A lot of press this week on Ceridian's supposed 'employee engagement survey' (note the subject) that purported that HR is not doing its job. I've been trying to find actual details of this but have only met various press releases. Mmmm......
I'm not sure that a survey on employee engagement should be concluding with comments on the HR function unless somebody has their wires crossed, i.e. employee engagement is an organisational HCM thing not a HR function thing.
Sure, the HR function can contribute to improving engagement but its really down to the way the organisation is managed - down to individual level. [See our stuff on employee engagement if you want to know further (Journal of AHCM)].
But I am concerned........
An excellent 'take' already exists on this survey - see Rick at Flipchart fairy tales who provides a pretty eloquent critique which echoes my own thinking/questioning.
Yes, I can be the function's best advocate and its worst critic, and there may be cause for concern in some of the responses but probably nothing like the over-hyped attention this survey has received.
I am sure Ceridian are delighted with the air-time. But it again highlights what I said earlier in the week about various stories being hyped well-past their actual message.
And once again, we are in danger of misrepresenting reality. But that's nothing new...........from a professional standpoint, we have to be extremely careful on defining what we are surveying and ensuring that the conclusions and associated message are communicated rigorously/properly or else nobody wins in the end.
I would like to think that due diligence is exercised more. It is something that we are big on and will continue to push. The HR(HCM) industry/profession will be better for it. In this particular instance, it's not the first time and it probably won't be the last.......
If anybody is reading this from Ceridian could you please ask for a copy of the report/survey to be forwarded to me - it would be greatly appreciated.............
Comments (2)
Thanks for the link Nicholas.
Like you, I have had a go at the HR function in the past but sometimes I think all this self-criticism can go a bit too far.
Posted by Rick | February 11, 2008 12:50 PM
Posted on February 11, 2008 12:50
Thanks for your acknowlegement Rick.
I have no problems with being self critical as a profession or function. My concerns are when market research may distort actual reality.
In this case either Ceridian's use of the term employee engagement is potentially misleading or they are misplacing HR's role in an individual's engagement............
Posted by NJH | February 11, 2008 8:40 PM
Posted on February 11, 2008 20:40