Portfolio Project #2: Human Resources Interview and Strategic Alignment

Portfolio Project #2 will be a “mirror image” of Portfolio Project #1. You will select and interview a human resources (HR) professional in a leadership position within his/her company.

The individual you select must be in a generalist leadership position (Manager, Director or VP). Please note: selecting a specialist (Training Manager or Benefits Specialist) will limit your ability to gain a clear understanding of the HR department as a whole. (With your instructor’s approval, you may use a specialist.)

You will conduct a one-on-one interview to secure the information needed to write a paper analyzing and evaluating the “strategic alignment” of the HR department to the organization’s vision, mission and goals.

Unlike in Portfolio Project #1, you will not create a strategic plan. You will secure the needed information through your one-on-one interview.

Milestone Deliverables due Weeks 2, 4 and 5

Week 2: Portfolio Milestone: Interviewee Selection and Question Preparation (25 points of the final Portfolio grade)

Submit the name and a brief biography of the individual you are going to interview to your instructor for approval. Also include a minimum of 15 questions you will ask in your interview to your instructor for review/approval. The questions need to be able to elicit answers from the HR professional that will ultimately uncover the current alignment of the HR department with the organizational goals,

Although you will not earn points in Week 2 for this deliverable, it is a required component of the Portfolio Project, and you will lose points on your final project grade if you fail to submit this assignment as required by the end of Week 2. See the Portfolio Project grading rubric on the Course Information page for details.

Week 4: Portfolio Milestone: Interview (75 points of the final Portfolio grade)

Using the 15 questions you developed in prior modules, conduct your interview with your selected HR professional. Submit the questions and answers to your instructor for review. Make sure you gained all of the information you will need to complete your final analysis and evaluation paper.

Week 5: Portfolio Milestone: Purpose Statement (50 points of the final Portfolio grade)

Most of us are aware of the term “purpose statement” but are unsure of its real meaning within an organization. It is a statement describing the organization’s purpose, or the reason for its existence. The purpose of an organization reflects a desired position in the marketplace. It should accurately answer to the questions below. The purpose statement is the written summary of those answers.

• Who are we?
• What do we do?
• For whom do we do this?
• How do we know when we are getting it done?

The purpose statement is the written summary of those answers. The most effective purpose statements are short, concise, and direct. A good purpose statement is between 2–3 sentences.

Review the purpose statement given to you by the interviewee and analyze the strength of the statement based on your findings from the interview. Submit your analysis to your instructor for review. Recommended length of analysis is 250-300 words.

For all Portfolio Milestone assignments: Although you will not earn points the weeks you submit these deliverables, they are required components of the Portfolio Project and you will lose points on your final project grade if you fail to submit these assignments as required by the end of the weeks they are due. See the Portfolio Project grading rubric on the Course Information page for details.

Final Deliverable due Week 8

Required Topics – Be sure to cover the following:

• Strategic Contribution,
• Personal Credibility,
• HR Delivery Metrics,
• Key Performance Measurements (KPM),
• Action Plan for each functional area,
• HR mission statement,
• HR vision statement and objectives.

Your analysis and evaluation paper should include:

• Title Page
• Executive Summary
• Analysis and evaluation of alignment
• Conclusion
• Reference Page
• Appendix (optional)

Submission requirements:

• Ten pages minimum (not including the title page, table of contents, reference page or appendix) will be needed to complete the project.
• Support your analysis and recommendations with 5 credible sources documented in accordance with the CSU-Global Guide to Writing and APA Requirements.

Note: Any documentation resulting from personal interviews by CSU-Global students are for the sole purposes of fulfilling a course assignment and will not be used as part of a larger study, published, or distributed outside of the course environment.