The energy company is working with Kenexa, a global provider of business solutions for human resources, to create a tailored, one-day development centre to  help the HR team at E.ON UK, embed the model and to assess the development needs of its staff.

Based on the core competencies of the HR business partner role, Kenexa's development centre provides a simulation of a working day for an HR business partner. So far, the development centre has run twice, with eight participants each time, with more to come.

Kirsten Steer, head of talent management at E.on UK, said: "The advantage of a development centre is that the participants can be observed actually undertaking the role, so they can then be given very clear and pertinent feedback which can be enormously helpful to them.

"The participants have to deal with data-rich and information-heavy scenarios and pull out themes and ideas. They have to influence others on a one-to-one basis and conduct exercises, which have inherent conflict, for example dealing with a line manager who rates all of his team as superb. These are great exercises, totally relevant for the HR role, and they give the whole event believability."

The participants receive detailed feedback, practical career advice and development recommendations. They also receive a full assessment report.

Steer added: "The development centre gives people a fantastic chance to benchmark themselves against their colleagues. They gain a high level of targeted feedback which helps them to understand their strengths and their specific development priorities.

"Having HR people who are better equipped at partnering the business takes us one-step nearer to achieving our goal of becoming the world's leading energy company. The more capable our HR business partners are the more effective the organisation will be."

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