HR ‘cautiously optimistic’ in hiring, HR budget
Overall, respondents to the latest Pulse Survey are cautiously optimistic in their outlook for the next year. Most respondents see modest improvements in the coming year — 56.4 per cent say the employment picture for HR professionals will either be a bit better or somewhat better than it was last year and 61.4 per cent say employment in their companies will either remain at current levels or show small growth.
About one-half (48.5 per cent) say their HR budgets will remain the same next year, with 21.7 per cent indicating there will be some kind of increase.
Similarly, about one-half (51.5 per cent) say the size of their HR function will remain the same next year, with 33 per cent indicating there will be some kind of increase.
Overall, 35.7 per cent of respondents indicate a desire to look for a new position or make some kind of career move. This proportion demonstrates a clear pattern across length of tenure in HR.
The numbers suggest a fair degree of pent-up restlessness or dissatisfaction with current employment, especially among HR professionals who have less experience.
There were no significant differences among provinces with any of the questions asked. There were also no significant differences in the responses of people with or without different designations.
Interestingly, self-employed HR consultants are somewhat more positive in their outlook than others, with 71.4 per cent saying the employment picture for HR professionals will improve over the next year as compared to 62.7 per cent of those who are employed by organizations.
With respect to the top priorities for HR functions next year, motivating staff and employee engagement are the clear front-runners at 47.3 per cent. This is followed by a cluster in the 30-per-cent to 35-per-cent range with managing performance (34.1 per cent), retaining staff (33.3 per cent), managing organizational change (33.3 per cent), building capability through training and development (30.8 per cent) and, finally, developing management and leadership talent (30.1 per cent).
For the most part, the relative priorities of small and large companies are similar but there are some differences when looking at the responses of people working at companies with fewer than 500 employees and those at larger organizations.
Larger companies are more likely to prioritize attracting and recruiting staff (29.3 per cent versus 22 per cent). Also, larger companies are more likely to prioritize developing management and leadership talent (35 per cent versus 26.8 per cent). On the other hand, smaller companies are more likely to focus on building capability through training and development (34.9 per cent versus 24.8 per cent).
Not surprisingly, individuals who had difficulty finding a position commented on the lag between the economic rebound and the recovery of the job market — the “jobless recovery.” Although the picture is improving, some are still struggling to find employment in HR.
Claude Balthazard is director of HR excellence and registrar at the Human Resources Professionals Association in Toronto. He can be reached at [email protected].
