. To nurture and retain your great talent you need the right talent strategy and to deliver that strategy, you need the tools to support it. Otherwise HR leaders and LOB managers spend too much time trying to connect the dots and make smart, data-driven decisions. By moving to Oracle HCM Cloud Service, The Principal Financial Group, Presence of IT, Marvell Semiconductor and Barry-Wehmiller have realized the impact the right technology can have on the business. This has translated to results such as reducing the compensation decision cycle from 10 weeks to 2 weeks, being able to identify at-risk employees early on, enabling employees to easily communicate and work with one another, and helping get employees engaged by providing an intuitive and flexible process flow.
Creating an Effective Social Recruiting Strategy

Get the guide

A Step-by-Step Plan Watch now

See how they did it

Stories from theField See how theydidit

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Decoding the Cloud: What New Technology Means and Why It Matters
Whether youre talking about consumer applications or enterprise-level software, buzz about the cloud is at an all-time high. But what does it really mean to the HR organization? And will moving to the cloud really have any impact on day-today business, or is it just another IT trend? While every organization has to determine the right platform or combination of platforms for their business, moving to the cloud can have a real impact on HR organizations. Cloud applications are known for their flexibility, efficiency, and fast deployment. They can be accessed anywhere and often on mobile devices, making them easier and more enjoyable for employees to use. Also, moving to the cloud can make for a less resource intensive and less dependent relationship with ITa win for both groups. In this section, well take a closer look at HR in the cloud, discussing the points you should consider when contemplating a move and showing you one companys cloud success.

World-Class HR: Its in the Cloud

HR is on the front line, and you need to show how talent aligns to business results. You need to manage costs, you dont have time for lengthy deployments, and you need to ensure data security is solid. Impossible? Hardly. In just two minutes, you can see how the answers to your challenges can be found in the cloud.

Oracle Fusion HCM Cloud Service: Game Changing HR Watch now

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Cloud without Compromise

It seems like every technology company is moving to the cloud these days, and there are a lot of slick interfaces and big promises out there. But is it as simple as clicking the easy button? Before you make the move to the cloud, be sure to examine potential solutions from all angles. You want something user-friendlyone of the core benefits of a cloud application is the improved user experiencebut you dont want to sacrifice functionality. Here are seven questions to ask when reviewing your cloud options. 1. How many vendors will touch mydata? 2. For global companies, can the solution support global compliance and reporting standards, or does it just cover currencies andtranslations? 3. Will a simpler user experience still meet the needs of professional HR users? 4. How strong is the mobile solution can execs and others on the go use it for meaningful work? 5. Is the solution robust enough to cover all of my bases, from recruiting through successionplanning?

6. Can I glean comprehensive workforce insights or just basic analytics? 7. Can we move gradually or is it an all-or-nothing situation? In this video, HCM product expert Rani Urbas talks more about what you should ask potential cloud vendors, and in this interactive diagram, you can see Oracles approach.

A Look at Cloud Without Compromise

Watch now

Life in the Cloud

See the diagram

Stories from the Field: Elizabeth Arden Makes Over HR in the Cloud
When Elizabeth Arden decided to invest in a new HR system, the company knew it had to have strong global support, deep analytical capabilities, and the flexibility to evolve as the organization grew and changed. Plus, it had to be something employees couldand woulduse. The company also needed a system it could roll out incrementally so it could tackle different regions a phase at a time. The answer for Elizabeth Arden was Oracle Fusion HCM Cloud Service. HR leaders are already reporting much greater flexibility for both employees and managers, simpler processes, and a reduced burden on HR. The takeaway for their team? They are deeply convinced this will change the way the company sees HR.

Stories from the Field

See how they didit

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What Next? Determining the Right Path for Your Organization

Its an exciting time to be in HR. Executives are looking to HR leaders more than ever to help make critical business decisions and shape company strategy. Theres a lot for HR leaders to think about, and all this new information can be overwhelming. Our advice? Take an honest look at your organizationwhere you are today and where you want to beand use the tips and tools in this book to map out your plan. Maybe you need to start with some basic workforce efficiencies. Or maybe youre ready to dive into predictive analytics. Wherever you fall on the spectrum, there are clear steps you can take to elevate HR and provide greater value to your executives and company.

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Nothings ever static in the world of HR. Whether youre making small steps toward greater efficiency or youre undergoing a complete HR transformation, youll find valuable content in Oracles HCM newsletter.

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of outperforming companies excel at managing change.

Source: IBM CEO Survey, 2012

73 percent

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RESOURCE INDEX
VIEW FROM THE TOP: WHAT EXECUTIVES EXPECT FROM HR TODAY
V  ideo: The Changing Business of HR Video: Executive Insights Infographic: The Relationship Between the C-Suite and HR R  eport: How HR Can Take on a Bigger Role: CEO Perspectives R  eport: How HR Can Take on a Bigger Role: CFO Perspectives I nfographic: A New Day: Taking HR from Chaos to Control W  ebcast: Power HRs Business Contribution

KEEP IT SIMPLE: STREAMLINING WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT

W  ebcast: Using Business Intelligence V  ideo: Step 1 Interactive Org Chart V  ideo: Step 2 People Portrait V  ideo: Step 3 Gallery V  ideo: Step 4 HCM Analytics V  ideo: Making Your Workplace Social V  ideo: Stories from the Field

CRACKING THE TALENT CONUNDRUM: HOW TO FIND, DEVELOP AND KEEP THE BEST PEOPLE
I nfographic: Talent Intelligence and the Bottom Line W  hite paper: A Seat at the Table W  ebcast: Talent Scarcity W  ritten Guide: Creating an Effective Social Recruiting Strategy W  ebcast: A Step-by-Step Plan V  ideo: Stories from the Field

DECODING THE CLOUD: WHAT NEW TECHNOLOGY MEANS AND WHY IT MATTERS
V  ideo: Oracle Fusion HCM Cloud Service: Game Changing HR V  ideo: A Look at Cloud Without Compromise D  iagram: Life in the Cloud V  ideo: Stories from the Field

WHAT NEXT? DETERMINING THE RIGHT PATH FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION

N  ewsletter: HCM Newsletter

March 2013

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oracle.com/hcm