In the News: Bridging the Divide Between HR and the C-suite

“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.

Read the full article in the Canadian HR Reporter.