Nowadays there's so much ephemeral market research but one caught my eye last week - HR forced to neglect business areas as ecomomic slowdown continues.
Why did this catch my eye?
Well a survey of 102 HR heads found something deeply disturbing as 80% admitted that they had neither the time nor the resource to concentrate on 'strategic activities' - namely, leadership development, retention, attraction, productivity and growth. Instead their time was focused on recruitment (or of course outplacement) and training citing a lack of senior management commitment/funds
Now admittedly the research was carried out by another recruitment firm trying to differentiate itself, however, these results are sufficiently objective (allowing for some discrepancy in the definitions).......
So why did I find it disturbing?
Well - if you've been reading this blog regularly I shouldn't have to spell it out but....
Three big concerns:
1) We're not even in a full-blown downturn yet and already it seems as though several HR strings have been cut, never mind the serious question over the HR function's role/remit/value proposition
2) There's a bit of 'victim space' here. HR has to provide the business case for strategic HR/HCM activities and make it forcefully at times linking to competitive advantage (or losing it by inaction, of course) or aspects of organisational productivity/performance. The lack of funds seems a little too easy excuse. It doesn't always need big funds. Most HR budgets with organisations of 750 employees plus are at least £1million in budgetary terms so maybe zero-based budgeting (starting from scratch) rather than incremental increase/reduction is the way to go, something we've advocated for ages with value-based HR.
3) If all is HR is doing is taking orders from the CEO about what to do and what not to do it raises some serious suggestions over (a) the professional status, and (b) more seriously suggests that many HR Directors are in fact glorified HR managers - thus effectively being overpaid for their remit. In a downturn, being overpaid in a support function is not a good idea.
If this survey does reflect reality for a majority then it suggests that many HR functions are indeed 'Puppets on strings'. And I am reminded of a conversation I overheard in the office some time back with one of our team and a very 'succesful' HR Director. The conversation was focused on utilising the HCM evaluation to provide insight and strategy with which we assumed that this leading organisation would be interested in given its performance. The HR Director said it wasn't needed because at the moment 'My CEO's happy and thus I'm happy'. It has resonated ever since......
One other concern and the hippo in the corner
There's one other concern that has been flagged a number of times by me on this blog and that of organisations' attempts at serious people management practice as opposed to say, PR.
If this is reflective of wider industry then I return to my previous observations that people management under the HR era has not gone forwards, and as such is the 'hippo in the corner' for many to critically evaluate.
When you read the general industry gumpf (save PT) you would be forgiven for thinking that there are at least two HR parallel universes one of which is not real.
At some point, collectively we are going to have to be honest in a brutal kind of way. For some in the 'profession' it may perhaps be too much. For others it will be a breath of fresh air and when it comes it will move people management practice up the curve by some notches.........
