In August 2013, South Africa’s HR industry received a much-needed “shot in the arm” and achieved a milestone with the roll out of national HR standards, the culmination of the HR Standards Project initiated in 2012 by the South African Board for People Practices (SABPP).

Experts within the HR field believe the newly established standards helps to set a precedent for HR development locally and also positions South Africa in line with international market trends.

Collaboration between HR professionals has led to the establishment of the SABPP HR System Standards Model, which, according to online research, incorporates 13 national HR standards:

* Strategic HRM;
* Talent management;
* HR risk management;
* Workforce planning;
* Learning and development;
* Performance management;
* Reward;
* Wellness;
* Employment relations management;
* Organisation development;
* HR service delivery;
* HR technology; and
* Measuring HR success.

A key component of the model is the creation of metrics that can be used to measure and evaluate HR performance areas that are aligned with business objectives.

Commenting on the release of the standards and the initiative, Teryl Schroenn, CEO of Accsys, says it will assist companies in addressing inconsistency within HR operations and bodes well for the overall development of HR in the country.

“Human resource management is reliant upon updated systems and relevant metrics to help regulate processes and procedures. If these systems and standards are not in place, there is inconsistency and that can impact on productivity, on deliverables and on the overall business. We are very pleased about the introduction of this Model and we believe it is a viable proposition for companies,” says Schroenn.

Accsys is a member of the Business Connexion Group (BCX) and national supplier of people management software and hardware solutions within the HR, payroll and time and attendance space.

The company provides a comprehensive range of services and solutions aimed at strengthening HR operations across Africa. The range includes industrial relations, training and skills development, employment equity,
skills gap analysis and the recently launched PeopleWare MOBI app.

It has established several key business silos that are also focused on people development including PeoplePlace Recruitment, HR Consulting and HR outsource.