Human resource professionals are making slow strides in becoming strategic business partners within their organizations, according to new research Next generation HR from Hay Group. Only 34 per cent of those surveyed believe HR is making a significant strategic contribution to their organization; most (60 per cent) positioned themselves somewhere in the middle, confirming that there’s still much room for improvement. The research highlights how HR will lag behind management expectations if a holistic approach to people management - based on a framework of understanding work - is not adopted. According to Phil Johnson, Hay Group’s global head of work measurement, “HR will need to stop clinging to traditional processes and inefficient silos and move toward an integrated approach that links work and people to business results.”

The research, which surveyed over 1,400 HR professionals and senior management from around the world, found that the cost cutting and efficiency priorities – introduced to weather the economic storm of recent years – have now evolved to a focus on driving performance and growth. Meanwhile, the emerging HR concerns for the years ahead lie around developing the workforce and ensuring the right people are in the right roles and doing the right work.

Source: Hay Group