Overview

  

“The dumbest idea in the world. Shareholder value is a result, not a strategy ... Your main constituencies are your employees, your customers and your products.”

Jack Welch

 

Senior HR professionals have faced another year of turmoil as the credit crunch became a full blown recession. Fortunately the worst is over, hence it's time to focus on rebuilding the business, which only can be done via people. People that are talented, engaged and committed to the organization.

 

For the HR function itself, the experience over the last 12-18 months appears to have been one of being required to do more and more with less and less resources - a familiar theme one might say.

 

A recent Stamford Global survey of over 300 HR professionals in the region indicates that:

 

  • The significant effect of the recession with 83% of respondents reporting a negative impact in their business. As with last year, the recession has affected HR practices limiting resources even further, affecting morale and motivation in the organization.
  • The top three major HR challenges reported for 2010 are maintaining employee engagement, succession and performance management and improving on management and leadership impact in the organization. 
  • HR functions are using employee engagement as a key concept around which they are focusing attempts to improve the management of people within their organisation. Most respondents were measuring employee engagement and over 80% were actively trying to improve it.

 

Unfortunately the overall underlying message that emerges for the future is that the coming few years are going to bring even more challenges for HR. Engagement, talent management and succession planning may be HR’s top three priorities for the coming year but the biggest proportion of their time may instead need to be spent dealing with the consequences of a lack of engagement - grievances and a big increase in staff turnover.

 

 

No one ever said it was going to be easy…

 

To find answers to the ever growing challenges of the profession join your peers for the 6th Annual People Management Summit now at a European level. Share your knowledge, network across borders and get engaged in valuable discussion on best HR practices.

 

 

"Great and very useful two days. Learned various important staff issues, things."

HR Director, Deloitte

 

"I really enjoyed this summit. It was very well organized, featured good speakers with good and relevant presentations complemented by many opportunities for interaction."

VP People Continuity, InBev

 

"Good selection of speakers very different, giving chance to look from different perspective. It is obvious that a lot of thought and heart is put into the conference organisation. Interesting communication of participants. Thank you I will be happy to have the opportunity to participate again."

HR Manager, Rolf Retail Group