CASE STUDIES
Building a Global HR Competency Framework
Industry: Global dairy processors
Company Size: 19,000+ employees
Engagement Length: 3 months
Focus Area: Develop a global competency Framework for the HR function
Background:
The global HR team lacked a consistent structure for evaluating and developing talent. Regional HR leaders operated with differing expectations, resulting in misaligned priorities, inconsistent performance, and limited internal mobility. The business opportunity was to create a unified HR competency framework that would align skills and behaviours across all HR functions, support career development and succession planning, and drive consistent performance management globally.
Goals:
The goals for this initiative included:
Buy-in and adoption across global HR functions
Improvement in perception of HR's strategic value
Faster onboarding for new hires
Increased consistency in performance reviews and development plans across all regions
Approach:
In partnership with the Global Talent Lead, the following steps were taken:
Stakeholder Engagement: Interviews and focus groups with HR leaders, employees, and HR partners across North America, EMEA, APAC, and LATAM.
Framework Design: Established four core HR competencies for simplicity and global application with associated levels of proficiency. Critical experiences were outlined to guide development to the next level.
Global Benchmarking: Compared the competency framework against SHRM, CIPD, and peer companies to ensure competitiveness and relevance.
Validation & Localization: Vetted framework with regional HR; tailored language and examples for cultural fit.
Recommended implementation approach: Established a plan for adoption; including integrating the competency framework into performance reviews, hiring processes, training platforms, and developing manager and employee toolkits.
Results:
Adoption across global HR functions
HR business partners reported clearer expectations and more substantial alignment with business needs
Enhanced global collaboration and role clarity
Increased consistency in performance reviews and development plans across all regions
