From HR function to proactive People & Culture business partner

The challenge

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 helped develop and build the capabilities of an eight-person HR/P&C team, including internal office-service functions. The aim was to enable the function to act as a proactive business partner to the organisation and create real value for the business.

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

What the diagnosis covered

The diagnosis covered areas such as 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.

HR / People & Culture Road Map

Based on the diagnosis, Cronquist Consult developed an integrated HR / People & Culture Road Map with three central deliverables:

Four complementary roles

The work was structured around four complementary 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. The purpose was to strengthen the organisation's capacity to execute and create business value – bridging People & Culture and broader organisational development.

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
• assignment and exam elements

Outcome

The work established:

• 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
• a stronger foundation for developing HR/P&C as a proactive business partner

From People & Culture to organisational capability

The Road Map connected organisational insight with concrete action, ownership and follow-up. The case describes the content and deliverables of the work; no measured or financial effects are documented, and the case claims none.

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 assignment was part of the practical experience that contributed to this approach.