Half of senior business executives do not know how to use their HR team as effectively or strategically as they would like, a survey has found.
According to a poll by software company Personio, 55% of C-suite executives feel they are behind where they need to be in terms of current and future workplace challenges.
These hurdles include managing multi-generational workforces, supporting employees through the cost-of-living crisis, and struggling to build more diverse and inclusive organisations.
Fifty-four per cent of respondents said they only see HR’s value in times of crisis, such as navigating talent shortages or responding to the Covid pandemic.
HR’s role in the business
The survey highlighted a disconnect between senior executives and HR teams themselves – two-thirds of HR professionals said they wanted to play a more proactive and strategic role in the business, leading on key topics such as employee engagement, or communicating the goals of the business to the workforce.
A high proportion of them face difficulty in doing this, however – 31% cited too much administrative and process-driven work, while 29% said there was poor collaboration with the senior leadership team.
C-suite executives want to understand the role of HR better, according to Personio. Two-thirds (67%) said they wanted to know more about what the HR team does, and 75% wanted HR to demonstrate their achievements more so they could show their value to the business.
Pete Cooper, director of people partners and analytics at Personio, said there was evidence of “positive progress” in the relationship between HR and the C-suite.
“After all, HR can support executives in many ways – for example by using their employee insights to build a strong people culture, to support with implementing pilots on new ways of working and also to provide business leaders with analysis and context around attrition data,” he said.
“But this more strategic HR role can only be achieved once HR have been freed from their administrative burden and been given the opportunities to be effective. It’s time for the C-suite to recognise there is space for HR at the table.”
Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance
Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday
Earlier this month, HR sector body the CIPD argued that the people function should “lean in” to the use of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, including helping them to automate aspects of their work to make them more efficient and effective.
Organisational Development opportunities on Personnel Today
Browse more Organisational development jobs
