What is a HR Architect anyway?

The HR Architect is responsible for the design, implementation and testing of the HR Master Plan or Human Capital Architecture Blueprint that defines, describes and documents all elements or components of the HR organisation as well as their inter-relationships and dependencies; for the specific purpose of integrating all those architecture components or layers within context of the chosen HR strategy, service delivery model and channels.

We have designed the Human Capital Architecture Framework based on the concept of Enterprise Architecture (EA). Herewith some definitions on the concept of EA for more clarity:

·        EA is a “blueprint” that conveys how an organisation’s technology, information, and organisational resources should work together to effectively support the fulfilment of its strategic business objectives.

·        EA is a “design vision” for the organisation, articulating where the business is going, strategically, and how it is going to get there in the most optimal manner, in terms of technology enablement, information requirements, and organisationally, ensuring that all role-players—both business and IT—have a shared, common understanding.

·        EA describes where you are versus where you want to be for the various architectural components—and how they interface with each other—and the plans for the moving from the “as is” to the “to be”.

·        EA is an iterative (shared), organic and evolving process.

Enterprise Architecture is a logically consistent set of models, guidelines, principles & frameworks (including policies, procedures, standards, guidelines) that, across the various component architectures, guide the “engineering” of an organisation’s:

·        organisational operating model,

·        business process models,

·        information systems, and

·        technology applications &

·        technology infrastructure;

…that are derived from business and strategic requirements; and that facilitates agility and better enables rapid change in a company’s structure, business processes and IT applications & infrastructure.

The adoption of a unique domain Human Capital Architecture Framework model based on the larger Enterprise Architecture concept is important precisely because any HR Transformation effort must be aligned with the strategic direction and EA plan or blueprint of the larger organisation!

By mirroring an architecture approach we ensure that as HR Architects we act collaboratively with the HR, IT and EA teams in our efforts to design our HR master plan or blueprint. Going at it alone is simply not an option!

Read more on EA:

Jaap Schekkerman, the Founder and President of the Institute for Enterprise Architecture Developments (IFEAD)

http://www.enterprise-architecture.info/

Also see Jaap Schekkerman’s Linkedin profile: http://nl.linkedin.com/in/jaapschekkerman