Increased levels of satisfaction for HR directors

News Article - 24 May 2012
Category: Business

Recent research reveals HR directors feel increased contentment with their jobs and employers, with overall satisfaction close to pre-recession levels. 92% of European HR directors do not want to leave for another function, and 87% are happy with the company they work for. Only 7% report experiencing tension between personal values and the needs and ethics of the business.

Yet many remain cautious as to future expansion prospects beyond 2010. A study by Hewitt Associates reveals 44% of companies expect to cut their workforce in the future. This is down from last year's figure of 71%.

The timings and success of economic recovery programmes are likely to affect the HR function during 2010, with 38% of respondents expecting changes to the HR agenda. Only 8% reported there would be no change to HR programmes brought about by the economic downturn. Pressure on cost reductions was identified as the most influential factor affecting the direction of HR policies. Challenging profit targets and changes to company culture were also high on the list.

Evidence suggests protective measures taken in 2009 have been largely successful, with 62% claiming to have reached more than half of their objectives. A further 27% have met all their targets, with 4% failing to meet any targets at all. The main objective for most businesses was found to be identifying and implementing productivity improvements, which was chosen as most important by 59% of respondents.

Whilst HR directors are certainly more optimistic than in 2009, there seems to be broad agreement that 2010 will be a challenging year as budgets remain squeezed and operating conditions continue to fluctuate. As a fundamental component of business success, companies should look to strengthen the HR function and its ability to connect with both employees and other business areas, particularly the boardroom.

Dedicating resources to administrative and minor tasks can use up valuable HR resources that could otherwise be dedicated to more important projects, such as hiring new talent. Access HR and payroll software automates tasks such as payroll and recruitment, freeing up resources and providing more accurate HR data that can be supplied to the boardroom and management.

As the economic climate continues to drive changes to the HR function, a business software solution can mitigate the damaging effects and strengthen company infrastructure to help drive future growth. For more information, please call Access on 0845 345 3300.

Article keywords: HR satisfaction; HR software solutions; payroll software solutions; business software solutions

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