HR in 2015: How did we do?

With 2016 fast approaching, there’s no better time to think about how we did as HR professionals throughout 2015.

Deloitte’s Global Human Capital Trends report had a number of predictions about the state of HR and the direction it must work towards this year. Let’s have a look how we did.

Deloitte surveyed 3300 business and HR leaders from 106 countries. According to the report, HR must undergo a reinvention, a process that some organizations had already started. Deloitte finds that business leaders are looking for a strategic HR department that can help achieve business objectives.

How Things Looked at The Beginning of 2015

According to the report, several shifts were required for HR in 2015. Business leaders believe that finding and developing talent is a high priority. Unfortunately, only five percent of those who responded to the survey gave their organization’s HR a grade of “excellent.” Deloitte explains that in order get this number up, HR needed to continue its shift from an administrative and compliance function to one of skill and strategy. According to the report:

• 30 percent believe HR has the reputation that it makes sound business decisions.
• 28 percent believe HR is efficient
• 22 percent believe HR is adapting to the changing workforce
• 20 percent believe their HR can adequately plan for the future

The report suggested that HR isn’t keeping up with what leaders demand. Despite that, only 11 percent of HR respondents feel as though their company provides “excellent” development for HR.  Deloitte also found that companies with strong HR development programs surpass companies that don’t have them.

What Now?

Deloitte confirms the understanding that employees hold the power in today’s job market. Since top talent can choose from a number of appealing top companies, organizations have to work hard for the attention of A-Level talent. Not only that, they have to work on developing their own employees. The importance of business acumen in HR leadership is evident in a finding that 40 percent of new Chief Human Resources Officers came from a business background rather than HR.

According to the report, 2015 was to be a year in which HR recreated itself for service delivery rather than administration, a year in which HR attracted and developed leadership and a year where organizations invested in their HR team.

How did your organization do this year?