HR directors are aware of the importance of their strategic role as austerity measures take hold – but admit employees have lost trust in the HR function as a result.

Almost seven out of 10 HR directors believe the downturn and recession has made their HR team more strategic, HR magazine can exclusively reveal.

According to an online poll by HR magazine for HR Vision in partnership with Sage, 68% of 124 HR directors polled believed they had become more strategic on account of the recession and a massive 96% believe HR can make a tangible difference to business during a downturn.

But 25% admitted they had been forced to make redundancies in their own department as a result of austerity measures and almost three quarters (72%) revealed they had had to turn to technology in a bid to streamline their HR processes.

The survey, which was conducted in April, found more than nine out of 10 (94%) of respondents were continue to invest in talent management, despite the fact 60% had cut back on training and development spend.

Considering these results, and the amount of redundancies across the board over the past couple of years, it is hardly surprising more than a third of those surveyed (37%) are aware the austerity measures they have been forced to implement as fostered an element of mistrust in their HR department.

For more information and comment from some HR directors on the issues facing HR in an age of austerity, visit www.hrvision.tv