The municipal HR function as a strategic partner and change manager
Municipalities face big challenges; a tight job market, increasing digitalization and various societal transitions, such as sustainability. This also requires a future-focused Human Resource (HR) function which also provides direction to organisational developments and staff members' well-being. Commissioned by the A&O fonds Gemeenten, Utrecht University investigated the HR function within the municipal sector. The researchers determine that many municipalities still have a divide between the current practice and the wish to position HR as a strategic partner and change manager. This is why in the report ‘De route naar een strategische HR-functie bij gemeenten’, the researchers offer action perspectives to enhance the strategic HR function.
Differences in thinking between HR professionals and management
The municipal sector faces big societal challenges in various domains. This requires much from staff members and therefore also from the HR function. Without a strategically inserted HR function, changes and transitions do not get started properly. Research shows that HR professionals and management within municipalities think differently on how HR carries out the various roles, and that the roles of strategic partner and change manager need the most attention.
The development assignment for municipalities has already been known for longer, but the research also revealed which factors play a role in the realising of a strategic HR function. HR professionals and the management within municipalities think differently about this too. HR professionals themselves are the most positive on factors in the field of their own ‘abilities’ (capacities for the carrying out of various HR roles) and ‘motivations’ (the motivations for carrying out various HR roles), while the higher management is the most positive on the possibilities provided to HR professionals. An example of the latter is that management is more positive about ‘the seat at the table’ HR receives than HR itself is.
Recommendations
It is therefore no surprise that the researchers recommend that the interaction between HR and management can be improved. In this, both parties have an important responsibility.
Expectation management with realistic expectations
Good, mutual and periodical expectation management with realistic expectations from both parties and the willingness of both parties to picture the other's perspective. Just like a shared definition of what the strategic HR function within the own municipality means. And creating awareness that many subjects discussed at the board table have HR components. The question is then which AMO factors (A: ability, M: motivation, O: opportunity) are necessary in order to be able to enhance the strategic HR function in a specific municipality.
Professionalisation, proactivity and political-governance sensitivity
The second set of recommendations made by the researchers regard the enhancement of the competences and methods of HR in the field of data-driven and professional work. This requires action by HR professionals and their supervisors, both at individual and collective levels. This regards enrolling in degree programmes and training courses, intervision between HR professionals or teaming up an HR professional with a strategic organisation advisor – with the intent to develop proactivity and political-governance sensitivity.
Enhancing the carrying out of roles by supervisors
The third set of recommendations regards the enhancing of the carrying out of roles and positioning of supervisors in general, and middle managers in particular. Important in this is the enhancement of people-management qualities of the middle management, so HR receives space for other tasks such as strategic advising.
Research Team
The research team consisted of: Jasmijn van Harten (project leader), Eva Knies, Judith Langerak and research assistants Femke van de Glind and Femke Dronkert of the Utrecht University School of Governance (USG).
More information
If you would like to know more, please read the full report ‘De route naar een strategische HR-functie bij gemeenten’ or the column researchers Eva Knies and Jasmijn van Harten wrote about this research on HR Morgen Platform: ‘Verken het eiland van de ander’.
You can also contact project leader Jasmijn van Harten: e.j.vanharten@uu.nl.