HUMAN RESOURCES AND MANAGEMENT RESEARCH STAFF
In the News: Bridging the Divide Between HR and the C-suite
April 18, 2024 ·
Contributed by: Sarah Dobson, HR Reporter
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“In a lot of cases, they have a rough go of it without the respect, necessarily, of the other C-suite colleagues.”
So says Catherine Connelly, professor of human resources and management at McMaster University, in discussing an unfortunate divide that can happen between HR and the C-suite.
That’s evident in a recent survey that found almost half of HR leaders (44%) are feeling increased pressure and scrutiny from the C-suite to show the value of their work, to justify the investment in people programs.
And while 83% feel they can have a significant impact on important metrics such as company productivity, the C-suite doesn’t fully agree, at 61%, found Lattice’s 2024 State of People Strategy report, which surveyed over 1,000 HR and C-suite professionals in Canada, the U.S., England, Germany, France, and other global markets.
Similar gaps are apparent when it comes to avoiding costs, where 60% of HR leaders believe they can have an impact, compared to 44% of the C-suite, along with:
- customer satisfaction (54% versus 30%)
- revenue (53% versus 27%)
- product quality (52% versus 28%).
It’s a pretty common refrain, according to Connelly.
“I think a lot of senior HR people see themselves as having strategic goals, and able to help with the company achieving strategic goals, but they are treated more as a functional area, and that their function is more routine. And I think that has a lot of implications for that relationship.”
Read the full article in the Canadian HR Reporter.
