Design thinking is breathing fresh air into HR consulting value propositions across the board. From benefits and compensation to HR service delivery and talent management, consultants are adopting the principles and methodologies of design thinking to help their clients create an employee experience that drives competitive advantage.
The last several years have seen an incredible shift in how organizations source, develop, and engage talent. And with new technologies removing barriers between work and life, the work environment is becoming radically different, as well. Against this backdrop, HR consultants recognize that the pitfalls of implementing an HR program are not necessarily avoided through traditional, linear consulting strategies, where a needs assessment informs direction and is followed by a pilot program before full implementation.
A design thinking mentality shifts this approach and dares clients to embrace a "fail fast" philosophy that tests programs and interventions in real time via observation and feedback, gathering data on an ongoing basis for continuous improvement.
The consultant's challenge is to assure HR that this type of customer-driven program is the most successful, and design thinking provides the framework to do so. The following examples illustrate how HR consultants have applied design thinking to create innovative solutions and consulting approaches.
• Buck Consultants at Xerox developed an online total rewards portal for Unilever that is global and dynamic. The solution provides an interactive, personalized experience that invites employee feedback on an ongoing, real-time basis to track the gap between program perception vs. cost, a perennial challenge for total rewards managers.
• PwC's People & organization practice has leveraged the firm's acquisition of collaborative design shop The Difference (branded Catalyst in the US) to provide clients with immersive environments for problem-solving, an impactful approach that raises employee engagement to the experiential level and accelerates cultural change.
IDEO founder David Kelley defines design thinking as "a human-centered approach to innovation that draws from the designer's toolkit to integrate the needs of people, the possibilities of technology, and the requirements for business success." It's a natural fit for the people-centered consulting segment whose ultimate client is always the employee.
Liz DeVito is Associate Director, Lead for HR Consulting Research
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