The Strategic Role of Human Resources in Project Management Success

Introduction

As a Project Manager, having scoped out the project with Senior Management and or the Steering Committee, sharing the goals and objectives of the project, technology and people resources, as well as budgeting and timelines with Human Resources, will greatly benefit you as a Project Manager and here are the reasons why:

1. Succession Planning and Talent Management

In advance of the project, commencing a review of the succession plan and or performance reviews with Human Resources can play a key part in identifying your project team. Succession planning identifies key positions in your organisation, establishes clear criteria for succession, reviews current talent, identifies potential successors and provides training and development opportunities. Having a succession plan in place will avoid any risks of not having suitable successors ready for the role when someone resigns or retires.   

Providing regular feedback to the project team will encourage conversations, help identify and minimise risks, and keep the project team engaged and motivated. These should then be shared with Human Resources to place on the employee files.

2. Stakeholders and Steering Committees

It is important that human resources have insight into the project, the goals, the resources needed, the budget, and the provisional deadline for completion.   

Human Resources will gain buy-in from key stakeholders, senior managers, managers and employees alike, which will, in turn, lead to better collaboration, increased support, decisions with quality insights, fewer delays and increased cooperation from all involved in the project and the organisation. It will also help to identify problems and manage any risks that arise.  

Engagement from stakeholders is important in any project. It is essential that your stakeholders are aligned with the strategic direction of the project so they can become advocates of the project helping the project to succeed. It will also help mitigate potential risks as well as disengagement and resistance from employees.

3. Identifying Talent

• Human Resources knows the skills of employees working within the organisation and will be able to guide the Project Manager in choosing the best-resourced team for their project.
• Human Resources can identify internal employees who wish to take the next step in their career from performance reviews. They know what the employee's current role entails, where the employee excels in work and how this can be aligned with the project. Human Resources will also know the employees' current work capacity so that they can become involved in the project.
• Human Resources will assist in sourcing the best external candidate for the position if the right candidate is not found internally within the organisation. From screening, interviewing, testing and references, it will be clear which candidate best matches the project's needs and requirements.  

Taking all of this into consideration, human resources will ensure that the project manager gets the best-resourced, motivated, and committed team to work on the project.

4. Training Needs Analysis

Once the project team has been put in place, Human Resources, in partnership with the project manager, can do a training needs analysis on the team. They will identify what skillset the project team has, what skills are missing and how they can equip the team with the necessary training in order to ensure the project is still delivered on time.  

When the training needs have been identified, human resources will source the course and workshop, and the training provider will take into account the training budget. Human Resources will provide details on the frequency and duration of the training to the project team.  

Training is a great opportunity to bring the entire project team together to create new relationships, build upon existing relationships, and make connections with new employees while also providing an opportunity to work in a cross-functional environment. Depending on the duration of the training, team bonding could also be incorporated into the day.

5. Budgeting

Working in partnership with Human Resources with regard to the budget from both a recruitment and Training perspective from the start will ensure that everyone is aligned. It will help keep both parties on track, make sure there is no confusion, and avoid any potential conflict or overspending.

6. Employee Engagement and Retention

Building the project team internally with skilled employees and employees who wish to progress shows other employees the potential/possibility for different opportunities that can arise in the organisation through projects.   

Giving employees the opportunity to work on the project as it progresses will keep them engaged and motivated through exposure to different experiences and learnings. It will give the employee an opportunity to progress in the organisation, which will help retain the employee.   

For employees not working on the project, having this visibility will engage them in the process, encourage them to get involved in future projects, and lead to buy-in.   

This transparency will help to retain current employees and reduce turnover, including the time and cost it takes to recruit externally. It will also attract new talent into the organisation by showing them through recruitment campaigns how the organisation develops employees through their work on projects whilst also working in cross-functional teams, giving them more exposure to both employees and management in the organisation.

Conclusion

Integrating HR into project management processes enhances team selection, budgeting, training, stakeholder engagement, and employee retention. By forming a strong partnership with HR, Project Managers can drive project success while fostering a motivated and capable workforce.