Strategic
HR decision-making, along with pressures to improve productivity and cut costs,
have become more important business issues in the past year.
These
are the key findings of an Institute of Directors (IoD) survey of HR directors,
which also reveals that 35 per cent of the respondents’ companies still do not
have a succession plan. Furthermore, 31 per cent of those surveyed report that
their companies’ succession plans do not fit with company strategy due to a
leadership gap.
IoD
chief executive Andrew Main Wilson, said that while business now clearly
recognises that well-trained and well-motivated staff, together with a coherent
strategy, are the critical elements of a successful organisation, companies
need to ensure there is proper succession planning for management positions.
Conducted
with 98 HR directors at the IoD’s HR directors’ forum and launched at its
annual conference, most respondents think employers value HR, but employees and
unions value HR less.
