The Problem: Fragmentation Undermines HR

When job structures are unclear, recruitment becomes arbitrary. When skill levels aren’t well-defined, staff development and pay decisions become subjective. And when pay systems lack transparency, motivation declines.

Weaknesses in one area—such as job structure—can cascade into others, including pay equity and performance management. Inefficiencies create waste, while inconsistencies invite abuse. Both are signs of misaligned or underdeveloped systems.

Our HR Effectiveness Framework is designed to help you identify and address these interdependencies. Built on years of global experience working with HR managers, this approach offers a holistic solution to today’s complex workforce challenges.

“With just a couple of well-defined questions, you get a snapshot of where you are as an organization in terms of HR Effectiveness. The results you are provided with in the assessment report ​ pinpoint very well the areas for improvement and what to take on to gain an overall improvement of the organization’s HR Effectiveness. While we were quite aware of our shortcomings, this report gave us a very good starting point to base our next steps on and to get the buy-in of our senior stakeholders.”

— Roland Mosheim, Norwegian Refugee Council​

Our Approach

The HR Effectiveness Framework focuses on a consistent set of critical dimensions—Principles, Policies, and Tools (PPT)—that underpin successful HR. These are mapped across our four key Community™ quadrants: Jobs, Pay, Skills, and Performance, offering a holistic snapshot of the overall health of your HR systems.

Principles, Policies, and Tools (PPT)
  • Principles – A clear “why ”: Your values around fairness, contribution, and development.
  • Policies – A transparent “what ”: The rules that guide decisions and ensure consistency.
  • Tools – A consistent “how ”: The mechanisms that make those policies real in daily operations.
Two Complementary Functional Areas of HR
  • Workforce Formation (Jobs & Pay) – the structural foundations that define internal roles and align compensation with the external market.
  • Workforce Management (Skills & Performance) – the operational side of building capacity, managing growth, and rewarding achievement.
12-Question HR Effectiveness Assessment

A self-assessment that serves as both a mirror—to reflect where your HR systems stand today—and a compass to guide where they could go tomorrow. It highlights strengths and may uncover foundational gaps, offering a valuable starting point for meaningful progress.

HR Effectiveness Assessment
The HR Effectiveness Assessment

Grounded in the Principles, Policies, and Tools (PPT) framework—and informed by decades of hands-on experience tackling complex HR challenges—this self-assessment evaluates your workforce systems across four critical dimensions: Jobs, Pay, Skills, and Performance.

Over time, we’ve seen that issues in one area often stem from deeper misalignments in another, which is why a holistic approach is essential. Each dimension represents a vital piece of the puzzle—helping you build systems that are fair, consistent, and aligned with your mission.

A table comparing Workforce Formation (Structure: Jobs, Pay) with Workforce Management (Capacity: Skills, Performance), listing principles, policies, and tools under each category.

Clarity Through Your HR Effectiveness Score

Through the assessment, your HR Effectiveness Score—a composite measure of your HR framework’s overall state—serves as a benchmark to:

  • Validate the overall effectiveness of your HR framework
  • Identify priority areas for improvement and potential risks
  • Compare the maturity of your HR systems against other organizations
  • Capture diverse internal perspectives across your team
A horizontal bar chart shows a score of 52, marked in yellow, within the "Emerging" range (31–60 points) on a scale from 0 to 120.

From Insight to Alignment

Understanding how Principles, Policies, and Tools are applied in Jobs, Pay, Skills, and Performance provides critical insight—revealing where your HR systems are working well, and where targeted improvements can drive greater alignment, integration, and overall effectiveness.

Bar chart showing point allocation for Jobs, Pay, Skills, and Performance across categories: Principles, Policies, Tools. Color-coded for Formative, Emerging, Established; totals listed on right.
Bar chart showing assessment of principles, policies, and tools across four categories, with scores indicating emerging stages: 38% for principles, 47% for policies, and 45% for tools.
Assessment to Action:
A Snapshot of Your HR Maturity

The HR Effectiveness Assessment offers a clear snapshot of your HR system’s maturity across all key elements, along with an overall score that highlights where you are on the journey to becoming fully fit for purpose.

Circular chart showing a score of 52 out of 120, with segments for Jobs, Pay, Performance, and Skills, color-coded by maturity levels: Integrated, Established, Emerging, and Formative.
Find Out If Your HR Function Is Truly Fit for Purpose

Take the first step to see where your organization stands on the HR Effectiveness Framework.

HR Effectiveness Assessment