The CIPD Profession Map

This report aims to identify the role of the CIPD’s HR Profession Map in defining the HR Profession. It will focus on 3 things, the CIPD profession map itself, the 2 core professional areas as well as the behaviours featured on the map and finally why HR professionals need to be able to manage a variety of situations in relation to the map.
“The CIPD Profession Map sets out standards for HR Professionals around the world: the activities, knowledge and behaviour needed for success” (CIPD, 2015)
The map was developed by the CIPD in conjunction with professionals and organisations around the world and is made up of the following 3 sections:
• 4 Bands or Transitions - relating to the levels at which practitioners are working at or should be working

towards.
• 10 Professional Areas – 2 of which sit in the centre of the map and are considered to be ‘core areas’ with the remaining 8 considered specialisms.
• 8 Behaviours – all practitioners should aspire to demonstrate these and the further up the bands a practitioner progress the more they should demonstrate these behaviours.
Many professionals and organisations use the map as a tool for benchmarking HR standards and capability. For this reason the CIPD is continuously working to ensure that map remains up-to-date by reviewing it in line with the most recent research.
An example of the CIPD Profession Map can be seen in Appendix 1.

In creating the map the CIPD have enabled HR Professionals a way to measure their skills and experience against a standardised set of ideals and work to develop themselves in line with this to improve the effectiveness of the HR function. Through this the CIPD’s profession map defines the HR Profession.
First it is important to identify what a profession is. A profession is a paid occupation which has involved extensive or prolonged training to equip individuals within the area with skills, knowledge and competencies which provide them with the expertise they need to support their organisations.
Armstrong and Taylor in particular define professionalism in general as “the conduct exhibited by people who are providing advice and services that require expertise and that meet defined or generally accepted standards or behaviour.” (Armstrong & Taylor, 2014). This is perhaps the most relevant definition for the HR Professional. They go on to state that the work done by such a professional can be identified by its link to framework or core concepts which demonstrate the extensive training such an individual has received (Armstrong & Taylor,

47:2014)
Many professions are overseen by a professional body such as the CIPD and adhere to code a conduct. HR professionals in particular adhere to the CIPD’s Code of Conduct and its set of ethical standards. “These obligations are grouped into principles of Professional Competence and Behaviour, Ethical Standards and Integrity, Representative of the Profession and Stewardship” (CIPD, 2015). As professionals they work to maintain the reputation of the HR profession through their behaviour and expertise.
In order to maintain the reputation of the HR Profession and act as its representatives, HR professionals must be seen to be ‘adding value’. This can be through a range of transactional and transformational activities such as day-to-day maintenance activities such as absence management or change management activities whereby they are contributing to the strategic vision of the organisation through both proposing and implementing change. This often depends on the level at which they are currently performing at and can be identified through the use of the HR Profession Map, which acts as a competency framework for HR Professionals.
Within this competency framework there are 2 core areas which the CIPD expects to act as the foundation for capability regardless of the level at which a professional is at. These areas are:
• Insights, Strategy and Solutions – relates to developing an understanding of the organisation and its objectives
• Leading HR – relates to maximising the contribution of the HR function within the organisation.
As these areas can be applied to all levels of the profession it is important to consider them in line with some of the behaviours identified on the profession map, in particular this report will focus on the following 2 behaviours:
• Decisive Thinker – relates to a HR professionals ability to analyse and use data
• Role Model – relates to a HR professionals ability to lead by example
The CIPD identifies that at band 2 HR professionals are providing a mostly advisory service to their organisations and as such their day-to-day activities a predominantly issues led. For this reason professionals at Band 2 need to ensure that within both of the core areas they are acting as role model and decisive thinker.
It could be argued that the behaviour of decisive thinker relates directly to the first core area or Insight’s, Strategy and Solutions, as the majority of the activities they would take part in are centred around advising or managing specific individual or team related HR issues.

Therefore it can be argued that it is important for individuals at this level to be able to react and make relevant and appropriate decisions efficiently in relation to the information they have available to them. They must be able to draw on their knowledge of the organisation and their HR knowledge and experience to provide the best advice/decision possible to ensure that the business needs are met in line with best practice where

possible.
The behaviour of role model, therefore, not only links to all the professional areas, but could relate strongly to the second of the core areas, Leading HR. Again at band two the majority of activities will still centre around advising or managing HR related issues, however within my organisation, HR professionals are expected to and indeed need to, act as role models for the business, and for those in advisory roles this is particularly necessary. This is because by acting as a role model HR professionals are able to lead, not only others within the HR function, but those outside of it, by example. For example, within my organisation, we work on a flexi-time policy which dictates that flexi-time is not to be gained through an employee’s lunch break, and so within the HR function we must ensure that we do in fact, take regular breaks in line with the working time directive in order to advise managers appropriately and in best practice how to address issues of employees not taking their breaks and thus building up additional flexi-time. This also enables HR professionals within my organisation to act with integrity whilst balancing organisational demands within key legal parameters.
The CIPD identifies that there should be an equal 50:50 split between the relative skill balance and behaviours (CIPD, 2015)