Directing the delivery of HR

Gaining recognition as a valuable contributor, not only to HR management but the business overall, is a challenge faced by most HR professionals. As Pisegna explains, adding HR issues to the executive agenda is one of his greatest challenges, but one that he manages nonetheless through sheer persistence. “If you’re not persistent,” he says, “if you’re not focused, if you’re not willing to test the boundaries in terms of pushing forward the people agenda, you’re not really going to succeed.”

Kudos for HR strategy

The Hudson Award for Best HR Director at the 2005 Australian HR Awards showcased Pisegna’s efforts to develop an integrated HR strategy. This strategy is designed to achieve business results through the provision of direct or support functions in a number of business areas. These include learning and development, recruitment, new business planning and implementation as well as customer support.

“As an HR professional, I describe myself as a businessperson with a passion for human resources,”Pisegna says. “Unless HR people clearly and intimately understand the nature of their businesses and how they work and make money, we’re not going to have any credibility.”

One example of how Pisegna played a part in key business functions at TNT Logistics is his involvement with customer issues. He is an account director for a key customer and is also required to present tailored solutions for the HR issues of potential customers. By building partnerships with internal business development and operations groups, he developed a unique HR strategy template that guides the business development team by providing them with an analysis of all the required HR information from customers.

Knowledge of the business

Pisegna claims it all comes down to having the knowledge that HR people normally would not have, through intimacy with the customer and with the other functional areas of the business. “You must service number one – your internal customers and number two – your external customers, otherwise your company won’t develop,” he says.

From an HR perspective, Pisegna claims his biggest achievement to date has been earning TNT Logistics (Australia) the Investors in People (IiP) accreditation. This is a global standard that aims to identify best practice in HR management processes. The award looks at performance and talent management processes, training and development methods, how skill shortages are identified and handled as well as how effectively management communicates with staff. After a series of one-on-one interviews between an external audit company and random staff members were held to examine the opportunities provided by the company to staff, TNT Logistics (Australia) was re-accredited in 2005.

“The reason why this has been a big challenge for the company and a worthwhile challenge is that it takes away the mystique associated with HR management,”Pisegna says. “It gives it a body, it gives it plans, it gives it visible stuff that all operational line managers can actually hook into.”

Investors in People also proves to other areas of the business “that it is important to develop succession plans and talent managers within your own area, but also, that it is important to invest in training and development to make sure that our people are the best at what they do, otherwise they won’t provide a service and customers will go somewhere else.”

Getting HR on the table

Since getting HR issues on the agenda can at times be a challenge, Pisegna introduced measurable Key Performance Indicators in order to benchmark business progress, develop strategies to support business growth and “engage the number crunchers of the business”

He says that being credible and influential in the business is not merely established through results, but it is also a matter of gaining respect. Whilst having the ability to influence various stakeholders through policy and procedure, Pisegna says “policy and procedure won’t help if the person doesn’t have respect for you.” As the company operates on a matrix level, people from any level are free to call upon anyone else within the company. Pisegna would like to believe the people he works with feel comfortable in contacting him to discuss their particular business or personal issues and that they respect his opinions as well as his professionalism.

When dealing with succession planning, salaries and executive team career development, Pisegna works closely with the CEO on all matters that impact the business and its people .When asked what separates him from other HR directors, Pisegna claimed it was his refusal to accept the “fluffy duck” stereotype commonly associated with his profession. “From my perspective, I’m not a traditional HR person, I’m pretty business focused. Again, it’s a passion for people within the context of the business. I know my company and my business, and I don’t speak HR jargon to my company. I get straight to the point in terms of business issues and how HR is required to interact in it.”

Mauro Pisegna, HR director TNT Logistics

• Bachelor of Economics

• Graduate Diploma in Human Resource Management and Personal Development

• Australian Safeway Stores – Industrial Relations Officer

• Australian Safeway Stores - HR Manager for supply chain, for 12 years

• Australian Safeway Stores - VIC State Employee Relations Manager of 25,000 employees

• September 2000 – National HR Manager for TNT Logistics

• Current – HR Director TNT Logistics