Checklist for Updating HR Strategy

The rapid pace of change in the external environment — including technology, demographic and
social shifts — has forced organizations to adapt and recalibrate their business strategies. To
keep up with changes in the business, HR leaders must continually adjust their strategies (see Figure
1).
Figure 1: Relationship Between the Business Strategy and the HR Strategy

HR leaders must establish strategies that satisfy their organizations’ needs and feed into the broader
planning process. The following steps will help HR leaders successfully create and update their
organizations’ HR strategies:

 Prepare for HR strategy planning.

 Understand business strategy and its talent implications.
 Connect HR strategy to Business strategy.
 Communicate HR strategy.
 Adapt and monitor HR strategy.
The following checklist will help HR leaders ensure all of the critical steps for creating, communicating
and updating HR strategy (as mentioned above) are adhered to.

Instructions: The following table provides a list of questions for checking and ensuring the successful
execution of each of the five steps for updating HR strategy. After executing each step, HR leaders
should refer to the questions listed in the second column. The answer to each question should be “yes”
before HR leaders move to the execution of the next step.
Project Name
Project Owner
 Key Steps Key Questions to Answer Yes
Have you identified the key stakeholders who need to be involved in the HR
Step #1: Prepare for HR Strategy strategy planning process?
Planning Have you aligned your corporate strategy planning process with your HR
strategy planning process?

Have you had significant interactions with relevant business leaders about the
strategic direction of the organization?

Do you understand the business’s short- and long-term strategy?

Step #2: Understand Business
Strategy and Its Talent
Do you understand the emerging trends that may impact future business
Implications
strategy?

Have you identified the talent implications that are critical to achieving each
business strategic objective?

Do you understand the current state of HR capabilities?

Do you know the strengths and weaknesses of your current HR efforts?

Step #3: Connect HR Strategy to Have you conducted a gap analysis to identify the most critical HR activities
Business Strategy where current capability is lacking?

Does your HR strategic plan have a set of integrated actions across the HR
subfunctions?

Do you have a list of clearly defined metrics associated with each of your HR
strategic objectives?

Have you identified all the stakeholders who need to be aware of the HR
strategic plan?

Have you developed an HR strategic communication plan that targets

Step #4: Communicate HR Strategy employees, other functions and management?

Have you developed a storyline to effectively convey your strategy to the

identified stakeholders?

Have you identified triggers for revisiting your HR strategy?

Step #5: Adapt and Monitor HR
Strategy Do you have a decision framework for adapting your HR strategy when
business conditions change?