Ulrich HR Competency Model
What great HR professionals are actually good at, per the multi-decade RBL/Michigan research rounds (paraphrased). The center holds the paradox: credible activist — trusted by the business AND willing to push it.
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When to use
- Assessing and developing an HR team during a transformation
- Writing HRBP role profiles and hiring scorecards
- Explaining to HR professionals what "being strategic" concretely requires
When not to use
- As a certification checklist detached from the business's actual needs
- Assessing non-HR roles — this model is profession-specific
- When the HR operating model itself is broken; fix structure before individual competence
Worked example
A CHRO inherits 12 HRBPs rated highly by HR but ignored by the business. Assessment against the model shows strength in credible-activist relationships but weakness in strategic positioning and analytics. The development plan pairs each HRBP with a P&L mentor and requires an analytics-backed talent review per business unit. A year later, three HRBPs sit on their business unit's leadership team.
Common pitfalls
- Training all competencies equally instead of against the business's biggest gap
- Using the model's labels as job titles rather than capabilities
- Ignoring that the rounds evolve — check the latest iteration before anchoring a program