STEP 4: PRIORITIZE HR TOOLS
A second part of the systems architecture stage of is prioritizing those HR tools which will best leverage the strategic capability and shared mindset. Once the repertoire of HR practices are identified, strategic and HR planners may prioritize those HR practices which are most salient to the specific needs identified in the strategic intent and architecture. When examining the HR practices generated from discussing the questions in Exhibit 5, three critical questions may be asked:
* Which HR practices will most influence the desired customer and employee mindset?
* Which HR practices are most feasible to do with available or easily attainable competencies and resources?
* Which HR practices are politically feasible?
The dialogue around these questions should help strategic and HR planners focus attention on two or three key HR practices which can best be leveraged to accomplish strategic capability. At Baxter Healthcare, the greatest leverage came from designing fair and equitable succession planning; at Marriott, the greatest leverage came from more focus on staffing decisions (attraction and retention of employees); at Camden, the greatest HR leverage came from revised reward systems.