Recession ‘has changed HR approach to talent’

The ongoing recession has changed the approach many HR teams across the UK take to talent management in terms of recruitment and retention, new research has found.

According to the International HR Barometer survey, complied by the Scala Group, only 25 per cent of HR professionals responding to the survey were of the opinion that enhancing pay and benefits for workers would help firms climb out of the downturn.

Indeed, 63 per cent of respondents felt a greater emphasis should be placed on employee skills.

Meanwhile, increased communication and employee engagement were found to be key drivers in positioning companies well to survive the recession.

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Barry Mordsley, global co-head of the employment group at Salans, said: “What the survey shows is that from an HR perspective, tackling employee performance issues head on, at any stage of the economic cycle, remains one of the best ways to ensure business strategy stays on track.”

Transversal recently recommended making HR manuals available to staff electronically, rather than as a printed document, could save businesses millions.