Last year was a mixed one for HR professionals across the UK, with the perception of the function continuing to suffer, but average levels of pay rising at well above inflation, research has revealed.
An annual survey of almost 1,000 managers, by Roffey Park, shows that 53% of respondents believe HR was reactive in 2005, 37% believe it lacked credibility, 32% feel it lacked influence and less than one-third believe that HR added value to the business.
John Gilkes, chief executive of Roffey Park, said: “The HR director may often have a very different preferred style than their colleagues in line management roles. Very often it is ‘hard’ rather than ‘soft’ skills that are valued by line colleagues. Also, most HR people I have met have not sought self-publicity and are often content to allow the credit to be attributed to others.”
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But, on the plus side, HR professionals saw their pay rise by an average 5.5% last year, up from 4.2% in 2004, according to a separate survey of 4,400 individuals in 90 organisations by Remuneration Economics.
HR directors saw the highest increase in total earnings at 9.4%, with the median basic salary for this level now reaching £112,000.
Regional comparisons show that HR professionals in inner London received significantly higher increases than those in the rest of the UK, with an average increase of 7.1%.
