I'm the new head of HR, now what? The first 90 days
| Published date | 17 April 2009 |
| Pages | 5-11 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/14754390910946512 |
| Date | 17 April 2009 |
| Author | Dave Ulrich,Norm Smallwood,Jon Younger |
| Subject Matter | HR & organizational behaviour |
I’m the new head of HR, now what?
The first 90 days
Dave Ulrich, Norm Smallwood and Jon Younger
Abstract
Purpose – HR leaders face a range of challenges on assuming responsibility for the function in their
organizations. This paper aims to argue that if managed well, the actions of HR leaders over the first 90
days offer a significant opportunity to put the fundamentals for successin place; in turn, badly managed
transitions can hurt the leader’s effectiveness at building key relationships, defining the strategic
agenda, assessing needs for improvement and developing the plan for creating value for the business.
Design/methodology/approach – This paper draws on the authors’ experience with dozens of new
heads of HR. It synthesizes this work to offer a practical framework for action and specific tips on how HR
leaders can make the most of the first 90 days.
Findings – It is shown that as a new leader, one has a unique opportunity to shape a new agenda for the
HR department.
Originality/value – The paper is written as if the authors are coaching the reader through this transition
by asking the right questions that increase the chance of success.
Keywords Value added, Transformationalleadership
Paper type Viewpoint
So, you just got the top HR job. Congratulations. Your business leader has said
the right things. He/she wants a partner who will contribute to business success.
Someone who will help build the talent and organization your company needs to
ensure its growth and profitability in future. You are expected to provide help to the
executive team in what is needed for the organization to deliver on its aggressive
financial and customer goals with a bold strategy that will be difficult to execute. You
are also charged to help fix the HR function to deliver strategic value while maintaining
excellence in administering HR processes. The leadership team is eager to hear your
ideas.
Now that you have got the job you have coveted, what questions and actions should
drive your first 90 days? You face a number of competing demands. You have to deliver
results by both fixing the function and contributing business value; build relationships by
creating a new HR team and connecting with the business team; manage expectations
by delivering on old requirements and creating new expectations; and set an agenda
with both a long-term view of where you want to go and a short-term view with clear
quick wins. The five questions and sub-questions laid out below are designed to help
you manage results, relationships and expectations. We create these suggestions based
on working on transitions with dozens of senior HR leaders, our consulting and
executive education experiences with HR leaders in a variety of companies, and the
results of 20 years of HR competency research. They are intended to help a new head
of HR quickly reach high levels of productivity.
DOI 10.1108/14754390910946512 VOL. 8 NO. 3 2009, pp. 5-11, QEmerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 1475-4398
j
STRATEGIC HR REVIEW
j
PAGE 5
Dave Ulrich is based at the
University of Michigan
School of Business,
Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
Norm Smallwood and
Jon Younger are both
based at The RBL Group,
Provo, Utah, USA.
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