Anyone who thought that the drive towards International HR Standards was likely to abate will find they are sorely mistaken. Here are some of the most recent developments which indicate how the pace is already starting to pick up. It might be worth reading what follows after reviewing the original objectives behind TC260 – Human Resource Management (see the one page Executive Summary) that refers to a need to ensure -
“… that vested interests never dictate the development of human resource management standards”.
SHRM/ANSI make their move
I believe the Americans have taken a wrong turning in their efforts to lead on HR standards. Now they seem not only determined to keep heading in that wrong direction but they want the rest of the world to follow. On 31st May (only 6 days after the launch of this blog) ANSI submitted an NWIP (New Work Item Proposal) to the ISO to have a vote taken at the next TC260 plenary meeting in Australia in September 2012 on whether to move towards adopting the ANSI (SHRM) Cost-per-Hire Standard as an international standard.
This is a very worrying development for several reasons:
- It is evidence that the Americans are determined to try and dictate HR standards to the rest of the international community
- The CPH metric does not satisfy even the most basic, fit-for-purpose requirements of a quality standard, which makes ANSI’s credentials as a certification body in this ‘new field’ of HR look questionable
- It indicates a very dysfunctional SHRM standard setting process that produces ‘standards’ that do not pass simple, common sense tests
- More worrying still, having already challenged the SHRM Taskforce myself on this, there appears to be no appetite for intelligent discussion or debate within SHRM/ANSI
ISO TC 260: Working HR Practices Group Proposal Document
Also on 31st May 2012 the HR Practices Working Group submitted a Framework proposal for the areas of HR that might be included within the remit of TC260. The “Approach” they are adopting is for the “team consider a matrix using the traditional functional areas with the employee life cycle.”
It is too early to make any intelligent comment on this Working Group but I will monitor developments. Suffice it to say for now that the initial proposal of HR practices runs to a list (matrix) of over five and a half pages which includes every possible HR activity.
Design specification for TC260 Task Group on “Human Governance”
Under the auspices of AFNOR proposals have now been submitted by several countries (including the UK and Pakistan) on how a human governance system could be designed – watch this very interesting space.
Other Workgroups
Terminology – still to be established
Other Task Groups
Operating Models of HR – led by the Netherlands
Metrics – (key social and business impacts) being led by Pakistan
