Musings on project management: HR Triangle

Friday, February 26, 2016

HR Triangle

I was wrestling with some HR issues on the project recently and my thoughts more or less coalesced around this idea:

There's an HR triangle with these three sides:

Context: the job description and duties within the context of the project

Benchmark: salary and benefits paid elsewhere for similar jobs in similar context, according to experience or qualifications

Fit: the specific candidate's fit re the context and the benchmark

So here's the point:

A candidate may be qualified eleswhere but not in context and thus the benchmark compensation does not apply; or
A candidate may be qualified in context but the benchmark doesn't support the salary demand; or
The candidate is simply not qualified and thus no fit.

Just because there's a candidate at the ready, and a benchmark that supports the position, doesn't mean the peg fits the hole.

This may seem obvious until someone approaches and says: "That person deserves a raise", or "That person should be put in the job". No, if the triangle doesn't close, look elsewhere!

Looking for more stuff on managing for value? Check out my book: