Chartered Institute of Personnel Management Sri Lanka

Chartered
Qualification in
Human Resource
Management

Level : Diploma in Professional HRM

Unit Code : DPHRM - U1

Session : Human Resource Management as a Professional Practice
Name & Index No: …………………………………………

Chartered Institute of Personnel Management Sri Lanka (Inc)

Copyright © 2020 CIPM
www.cipmlk.org
Chartered Institute of Personnel Management Sri Lanka
Unit Title HRM as a Professional Understand the importaninterpersonal
Practic skills while practicing HR Management
Level Diploma
e in Professional Understand how to effectively
HRM implement a Personal Development
Competency HRM and Administrative
Expertise Plan.
Unit Code DPHRM/U1
Assessment modes
Unit Review 12th July 2021
Date Assignment on preparation of a Personal
Development Plan (Compulsory
Assignment)
Guided Learning Hours
Purpose and aim of the unit The guided learning hours for this unit would be
06 with an additional 40 hours of self-managed
This unit provides knowledge on the knowledge,
learning
skills and behaviors required to be a Human
Resource Professional either as a Generalist or a Scope of the Session
Specialist. The unit provides knowledge on the
Session Topic Scope of the Topic
broad perspective to be developed by a Human
1. HRM as a 1.1 Development of HRM
Resource Practitioner and the competencies to
Professional as a Professional
acquired. The unit also explains the need for an
Practice Practice
HR Practitioner to be ethical, business focus with 1.2 Developing a career in
good interpersonal skills. HRM
1.3 Key focus of an HRM
Learning Outcomes
Practitioner
On the completion of this unit students will. 1.4 Knowledge, Skills,
Competencies and
Understand how to display knowledge, Behaviours for an HRM
skills, competencies and behaviours to be an Practitioner
effective HR Practitioner 2. Key attributes 2.1 Ethics, justice, and fair
Understand how to develop a broad of an HR play in HR
Professionals. Management
perspective as a HR Practitioner
2.2 The importance of
Understand the importance of being interpersonal skills in
ethical, just, and equitable and fair in all developing
dealings and decision making while professionalism
functioning as HR Practitioner. 2.3 Playing the role of HR
Generalist and HR
Specialist.

Copyright © 2020 CIPM P a g e 2 of 11

Chartered Institute of Personnel Management Sri Lanka
Version 01

Contents
01. Human Resource Management as a Professional Practice ............................................................... 4
1.1 Introduction........................................................................................................................................ 4
1.2 The Role of HR Professionals ............................................................................................................. 5
1.3 HR Architecture .................................................................................................................................. 5
1.4 Partnership role of HR Professional .................................................................................................. 6
1.5 Innovative Role of HR......................................................................................................................... 6
1.6 The Change Agent Role of HR ............................................................................................................ 7
1.7 Service delivery Role of HR ................................................................................................................ 7
1.8 HR Competencies ............................................................................................................................... 7
1.9 HR behaviors....................................................................................................................................... 8
1.10 The HR Profession and Ethics........................................................................................................... 8
1.11 The Nature of Ethical Decisions and Judgements ........................................................................... 8
1.12 HRM Ethical Guidelines .................................................................................................................... 8
1.13 General Guidelines ........................................................................................................................... 9
1.14 Learning and Development.............................................................................................................. 9
1.15 Performance Management ............................................................................................................ 10
1.16 Reward Management..................................................................................................................... 10
1.17 Employee Relations ........................................................................................................................ 10
1.18 Employment Practices.................................................................................................................... 10
1.19 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................................... 11

Copyright © 2020 CIPM P a g e 3 of 11

Chartered Institute of Personnel Management Sri Lanka
Version 01

01. Human Resource 8. Performance Driven

9. Digital Expertise
Management as a 10. Change Management
Professional Practice
While HR Practitioners must master these
1.1 Introduction competencies they must also be able to
display the core behaviors which are aligned
Human Resource Management is a
to each of the above competencies. If they
profession just as any other profession such
are able to come up to this standard they will
as medicine, law, engineering, accountancy,
personify a true HR Professional who is able
marketing, science, architecture etc. A close
to drive, execute and deliver HR results
analysis of the nature and the scope of
which have a direct influence on an
Human Resource Management indicates
organization achieving competitive
that it is a profession with managerial and
advantage.
strategic components built on expertise
related to the key result areas of Human Dave Ulrich (1998) was of the view that HR
Resource Management combined with Professionals must become more proactive
knowledge of other disciplines of and strategic. In this thinking it was
management. The profession of HRM is enunciated that HR Professionals must
closely aligned to all other management become “business partners” by playing four
disciplines in an organization. Thereby, key roles namely,
Human Resource Management is an
Strategic Partner
integrated approach where in Human
Change Agent
Resource practitioners play the role of a
Employee Champion
business partner to effectively help drive
Administrative Expert
business success. This therefore requires
every human resource practitioner to
master a range of competencies in addition
to HRM and administrative expertise. While Dave Ulrich’s model is solely his view
the concept of HR practitioner as a
The Chartered Institute of Personnel managerial professional is the key aspect
Management identifies 10 core which needs to be addressed. It is important
competencies for Human Resource to understand what is meant by the word
practitioners which are as follows; professional. HR as we know deals with
1. HRM and Administrative Expertise various organizational stakeholder interests
2. Professional Credibility and is accountable for strategic initiatives.
3. Business Acumen They must also prove their core claim to
4. Entrepreneurial Expertise organization expertise on core HR areas.
5. Strategic Leadership and Navigation They must also demonstrate discretion in
6. Sustainability Focus decision making and exercise authority in a
rational manner.
7. Capability Building and Enhancement

Copyright © 2020 CIPM P a g e 4 of 11

Chartered Institute of Personnel Management Sri Lanka
Version 01

1.2 The Role of HR Professionals 1.3 HR Architecture

The CIPD Profession map states that the HR The HR Architecture of an organization is
Profession is “an applied business discipline built on the HR system, HR practices and the
with a people and organization specialism”. HR model align to the organization. Basically
the nucleus of the HR architecture emerges
They must also demonstrate discretion in
from the key result areas of HRM which
decision making and exercise authority in a
comprise of the following as per CIPM;
rational manner.
a) HR Planning
The CIPM definition of Human Resource
b) Employee Resourcing (Recruitment,
Management is as follows;
Selection, Induction, Placement)
“A strategic and integrated approach in c) Reward Management (Pay and
acquisition, development, and engagement Benefits)
of talent, using relevant tools, with proper d) Training and Development
polices, practices and processes in creating a e) Performance Management
conductive climate towards achieving f) Employee Relations and Industrial
organizational excellence and social well- Relations
being.” g) Organization Design and
Development
According to this definition the concept of
h) Digital HR and HR Analytics
professionalism emerges very clearly in that
i) Human Resource Audit and HR
HRM practitioners must professionally work
Accounting
towards an integrated approach with a
strategic intend with a view to contributing
to organizational success. This is enunciated
The effective delivery of HRM must be based
in the CIPM definition of the Chartered HR
on techniques which have been proved to be
professional which is as follows;
effective by the experience of application
“Chartered HR Professional is a person across best performing organizations. These
occupying a strategic position in an proven techniques become best practices.
organization, who has gained a specific level Some examples of HR best practices are seen
of required competencies in the field of in research evidence as per Pfieffer, 1994
HRM, which has been recognized by the who has found the following best practices;
award of a formal Charter by the Chartered
Financial Incentives for Excellent
Institute of Personnel Management of Sri
Performance
Lanka”.
Organizational practices that
motivate employee effort
Rigorous selection and selectively in
recruiting
Employee share ownership
Extensive information sharing

Copyright © 2020 CIPM P a g e 5 of 11

Chartered Institute of Personnel Management Sri Lanka
Version 01

Decentralization of decision making 1.5 Innovative Role of HR

and empowerment If HR professionals are focused on innovative
Organization of work based on self- approaches they will no doubt introduce new
managing teams ways and means as well as effective
High investment in training and skill procedures to increase organizational
development effectiveness, efficiency and productivity.
Multiple skills and Job rotation HR professionals must approach this task by
Equitable pay and benefits bench marking against best practices,
Promotions from within analyzing and diagnosing organization wide
Career Progression HR issues to find lasting solutions to such
Measurement of HR practices and issues and problems. HR professionals must
policy implementation be honest to themselves and do what is right
Good employment relations for the organization rather than draw
attention to themselves in the eyes of top
management. In fact, “Drucker” 1955:243
Purcell (1999:38) suggested that the focus describing this as a risk said as follows. ‘The
should be on “Appropriate HR Architecture constant worry of all personnel
and the processes that contribute to administrators is their inability to prove that
organizational performance”. they are making a contribution to the
1.4 Partnership role of HR Professional enterprise. Their pre occupation is with the
search for a “Gimmick” which will impress
Every HR professional must play a
their management colleagues.’
partnership role while driving and
implementing HR practitioners, techniques, HR practitioners must avoid introducing
procedure, systems and strategies. In this solutions that do not solve problems as there
context partnership means working closely can be difficulties encountered during
with line mangers with a view to addressing implementations. This can create hostile
HR related Business Issues, people related reaction from line managers. Thus the
problems and specially implementing of HR guidelines for HR innovations are as follows;
strategies, policies, procedures and
practices. HR professionals must build
bridges with line managers and setup a joint Be clear on what has to be achieved
implement on how to have a joint strategic and why
approach to make HR and business work in Ensure that what you do fits the
tandem for mutual benefits and for the strategy, culture and circumstances
greater good of the organization. HR must of the organization.
be responsive to line management problems Don’t follow fashion-do your own
by being sensitive to their issues and thing as long as it is relevant and fits
providing quick solutions to fix these the organization’s needs.
problems. Keep it simple- over-complexity is a
common reason for failure.

Copyright © 2020 CIPM P a g e 6 of 11

Chartered Institute of Personnel Management Sri Lanka
Version 01

Define the innovation in language 1.7 Service delivery Role of HR

and using terms that line managers The role HR professionals operate at the
use. transformational level where by HR
Don’t rush- it will take longer than strategies, policies, development and
you think. implemented to meet business goals and
Don’t try to do too much at once-an the needs of employees. Most HR
incremental approach is generally practitioner spent time on transactional
best. activities such as recruitments, training
Access resource requirements and and day to day employment matters as
costs. well as solving of employee related
Pay close attention to project issues mostly covering labor law issues.
planning and management. Therefore, service delivery is a broad
Remember that the success of the scope of activities of HR practitioners.
innovation rests as much on the
1.8 HR Competencies
effectiveness of the process of
Brockbank et al (1999) as per research
implementation (line manager buy-in
defined key HR competency domains as
hand skills are crucial) as it does on
follows;
the quality of the concept, if not more
so. 1. Personal credibility
Focus on change management 2. Ability to manage change
approaches, communicate, involve 3. Ability to manage Culture
and train. 4. Delivery of HR practices
5. Understanding of the business
1.6 The Change Agent Role of HR
Caldwell “2001” categorized 4 dimensions of Apart from the above competency domains,
HR change agents as follows; Prichard “2010” defined the competency
framework for the HR strategic partner role
1. Transformational change which is covering the following additional
major change initiatives on HR policy competencies;
2. Incremental change which means
gradual changes to HR policies and Trusted advisor
practices leading change
3. HR vision which is a set of values and critical thinking
beliefs to confirm that the HR Financial acumen
function is that of a strategic financial formulation
business partner.
4. HR expertise which means HR skills According to the Brockbank model and the
that define the unique contribution Prichard model, HR professionals must
of the HR professional. master the ten (10) competencies mentioned
above. However, there can be several other
competency dimensions that can be
adopted such as the CIPM

Copyright © 2020 CIPM P a g e 7 of 11

Chartered Institute of Personnel Management Sri Lanka
Version 01

competency model included in its syllabus of will drive them forward to act with
the chartered qualification in Human responsibility by using approaches which are
Resource Management. appropriate in resolving ethical dilemmas.
HR must display core behaviors which are
1.9 HR behaviors aligned to core competencies. These core
Any HR competency model must depict the behaviors must go along with the core
HR behaviors closely mapped to each competency with “professional credibility”
competency. Some examples of HR which denotes the ethical dimension
behaviors (as per CIPD 2013) are as follows; required within the HR profession.
Curious
1.11 The Nature of Ethical Decisions
Decisive thinker
and Judgements
Skilled influencer
The Human Resource profession in
Driven to deliver
particular must be built around ethical
Collaborative
decisions and judgements particularly as this
Personally credible discipline of management is related directly
Courage to challenge to the people management element.
Role model Therefore, HR professionals need to make
choices from among several alternatives
1.10 The HR Profession and Ethics
when taking decisions. This pushes them to
Ethics and morality are closely aligned to the
make the right choice which from an ethical
expected behavior of people particularly
point of view is just and equitable to all
those who are involved in different
parties who are effected by the decision. HR
professions including politics. Human
professionals must mature into right
Resource Management is no exceptions and
thinking, rational minded, logical decision
those embracing HRM must essentially
makers who are conscious of the
display strong morals and ethical conduct at
consequences of each and every decision
all times. Hamline et al (2001:98) noted that
that they make within their organizations.
ethics is concerned with rules of principles
that helps us the distinguish right and wrong. 1.12 HRM Ethical Guidelines
Clegg et al (2007:111) said “we understand Ethical guidelines are needed to help HR
ethics as the social organizing of morality”. professionals to understand the ethical
HR exercises social responsibility and is factor in relation to various HRM activities
accountable to stakeholders for the such as, recruitment and selection, learning
outcomes of their behaviors and decisions. and development, performance
Behavior on the one hand involves morality, management, reward management,
character, integrity and honesty. Therefore, employee relations, industrial relations and
HR must be able to understand the ethical general employment practices. All the
dimension and the nature of principles of decisions that HR professionals take will have
ethics, the ethical role of HR. They must some relationship to these areas which
follow a pattern of ethical guidelines which require general guidelines for them to follow

Copyright © 2020 CIPM P a g e 8 of 11

Chartered Institute of Personnel Management Sri Lanka
Version 01

in order to reduce the margin of error when 4. Appropriate selection criteria should be
taking decisions. used.

1.13 General Guidelines 5. Candidates must be given a reasonable

As per Armstrong (14th edition), the opportunity to present their case and ask
following general guidelines are questions.
recommended; 6. Avoid arriving at hasty conclusions about
1. Recognize that the strategic goals of candidates based on inadequate evidence.
the organization should embrace the 7. Provide accurate and complete
rights and needs of employees as information about the job to the job
well as those of the business. candidate.
2. Recognize that employees are
entitled to be treated as full human 8. Use only properly validated tests
beings with personal needs, hopes 9. Should not use discriminating or biased or
and anxieties. tests.
3. Do not treat employees simply as
means to an end or mere factors of 10. Give feedback on test results to
production. candidates.
4. Relate to employee generally in ways 11. Ensure selection decisions are unbiased
that recognize their natural rights to and non-discriminatory.
be treated justly, equitably and with
respect. 1.14 Learning and Development
1. Respect individual rights for dignity
The ethical factor in HR decision making
self-esteem and privacy.
needs to be addressed in the context of the
2. Recognize the necessity to provide
following key result areas as set out in
individuals with learning
Armstrong’s Hand Book of Human Resource
opportunities to gain knowledge,
Management Practice (14th edition)
skills and abilities to enhance their
1. Recruitment and Selection performance.
-Job candidates must be carefully 3. Make employees taking part in
handled from the point of receiving learning events feel psychologically
their cvs’. Decisions on hiring must safe in accordance with the view
be informed to candidates without express by Schein (1993:91).
undue delay. 4. Do not manipulate people to except
imposed organizational values.
2. Interviews should be unbiased, fair and
free of undue stress.
3. Candidates must not be criticized on their
personality or any other aspect.

Copyright © 2020 CIPM P a g e 9 of 11

Chartered Institute of Personnel Management Sri Lanka
Version 01

1.15 Performance Management 1.17 Employee Relations

As per Stuart-Smith (1996) the following 1. Deliver a fair deal.
ethical principles in performance 2. Be open to employees’ input and
management have been defined; responsive to justifiable questions
and concerns about employment
1. Respect for the individual
polices and practices.
2. Mutual respect between parties
3. Provide genuine opportunities and
involved in performance
channels for employees to express
management
their views and influence decisions on
3. Procedural fairness-the performance
matters that affect them.
management procedure should be
4. Negotiate in good faith.
operated in a fair manner.
4. Transparency-people affected by 1.18 Employment Practices
decisions, emerging by performance 1. Create a healthy, safe and fulfilling
management must have the work environment.
opportunity to scrutinize the basis in 2. Promote the well-being of
which decisions were made. employees by improving the quality
of working life and enhance work life
1.16 Reward Management
balance.
1. Apply the principles of procedural
3. Take particular care to minimize
and distributive justice.
stress to employees.
2. Ensure reward management policies
4. Provide equal opportunities to all
and practices are fair, equitable,
with regard to recruitment and
transparent and consistently applied.
selection, learning and development,
3. Reward people according to their
talent management, career
contribution.
progression and promotion.
4. Ensure people know the basis of
5. Manage diversity and inclusivity.
rewards and how their reward
6. Handle disciplinary matters
package is determined.
according to the principles of natural
5. Maintain reasonable and defensible
justice.
pay differentials.
7. Recognize that people may have
6. Ensure that equal pay is provided for
legitimate grievances and respond to
work of equal value.
them promptly, fully and
7. Base decision about performance
sympathetically.
pay or bonuses on fair and equitable
8. Preserve job security as far as
criteria.
possible and take alternative action
8. Avoid bonus schemes that encourage
to avoid compulsory redundancies.
undesirable behaviors.
9. If compulsory redundancy is
9. Do not pay less than the living wage.
unavoidable help to alleviate the
distress by helping people to find
work.

Copyright © 2020 CIPM P a g e 10 of 11

Chartered Institute of Personnel Management Sri Lanka
Version 01

10. Do not allow whistle-blowers who

explores wrong doing to be
penalized.

1.19 Conclusion
Human Resource Management is generally
in a position to make a claim to be an
emerging managerial position. HRM has a
body to represent its’ interests at many
national, regional and international levels.
The profession can claim that is an area of
specialized expertise which puts it into the
forefront of professionalism in business
management which can be broadly
identified in many ways. As a managerial
profession, HR must be committed to
furthering organizational values which are a
most important part of stakeholder
expectations. There are separate groups of
HR practitioners whose roles vary from
administrative to technical and strategic
aspects of management. Thus, HR is seen as
a profession that is a catalyst in driving and
delivering business results of an organization
which leads to sustainable competitive
advantage.

Brockbank et al (1999) – Journal Article

Copyright © 2020 CIPM P a g e 11 of 11