In the UK, a quarter of HR departments are being left out of strategic boardroom decisions which is becoming a growing concern as the majority of professionals feel the sector is going through significant changes.
This is according to a survey conducted by Reed HR, which asked 200 HR professionals for their opinion. Four out of five believe that changing demands for employee benefits has had an effect on the responsibilities on HR.
Nearly three quarters (72 per cent) believe Brexit is having an impact on the sector with 24 per cent saying it is having the largest influence.
Chris Adcock, director, Reed HR said:
The biggest issue is still Brexit, and we see that it isn’t necessarily leaving Europe that’s creating the problem, but the uncertainty of not knowing what is going to happen and when. We’ve actually seen job roles being created or removed depending on different Brexit outcomes.
What came in as having the biggest impact on the sector following Brexit was workplace culture at 22 per cent, candidate shortage at 20 per cent, skills gap at 15 per cent and employee benefits at 11 per cent.
Only 10 per cent said technology was having the biggest impact on the industry, despite the rise of AI in the sector.
Mr Adcock added:
I think its crucial how the board of a company see HR. The fact one in four still don’t feel included in key decisions is definitely too high a number. Some leaders see HR as a transactional support function and this is when the divide happens – but HR is going through a transactional period.
However, he did conclude that HR is at an exciting stage with the mix of technology and more of a focus on people and so the roles of people in HR are becoming more important than ever.
Interested in the future if work and digital transformation? We recommend the Future of Work Summit 2019 training day.
Darius is the editor of HRreview. He has previously worked as a finance reporter for the Daily Express. He studied his journalism masters at Press Association Training and graduated from the University of York with a degree in History.
