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The Ulrich model and how it applies to the HR role

The Ulrich model and how it applies to

the HR role
Updated 23 March 2023

In 1996, David Ulrich published a book describing what many human

resource (HR) professionals call the Ulrich human resources model.
Ulrich's book explained how organisations could effectively manage
and organise their human resource potential for maximum and
optimal operations. By learning about Ulrich's methods, which many
large-scale, global companies use, you can improve the efficacy and
efficiency of any HR department. In this article, we talk about the Ulrich
model, its core divisions and its benefits to modern organisations.

What is the Ulrich model?

The Ulrich model is a common HR strategy that helps large companies
consisting of several business units coordinate and effectively manage
their human resources operations. This model is the primary standard
many organisations employ to determine and assign leadership roles
to critical activities that lead to the maximum functionality of the
business. It works most effectively for large companies with many
departments and staff. It also helps these businesses streamline their
work, so each team member understands their role and duties.

Ulrich advocated that management consider changing the duties of HR

experts to solve the competitive demands that contemporary
businesses face. According to his viewpoint, organisations began to
automate or outsource the administrative HR functions. Companies
shifted HR management's focus from an operation-based executive
position to a consultancy-based strategic support role. As a result, the
role of the HR professional evolved from a policy officer to a trusted
advisor.
The 4 core divisions of the Ulrich model
Professor David Ulrich's model helps HR experts focus on values that
result in helping large organisations thrive and enhance client
experiences. The model divides HR professionals into four significant
groups, which help manage and organise HR departments. The four
divisions of this model are as follows:

1. Strategic partner

The strategic partners develop and align strategies with business

results, and they encourage the development of systems that focus on
clients. Strategic partners also re-evaluate the business's systems and
procedures to help enhance its performance in delivering quality
services to clients. To accomplish this goal, they show organisations
how to manage, develop and organise their workforce. These
professionals also talk with the clients to assess and improve their
satisfaction rate.

2. Administrative expert

The administrative expert manages the internal operations of an

organisation. They're essential for creating productive and efficient HR
processes for dealing with internal teams and external professionals.
These strategies may include information on how to supervise people,
manage costs and monitor daily production and other personnel
requirements.

3. Change agent

A change agent or transformation agent studies the organisation's

culture to introduce innovative changes that could improve it from a
professional and interpersonal perspective. They usually connect with
the line managers and train individuals to spearhead initiatives that
can transform the company to a better level.

4. Employee champion
The employee champion, also known as the employee advocate, helps
to manage employees' competence and commitment levels to
enhance the organisation's productivity. They often have the skills to
use digital design to improve the employee motivation. Most
importantly, these individuals ensure employees and employers have a
healthy and happy relationship, which promotes the organisation's
general performance. To do this, they encourage employees to
express when they're uncomfortable with working conditions and
ensure employers attend to employee needs respectfully.

Ulrich's model sets up the framework for a high-functioning HR

department and clearly defines which roles focus on working with
people or processes. Within each role, the model defines what each
individual does, whether operational or strategic planning.

The 4 roles of an HR professional

Ulrich describes the following as the four professional roles of a
company's HR department:

1. to create new and straightforward tasks for the HR department.

2. to define how the duties promote competitive advantage
3. to build a structure that continually gives value
4. to use predetermined standards to measure the organisation's
performance

The benefits of using the Ulrich model

Before the introduction of Ulrich's model, the HR department in most
organisations lacked a solid foundation for their team, which affected
the strength of their productivity and efficiency. The application of this
model, even with modern advancements in technology, can still help
HR departments in many large companies. Some of the benefits of this
model are as follows:

 Smooth operations: The Ulrich HR model helps complex

organisations operate smoothly while satisfying their clients with
quality daily output.
  Employee support: It also ensures employees receive the
support and care necessary to create a healthy relationship
between employers and employees for maximum cooperation
and optimal productivity.
 Strategic planning: It helps organisations strategically plan for
and seek out new talent while offering strategic support
functions, which push the company to be proactive.
 HR productivity: The model offers a better strategy to measure
the HR department's productivity.
 Proactive approaching: It also helps create a proactive HR
approach for working with internal and external customers.
 Quick response: The model also provides a quicker response to
the needs of the management teams.

Many principles have changed in the business world, but this model
helps to optimise modern organisations. Many companies still believe
in its capacity to help them with particular needs. As a result, many
companies use it as the foundation for their HR team.

The evolution of the Ulrich model

In 2017, David Ulrich suggested the HR model was constantly evolving
and progressing as experts in the field became more experienced and
efficient in their duties. He used thirteen key attributes to describe the
evolution of his model. They are as follows:

 Value: Over the years, HR departments turned their focus from

efficiency to operational excellence and then strategic processes.
HR targets are inside-out and offer multiple-perspective thinking.
 Context: It's important for HR departments to focus more on
individual abilities and experiences to achieve goals and
encourage a sense of socialism as political, cultural and social
activities continue to shape the world.
 Stakeholders: HR professionals focus on external rather than
internal stakeholders as this process targets clients and
investors.
  Talent: Competency, commitment and logical contribution are
vital components that productively shape HR teams and their
talents.
 Organisation: The initial HR goal of reducing and re-engineering
employee roles changed so management can expand their
ecosystem to create more competitive companies.
 Leadership: HR departments focus on creating leaders who can
effectively and efficiently manage risks with logic, purpose and
minimal cost in both favourable and challenging conditions.
 Strategy: The HR team can develop a system to determine the
who, what and why of any operational plan.
 HR organisation: Ulrich encourages HR professionals to handle
strategic tasks while automated bots operate menial jobs. In
addition, Ulrich also suggests HR professionals may want to start
separate firms that offer professional services.
 HR practices: Ulrich suggests HR professionals align procedures
with existing systems embedded with core business methods
that are innovative and easy to implement.
 HR competencies: Even though HR has evolved over the last 30
years, it's beneficial for organisations to maintain competent
experts who can efficiently use their skills to maximise
productivity.
 Digitisation: In modern companies, digital data helps to
enhance the HR department's efficiency, innovative and logical
capacities, which is a core component of digital business
strategy.
 Information and analytics: HR analytics significantly improves
its ability to encourage productivity over the years. It relies on
data insights and active intervention rather than activity
scoreboards, which creates positive results.
 Work style: Ulrich suggests that in modern companies, HR
experts cooperate with other departments to achieve a common
purpose via displaying respect and empathy. In addition,
departmental duties mainly determine their structure.

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