StrategicHumanResourcesActionsBeingstrategicissortofliketheweather--everybodytalksaboutit,butnobodydoesanythingaboutit.Here,SanFranciscoStateUniversityprofessorJohnSullivangivessomeexamplesofactionsthathesayshaveproventobestrategic.HerearewhatJohnSullivan(inhisnewbook)listsassomeoftheactionsworkforcemanagementprofessionalscantakethatare"alittlebold."GeneralmanagementHumanresourcesadministrationRecruitingRetentionandemployeerelationsWorkforceplanningCompensationandincentivesMotivationandcommunicationDevelopmentCommonstrategicerrorsofhumanresourcesdepartmentsGENERALMANAGEMENTIntegrateyourmanagersthroughmetrics--Managersoftenworkindependentlyandfailtosharebestpracticesamongeachother.Byofferingeachindividualmanageronthemanagementteamanincentive,basedontheoverallperformanceofthemanagementteam,youcanencouragemanagerstocooperate.Bytyingmanagerialperformancetogetherwithacommonbond,youcanencouragetopmanagerstohelpimprovetheperformanceofthebelow-averagemanagers.Byaskingemployeestoratethequalityoftheirownmanagementandthenrewardingmanagerswithhighscores,youcanalsoencouragemanagerstoplaycloserattentiontotheirpeoplemanagementpractices.Badmanagement-identificationprogram--Oneoftheprimaryreasonsthatemployeesquittheirjobsisthebadmanagementpracticesoftheirdirectsupervisor.Developaprogramthatcanidentify"badmanagers,"andthendevelopstrategiesforfixingthesemanagers,transferringthembacktomoretechnicaljobs,orreleasingthem.Measureandrewardmanagersforgoodpeoplemanagement--Managerswhopracticegoodpeoplemanagementhavethemostproductiveemployees.Unfortunately,mostfirmshavenomeasurementsystemforassessingindividualmanagersonhowtheymanagetheirpeople.Humanresourcesshouldsendaclearmessagetoindividualmanagersthatmanagingpeopleisimportantbydevelopingasystemforrewardingmanagersforgreatpeoplemanagement.Off-cycleactions--Going"againstthegrain"mightseemunwiseonthesurface,butinsomecases,itcanleadtobeingthefirstortheonlycompetitorinthefield.Forexample,iftheeconomyisdownandnooneisrecruitingoncollegecampuses,youmightfindthatifyouactivelyrecruit,youmightgetsome"superstarhires"thatyouwouldhavehadlittleornochanceofgettingwheneveryoneelsewasgoingfullspeedincollegerecruiting.Yes,thismeanscreatingopenpositionswhenthecompanyisnotdoingwell,butitmightalsomeanthatyouwillbeableto"explode"outoftheboxbetterthanyourcompetitorscanwhentheeconomyimproves.Thereareotheroff-cycleactions;forexample,intensifyingretentionprogramseventhoughyourturnoverrateiscurrentlyverylow.Mostemployeesexpectspecialtreatmentwhentheyknowthereisahighdemandfortheirtalent.Thisoff-cycleapproachissoeffectivebecause,whenyoupayattentionandrecognizeemployeeswhenit'snotneeded,employeestendtoappreciateitmore.Inaddition,whenthejobmarketimproves,theymightjustrememberhowwellyoutreatedthemwhenyoudidnothaveto.HUMANRESOURCESADMINISTRATIONRewardresultsinhumanresources--Humanresourcesmanagersmustberecognizedandrewardedfortheirresultsinmaintainingacompetitiveadvantageovertheorganization'scompetitors.Humanresourceslagswoefullybehindintheuseofincentivesforitspeopleandprograms,however.Combiningmetricswithsignificantbonusesforperformancecanhaveadramaticimpactonhumanresourcesproductivity.Inparticular,rewardsshouldbeofferedtoallifhumanresourcesmeetsitsoverallgoals.Incentivesarealsoeffectiveforrecruiters,generalists(iftheirbusinessunitachieveditsgoals),andthosein...