HR departments ‘lack tools to cope with upturn’

HR departments may lack the skills to cope once the recession is over and the economy begins to recover, new research has revealed.

According to the study commissioned by Logica, 70 per cent of HR directors feel that a lack of clear HR data has meant that they now have a skills gap within their company, while over a third feel their HR system will not be adequate to respond to any upturn.

Furthermore, almost half of respondents stated that they are unable to provide strategic data for their businesses.

Patricia Taylor, Logica’s head of HR services and business process outsourcing director, said: "As we move out of the recession there will be a significant competitive advantage for those companies where HR professionals take the opportunity to become strategic business leaders."

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The group claimed it was "alarming" that 70 per cent of businesses were experiencing a skills shortage due to a "lack of foresight".

Richard Doherty, group vice-president of solutions and marketing at Jobpartners, recently stated that as the jobs market improves, businesses need to learn from their past recruitment mistakes.