How to Assess Your HR Maturity and Capability

No organization starts with a perfectly designed HR function. And no transformation should begin without a clear understanding of what exists today. That’s why assessing your HR maturity and capability is the critical first step to making better decisions about structure, strategy, investment, and leadership.

But how do you actually assess your HR function in a meaningful way?

This page offers a step-by-step approach to evaluating both maturity (how well things work in practice) and capability (what your team is equipped to do).

What’s the Difference?

Before diving in, let’s clarify:

• Capability = the potential: skills, tools, processes available
• Maturity = the actual performance: consistency, impact, integration

Step 1: Define Your Assessment Purpose

Ask:

• Are you preparing for a transformation or reorganization?
• Trying to benchmark against peers?
• Exploring investments in new systems or skills?

Your goal will shape the depth and scope of your assessment.

Step 2: Choose Your Framework(s)

Use one or more maturity or capability models as a lens. Common choices include:

• Deloitte’s Five-Level Maturity Model
• Ulrich’s Evolution Model
• Bersin’s Talent Maturity Model
• SHRM Capability Model
• Internal frameworks customized to company strategy

Choose based on what you want to evaluate—strategic alignment, process excellence, people skills, tech readiness, etc.

Step 3: Design the Assessment Approach

This includes:

• Who to involve: HR leaders, business partners, function leads, key stakeholders
• How to collect data:
  • Surveys and self-assessments
  • Structured interviews
  • Document and process reviews
  • Performance data (KPIs, audit reports)
• What to assess:
  • Strategic alignment
  • Process consistency
  • Technology enablement
  • Role clarity
  • Business impact

Step 4: Rate and Score

Use scoring scales (e.g., 1–5) to rate each capability or maturity area. Define:

• What each level means
• What evidence supports each rating
• Who confirms or challenges the score

Avoid binary “yes/no” answers—nuance matters.

Step 5: Visualize the Findings

Turn raw scores into visuals:

• Radar charts for capability comparisons
• Heatmaps to show variability across teams or geographies
• Maturity curves to track progression over time

This makes gaps and strengths immediately visible.

Step 6: Interpret the Results

Ask:

• Where are we strong but inconsistent?
• Where are capabilities present but underused?
• Which gaps most directly impact business outcomes?

Step 7: Share and Discuss

Don’t treat the assessment as an audit. It’s a strategic conversation starter. Share findings with:

• HR leadership team
• Business partners
• C-Suite (if transformation is planned)

Use it to co-create priorities and next steps.

Step 8: Translate into Action

Assessment is useless without action. Use your results to:

• Create a capability-building roadmap
• Redesign roles and responsibilities
• Invest in training or tech
• Restructure HR operating model
• Inform transformation business cases

Maintaining the Assessment Process

Treat capability and maturity assessments as recurring strategy tools, not one-off diagnostics. Build into:

• Annual planning cycles
• Post-implementation reviews
• Talent strategy check-ins

Integrating With Other HR Tools

Assessments should connect to:

• Workforce planning
• Learning and development strategies
• Succession and promotion criteria
• Employee experience design

They act as a bridge between HR vision and operational delivery.

A thoughtful, structured HR capability and maturity assessment doesn’t just show where you are—it creates a shared understanding of what better looks like, and a platform to make it happen.