Examining approaches to HR evaluation: The strengths and weaknesses of popular measurement methods
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/14754390580000591 |
| Pages | 24-27 |
| Date | 01 January 2005 |
| Published date | 01 January 2005 |
| Author | Gary N. McLean |
| Subject Matter | HR & organizational behaviour |
VALUATION IN HR IS consistently seen as
an important phase in the professional
application of the field. In spite of this, it has
proved difficult to perform in a way that the
results are widely accepted. The difficulty of
performing evaluation and subsequent failures to
include it has, in some cases, jeopardized its
implementation. This article addresses these basic
questions regarding HR evaluation:
•Why is it important to determine how well HR works?
•How have we tried to do this in the past and how
successful have we been?
•How can we do a better, though not perfect, job?
Before answering these questions, we need to define
what we mean by evaluation. Evaluation is “a set of
planned, information-gathering, and analytical activities
undertaken to provide those responsible for the
management of change with a satisfactory assessment of
the effects and/or progress of the change effort.”1
There are many reasons why it’s important to
evaluate HR:
•Determine future investments in HR.
•Improve HR processes.
•Identify alignment of HR with business strategies.
•Build intellectual capital within the organization.
•Stop doing what isn’t effective.
•Be accountable to stakeholders and ensure employee
and management accountability.
•Reflect on and improve the overall climate and
health of the organization.
•Avoid fads and “flavors of the month” – HR seems
particularly vulnerable to fads and evaluation can be a
means for it to determine whether a new intervention
is truly a quality improvement.
•Lead the organization in keeping employees
motivated and productive.
•Improve HR’s image within the organization by
showing how much it contributes to organizational
success.
What’s the story so far?
There have been a number of efforts to use evaluation
approaches to determine how well HR has performed.
In general, studies aren’t very encouraging.2They often
conclude that attempts to identify the level of impact
that HR policies, processes and practices have on
business performance meet with limited success.
Problems of credibility, marginality and ambiguity also
relegate HR to a relatively disconnected set of
administrative or “welfare” duties.
There is some evidence, however, that HR has – at
least in some settings – added to business value. For
example, Web-based HR self-service technology brings
the following advantages:3
•reduces HR’s administrative workload;
•improves data accuracy and timeliness; and
24 Volume 4 Issue 2 January/February 2005
Examining
approaches to
HR evaluation
The strengths and weaknesses of
popular measurement methods
HR evaluation is often not conducted simply because
of its inherent difficulties. But without measurement,
HR will struggle to shake off its administrative image.
This article considers the reasons for conducting
evaluation, the pros and cons of six popular
approaches, and suggests a workable means of
conducting acceptable evaluations.
by Dr Gary N. McLean
University of Minnesota E
© Melcrum Publishing Ltd. 2005. For more information, go to www.melcrum.com or e-mail info@melcrum.com
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