A rapidly changing business landscape requires HR leaders to demonstrate their full range of HR capabilities to address complex challenges.

What it means to work in HR in 2024 is drastically different to what it meant just five years ago. 

“It’s a totally different field of practice now,” says Beth Hall CPHR, General Manager of HR Standards and Capability at AHRI.

“When considering how HR practice has evolved, we need to account for societal shifts, technological advances, changing employee-employer relationships, declining employee loyalty, the increasing emphasis on diversity, equity and inclusion, and significant legislative changes.”

And that’s just scratching the surface.

“All these factors are driving the expectation for HR to be all things to all people, while influencing and enabling the delivery of organisational strategy,” she says.

This shift has prompted many HR and organisational leaders to reassess their approaches and long-held beliefs about work.

Jacqui Curtis FCPHR, Chief Operating Officer at the ATO and newly appointed AHRI board member, says these complexities require HR practitioners to adopt both a strategic and a panoramic viewpoint.

“That can be challenging because it demands core HR skills, which we’ve always had, but now we must also elevate these with an entirely new set of skills,” says Curtis.

A holistic framework for HR capabilities

A well-rounded HR practitioner must see the big picture while also delivering on their area of expertise. These two aspects can’t be mutually exclusive.

“For example, if you’re an IR/ER specialist, you can’t solve for the legislated criminalisation of underpayments or the right to disconnect without leveraging wellbeing, payroll or HR generalist skills and knowledge,” says Hall. 

This holistic approach is the driving force behind AHRI’s refreshed Australian HR Capability Framework, providing HR practitioners with a clear set of capabilities to cultivate at each career level.

The AHRCF serves as the North Star for all AHRI learning products, including its AHRCF Micro-credentials, which are launching this month.

The AHRCF Micro-credentials streamline the pathway to AHRI Certification and align learning to the new AHRCF.

“I see certification as a badge of honour – a signal to business partners that they can have confidence in the advice being provided,” says Curtis. “AHRI’s Certification program brings benefits across the board – not just for HR practitioners in terms of professional recognition and career progression, but also for the HR profession as a whole.”

It also positions HR practitioners as bringing critical expertise and nuance to modern work challenges.

“There’s nothing stopping anyone from [turning] up to a meeting and calling themselves an HR professional. [As a result], the organisation experiences the quality, or lack thereof, of their advice,” says Jonathon Woolfrey FCPHR, Managing Partner at Talenting, AHRI board member and Chair of AHRI’s IR/ER Advisory Panel.

“When people engage with an HR practitioner, they expect them, like in other professions, to come with a certain consistency and credibility in regard to the skills they bring to the table.”

Hall agrees, reflecting that sectors such as health and finance have been heavily regulated for years now, and, as HR’s role grows increasingly complex, professional credentialing is essential to minimise risk.

“I see certification as a badge of honour – a signal to business partners that they can have confidence in the advice being provided.” – Jacqui Curtis FCPHR, Chief Operating Officer at ATO and AHRI board member

Micro-learning for HR excellence

In alignment with universities, many of which are reconsidering traditional learning, AHRI is embracing micro-learning and micro-credentials, allowing HR professionals to develop their capability in the flow of their current work and life.

“We had to think about how to simplify the learning process. Not in terms of the quality or expectations of learners, but in terms of the journey,” says Hall. 

“We wanted to move away from traditional methods and focus more on practical application that addresses today’s HR challenges and anticipates future needs.”

The micro-credentials can be collected as standalone learning achievements or can be completed as a pathway to enter the assessment stage of AHRI’s Certification, for those who require further learning.

If you’re a MAHRI member, have a formal qualification (degree or postgraduate diploma in any discipline) and have over five years’ HR leadership experience, you can choose to go straight to the Certification assessment stage and, if successful, receive your CPHR post nominal. 

Alternatively, before going to the assessment stage, you could undertake one or more AHRCF Micro-credentials to uplift your currency in those capabilities. If you don’t meet the requirements to go straight to the assessment stage, you would be required to complete all five micro-credentials before being eligible to complete your Certification assessment.

“For those undertaking the AHRCF Micro-credentials, there is still a lot of flexibility,” says Hall.

Each one can be completed via distance learning or by attending a virtual workshop if you want to engage with other HR practitioners and expert facilitators.

“Those not quite ready to undertake all five AHRCF Micro-credentials and go to Certification assessment can also choose one or more micro-credentials, take a break and then come back to it,” she says.

On completion of each AHRCF Micro-credential assessment, learners will receive a digital badge which they can add to their LinkedIn profile to signal their expertise and achievement to their network. This demonstrates ongoing capability uplift and commitment to professional development, says Hall.

“Then there’s the ultimate credential – your CPHR badge, which is the recognition of both applied and endorsed capability by AHRI.”

HR practitioners can collect as many AHRCF Micro-credential badges as they feel they need to round out their HR skill set. To determine where to focus their development, AHRI members can use the free AHRCF Capability Analysis Tool, which will give them an indication of their capability growth areas.

The five AHRCF Micro-credentials

1. Culture leadership and business strategy

Practitioners will develop capability in: 

• Strategic Leadership: Contribute expertise to influence and shape organisational strategy.
• HR Strategy: Design and deliver HR initiatives that align with and support the business strategy. 
• Business Acumen: Apply HR principles and practices within the broader business context to ensure commercial impact.
• Culture: Collaborate to define, communicate, embody and evolve the desired organisational culture.
• Ethical Practice: Cultivate integrity, fairness, transparency and accountability in behaviour and decision-making.
• Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I): Integrate systemic, sustainable and adaptable DE&I strategies and practices to develop a diverse workforce.

Integrating HR’s work with business strategy is not yet second nature for all HR practitioners, says Woolfrey.

“Sometimes when I talk to HR professionals about business strategy, they’ll say, ‘There are no items here for HR.’ But it’s not the business’s job to write a strategy and include dot points for HR. The business writes a strategy that meets its needs and then HR leaders need to identify the people elements.”

This AHRCF Micro-credential is designed to equip HR practitioners with these crucial business skills – or polish them, for those already holding an HR leadership role.

It also touches on cultural leadership, which Curtis says is a cornerstone of effective HR practice.

“HR practitioners have always had to be aware of cultural competence and diversity, but it’s more complicated now. Workplaces are increasingly polarised. At the same time, employees are being encouraged to bring their full selves to work – and many of them are. This is often resulting in complicated clashes of opinion and perspectives that many managers feel ill-equipped to manage,” says Curtis.

“This is why inclusive leadership and management skills are crucial for HR to cultivate.”

2. Organisational enablement

Practitioners will develop capability in:

• Change Management: Systematically facilitate and accelerate the adoption of new behaviours, processes and technologies. 
• HR Operations & Compliance: Align HR practices to legal and regulatory standards, delivering organisational integrity, operational efficiency and risk mitigation.
• Data, Analytics & Insights: Leverage HR data to extract actionable insights, enabling evidence-based decision-making and strategic planning.
• Artificial Intelligence: Adopt and implement AI solutions to optimise HR functions and facilitate implementation of AI initiatives to drive innovation.
• Technology: Leverage technology to automate HR processes, streamline operations, improve employee experiences and facilitate data-driven decision-making.

HR practitioners require adequate technical and digital proficiency, not only so they can determine how modern technology applies to them, but so they can advise on how to apply its use to the broader workforce, says Curtis.

“When you think about artificial intelligence, it’s easy to see how it might automate processes, for example. But if you think more broadly about it, HR is being asked to understand how this technology is going to impact whole jobs and industries,” says Curtis. “The expectation is that we can then translate that into workforce plans.”

This means career progression is likely to look very different. For example, graduate-level roles will look very different, or might not even exist, in the near future as AI automates many entry-level positions. 

HR may also shift away from recruiting for specific roles, instead opting for a skills-based approach.

“People will be given a set of ‘core generic skills’ around things like data, analytics, negotiation and communication skills that can be applied no matter what the role is,” says Curtis. “That requires a big change management piece because when you get whole functions starting to become redundant, people get anxious and scared. 

“Managing that requires fantastic communication, negotiation and influencing skills.”

3. Health, safety and wellbeing

Practitioners will develop capability in: 

• Workplace Health & Safety: Govern compliance and influence culture/practice to create safe work environments.
• Wellbeing: Design and implement initiatives that support employees’ holistic wellbeing, foster positive work environments and enhance engagement and performance.
• Psychosocial Health: Identify and implement strategies to address psychosocial hazards to promote employee wellbeing and foster an inclusive workplace culture.
• Psychological Safety: Cultivate workplace environments where employees feel safe to express opinions, take risks and make mistakes without fear of retribution.

Many of the pressures facing employers and employees alike is the strong integration between work and home life, and the lack of boundaries between the two, says Curtis.

“When we look at, for example, psychosocial hazards, often they manifest around burnout. Why are people feeling burnt out? Are they living and breathing work, and there’s no cut-off point for them?

“It’s really difficult for HR managers because in that environment they’re being asked not only to think about the fundamentals of HR, but also [consider] things like the mental health impacts of the different environments people work in.” 

Then there are external factors, such as cost-of-living stresses, that are compounding wellbeing challenges.

“That then plays out in the workplace because people are concerned about their job security and their pay. All these things are intertwined. It’s HR who’s being asked to untangle it all, and come up with solutions for managers and businesses. That’s not easy.”

4. Workforce effectiveness

Practitioners will develop capability in: 

• Workforce Planning: Align the organisation’s human capital needs with its business objectives, utilising data-driven insights to forecast – and plan for – its talent needs.
• Industrial Relations: Strategically manage organisation-wide relationships between employees, including unions and other collective entities, and the organisation within the scope of legal, societal and policy frameworks.
• Organisational Design: Design organisational models, structures, operating rhythms and processes that support business objectives and optimise efficiency/collaboration.
• Work Design: Structure jobs to improve operational efficiency, employee satisfaction, wellbeing and productivity.

The industrial relations (IR) landscape is becoming increasingly complex, and many in HR worry about entering this space. But it is at the heart of HR, says Woolfrey. 

“Most of the skills involved in IR sit within the remit of the HR practitioner. It’s a lot about relationships, problem-solving, taking into consideration the business context and coming up with solutions. That’s all within the diversity of skills that HR practitioners have.

“Most of the factors that underpin psychologically safe workplaces are job design, reasonable work demands, organisational justice and policies that make sure employees feel heard. These are things HR have advocated for since long before it became codified in legislation and codes of practice.”

In many instances, workplaces can be held legally liable for any missteps their businesses take in terms of things like workplace health and safety, and payroll compliance.

“A court can say, ‘You’re the HR manager, so you should have known how to do this properly.’ So how can we make sure HR practitioners have the right skills and abilities? Through Certification. AHRI knows about the legislation. They’ve put together a program that covers all those important areas. That’s a compelling case to become certified.”

5. Trusted partner and talent management

Practitioners will develop capability in: 

• Talent Acquisition: Develop and implement strategies to attract top talent.
• Capability: Define current and future capability needs and deliver solutions to address gaps.
• Performance Management: Define performance standards and deliver strategically aligned performance solutions. 
• Reward & Recognition: Design and implement programs to incentivise high-performance, promote inclusion and influence engagement.
• Succession Planning: Identify high-potential employees for future career moves.
• Engagement & Retention: Implement strategically aligned solutions to enhance employee engagement and retention, fostering a sense of belonging and purpose. 
• Influence & Impact: Leverage relationship-building skills and demonstrate credibility to gain sponsorship of HR strategy. 
• Coaching & Empowering: Support others to perform, build capability, solve HR-related problems and achieve goals.
• Employee Relations: Navigate relationships between employees and the organisation, ensuring fair and equitable treatment and compliance with legal requirements. 

Talent management has traditionally been too focused on identifying key and high-risk roles, and running programs for these groups, says Curtis.

In the near future, it will become a lot more data-driven and personalised, she says. 

“It won’t just be about crafting jobs for individuals. It will be crafting teams to get the best outcomes and bringing all your talent to bear.” 

A longer version of this article was originally published in the August/September edition of HRM Magazine.

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