HR can't provide the strategic data to help their businesses respond to the upturn
David Woods, 23 September 2009
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2 comment's on this article.HR departments lack the tools they need to respond to an economic recovery, new research reveals.
More than half of HR directors are unable to provide strategic data to their business.
According to Logica, 70% of HR directors think that lack of clear data will lead to skills gaps in their business and more than a third (35%) do not think their HR systems are good enough to support a business change in response to a potential economic upturn.
The survey also shows 27% do not have a plan for an economic recovery although 70% of businesses have suffered from skills shortages due to lack of foresight in the past.
On a more positive note, 56% of respondents do think their HR department is aligned to core business objectives and a growing number of HR directors are looking to add more strategic value to their organisation to drive change in the future.
Patricia Taylor, global HR services and UK business process outsourcing director at Logica, said: "Most business leaders see talent as a top priority and have rightly moved far beyond thinking that good business performance directly corresponds with good talent management. Logica is ready to assist our customers by providing strategic information back to the organisation through the proper use of data to ensure the right decisions are taken."
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Jane O'Hara - 23 September 2009
I'm amazed that the fact that only 56% of respondents think their HR department is aligned to core business objectives is considered a 'positive'. Isn't this figure shockingly low? Surely we all know that if HR is to add value and help organisations survive and prosper, particularly in the current economic climate, HR needs to be not only aligned to strategic objectives but also helping to define some of those objectives - for example, nurturing future leaders from within the organisation, or promoting diversity so organisations are better able to compete in a global marketplace.
ROBERT HICKS - 23 September 2009
Unfortunately I am not surprised at the 56% figure. I have met many HR Managers who do not know what 'strategic HR data' actually consists of, or how valuable it can be to strategic planning. For that they need to be close to the business, its plans, and it's risks, which many are not; and this is more difficult to access without HR representation at senior levels. It is also difficult if HR people lack the consulting skills they need in order to influence organisational decision makers about the need to invest in HR data systems that can provide such data, and about the value which its application can provide. It can be likened to a Risk Management System.....and what gets measured gets done!
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