The State of HR Development: Taking Stock

For over three decades, HR development has been a fixture amid the traditional range of HR functions – support services, strategy, controlling, policy, and payroll accounting. It has grown from its original function, dedicated to analysing and developing the potential of young leaders and providing training and qualification services. Indeed, over time HR development has become the source and engine for central development concepts that go far beyond surveying individual training needs. There is a growing realisation in the business community that the failure of corporate strategies is most commonly due to a lack of qualifications or motivation on the part of key employee groups. The success of complex customer-oriented and service-centric business is determined by employee skill sets. This realisation has boosted the presence of HR development in line managers’ minds. HR specialists are no longer alone in understanding that a number of HR development processes and concepts are decisive for the commercial growth of any business. The most common operational use of the term “human capital” refers to the development of transferable skills in all employees that aim to meet future business needs (Jochmann, Kötter, & Dievernich, 2006).