Valuing People Audit^SM

The Valuing People Audit^SM (VPA^SM) provides a system to measure the strengths of your company’s human capital strategies. The VPA^SM appraises your firm’s strengths and weaknesses, and identifies areas where you can make improvements. The uniqueness of this approach is that it is strategic, not tactical.

Your first step is to complete the VPA^SM and understand the areas in which you need to make improvement. As results will differ among companies and industries, no evaluation rankings are included. You’ll know where you need to make changes just by working through the assessment.

Rank your company based on the following scale of 1 – 5:

5 = strongly agree
4 = often agree
3 = sometimes agree
2 = occasionally agree
1 = rarely agree

1. ____ Human capital and valuing people is a burning priority for your CEO/President.

2. ____ Your HR executive is a strategic ally of your CEO.

3. ____ Your HR executive participates strategically in your firm’s executive committee.

4. ____ Your CFO, head of HR and head of strategic planning meet regularly.

5. ____ Your executive committee strategizes about human capital by looking at trends that affect your company and your industry.

6. ____Your board understands the importance of human capital and valuing people.

7. ____ Your people clearly understand your company’s mission and values.

8. ____The importance of valuing people is communicated with alignment between words and actions.

9. ____Your executives effectively communicate the firm’s human capital vision, and obtain commitment from their people.

10. ____Your managers give their people the opportunity to shine.

11. ____ Your firm has a strategy for measuring human capital recording, tracking and analyzing measures.

12. ____You proactively match the right people to the right jobs.

13. ____ You assess the optimal behavior, attitudes and interpersonal skills to effectively do specific jobs.

14. ____ Your managers motivate by matching their styles to those of their people.

15. ____ Your company provides an effective environment for creativity and innovation.

16. ____ Your people are encouraged to take risks – even with the possibility of making mistakes.

17. ____ Your company has established benchmarks to track and measure progress in human capital issues.

18. ____ You encourage new ideas to improve old methods.

19. ____ You provide appropriate technology training for your non-technology staff.

20. ____ Your managers cut people only as a last resort.

21. ____ Your managers proactively work with their people on employee development plans.

22. ____ Your managers encourage professional and personal development, even if it means that their people may move into other positions.

23. ____ Your firm has a corporate strategy for training.

24. ____ Your firm provides coaching and other support to newly promoted managers.

25. ____ Your managers give their people the opportunity to shine.

Interpretation:

• If your score is 115-125, congratulations! Your organization knows the benefit of valuing its people, and is a leader.
• If your score is 100-114, you have solid strength, and can strive to the top level by evaluating what you need to do to get to the highest level.
• If your score is 87-99, you have a good foundation, and need to take it to the next level. See if there is a pattern around your “3″ scores, and create a plan for improvement.
• If your score is 72-86, you need to determine whether valuing people is an integral strategy to your organization. If it is, you may benefit from some external help.
• If your score is less than 72, your organization doesn’t understand the value of its people.