From HR function to proactive People & Culture business partner
Keepit was growing rapidly, and its People & Culture function needed to develop so that it could support the business more proactively. Working with the newly appointed head of HR, Cronquist Consult carried out a diagnosis, developed an HR / People & Culture Road Map, and supported the reorganisation and capability building of an eight-person HR/P&C team.
The Challenge
Growth placed new demands on HR/P&C. The function needed not only to provide day-to-day support, but to act as a proactive business partner to the organisation and create real value for the business.
The assignment covered the development and capability building of an eight-person HR/P&C team, including internal office-service functions.
The Diagnosis
The work began with a concrete organisational diagnosis. Among other things, Cronquist Consult carried out:
- 1:1 interviews
- focus-group interviews with selected middle managers and leaders
- an analysis of how the organisation experienced HR/P&C
- an exploration of what leaders “love, miss and hate” about HR
The diagnosis covered HR support, policies and practices, recruitment and onboarding, and business goals and the connection between HR and the business. The purpose was to build a concrete picture of what worked, what was missing, where there was friction – and where HR/P&C could create greater organisational and business value.
Road Map and Implementation
Based on the diagnosis, Cronquist Consult developed an integrated HR / People & Culture Road Map with three central deliverables:
1. HR Value Proposition
What value should HR/P&C create for the executive team and the business – and what does the company get for its investment?
2. HR Service Declaration
Which services can leaders and employees expect from HR/P&C – and what should the organisation be able to handle itself?
3. HR Team Task Overview
How are responsibilities, tasks and resources allocated within the HR/P&C team, including the office-service functions?
The Road Map translated priorities into concrete activities, responsibilities, a timeline, resources, milestones, measures and follow-up.
Four complementary roles
The work was structured around four HR/P&C roles: Change Agent, Administrative Expert, Employee Champion and Strategic Partner. The point is not the labels themselves, but that HR/P&C needed to balance strategic and operational needs, people and processes, and day-to-day support with future organisational development.
From Road Map to implementation
The assignment did not stop at analysis and recommendations. Cronquist Consult worked alongside the HR/P&C function on concrete implementation and capability building:
- reorganisation and allocation of work within the HR/P&C team
- coaching and training of the HR/P&C team
- development of a more effective online / IT-based HR Helpdesk
- design of an onboarding programme
- a proposed Talent Acquisition Management set-up
- testing and evaluation of HR systems
- proposals and input on Performance Management
- analysis of critical organisational competencies and capabilities
Critical organisational capabilities
An important part of the assignment was identifying the organisational capabilities and competencies Keepit needed to support its continued competitiveness and the execution of its business strategy. HR initiatives were not an end in themselves, but a means of strengthening the organisation's capacity to execute and create business value.
Practical Leadership Program
As part of the consultancy, Cronquist Consult also designed the concept for a Practical Leadership Program for Keepit's leaders – a development concept running over several months, with elements such as business interviews, leadership and competency analysis, practical leadership modules, individual profile / 1:1 coaching, supervision, buddy and group sessions, practical exercises, 360° feedback, evaluation, and assignment and exam elements.
Outcomes and Lessons Learned
What was delivered
- a clearer strategic direction for HR/P&C
- a concrete Value Proposition
- a clear Service Declaration
- a clearer internal allocation of work and responsibilities
- prioritised development activities
- an implementation plan
- milestones and measures
What the work aimed to strengthen
The aim was a stronger foundation for developing HR/P&C as a proactive business partner. The case describes the content and deliverables of the work; no measured or financial effects are documented, and the case claims none.
From People & Culture to organisational capability
The Keepit assignment illustrates the approach Cronquist Consult has since developed further in its work on organisational development and LeaderShop: business strategy → organisational capabilities → leadership organisation → competency gaps → development activities → implementation and milestones → measures and impact → customer and business value.
The lesson is simple: when People & Culture starts from the business's goals and is translated into clear roles, services and follow-up, HR becomes part of the organisation's capacity to execute and create value.
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