The corporate world through HR’s eyes

The 2015 Harvey Nash HR Survey had 1,123 respondents, all of whom were HR leaders, from across 30 countries. Half of those were employed at operational board level. 

The survey showed that the top three priorities HR had remained constant; these were:  developing leadership capability, improving talent management and growing employee engagement.

This indicated that the board wants people who actually have the capability to bring about success, not just the potential. One way of hiring these people, it was stated, would be to search for leaders who have undergone relevant training and can prove they will perform.

From HR’s perspective, the most important functions performed by HR were said to be:

1. Employee engagement (24%)
2. Culture and values (18%)
3. Talent management (15%)
4. Talent acquisition and recruitment (12%)

Interestingly, diversity and inclusion was at 0% – down from 1% the previous year. In relation to the fourth most important HR function, participants outlined their top recruitment tools. The three most popular recruitment techniques were the corporate website, online job boards and personal networks. 

But what about what HR wants?

The top things HR professionals look for in their jobs, according to the survey’s findings, were interesting and exciting work, HR being valued by the business, and being empowered. 

However, it is worth noting that data shows that 44% of HR professionals expect to change jobs within the next two years.