This is part-1 of our
four-part report on the results of "The Discovery Group's Survey OF HR
Professionals FOR HR Professionals." In this part of the report, we discuss how
HR professionals feel about their jobs. Executive
Summary HR professionals
feel very good about the benefits they receive and the balance they are able to
achieve between their work and personal lives. They also feel a strong sense of
personal accomplishment from their work and feel that their workload is
reasonable. They do not, however, feel good about their pay, their performance
reviews, or the training they have received.
The tables below present
views of HR professionals toward selected aspects of their jobs in both 1995
and 2002. Our interpretations of these results follow each table. |
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Benefits - As was the
case in 1995, HR professionals feel very positive about their benefits. 78
percent feel their benefits are adequate for their needs. This is more than 15
percent higher than our Discovery Group norm, which is based upon the views of
the entire workforce in more than 50 organizations. Therefore, those
responsible for selecting and administering the benefits in their organizations
(i.e., HR professionals) have more favorable views about the benefits than do
the employees in their organizations.
External Pay Equity -
Fewer than half of HR professionals feel they are paid fairly compared with HR
professionals in other similar organizations. This represents a decline of 5
percent since 1995. This result is, however, about 10 percentage points higher
than the Discovery Group workforce norm. Therefore, a greater percentage of HR
professionals than employees in general feel they are paid fairly in comparison
to those performing similar work in other organizations.
Internal
Pay Equity - In our 15 years of employee survey research we have
consistently found that employees feel better about how their pay compares to
others in their own organization than to how it compares to those in other
organizations. This is not the case for HR professionals. Fewer than half of HR
professionals feel they are paid fairly compared to managers at a comparable
level in their organization.
Pay-performance link - HR
professionals do not feel that there is a strong link between their pay and
their job performance. Only 44 percent feel that there is a clear linkage. This
is, however, a slight improvement from 1995 and is also about 10 percentage
points higher than our Discovery Group norm.
Usefulness of
performance reviews - HR professionals do not feel that they benefit from
the performance reviews they receive. This is a disturbing result since it is
HR professionals who typically formulate, promote, and manage the performance
review process throughout their organizations. Only 39 percent feel that their
performance reviews have been useful. This is a decline of 4 percent from 1995.
It is also about 5 percentage points lower than our Discovery Group norm.
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Sense of personal
accomplishment - 76 percent of HR professionals gain a strong sense of
personal accomplishment from their work. This is a very good result and is more
than 10 percent higher than our Discovery Group norm. It is, however, a decline
of 9 percent decline since 1995.
Reasonableness of workload -
HR professionals also feel relatively good about their workload. 59 percent
feel that their workload is reasonable. This is similar to both the 1995 result
and our Discovery Group norm.
Work life balance - Surprisingly,
HR professionals feel better about their work life balance now than they did in
1995. 57 percent feel that they are able to balance their work and personal
life to their satisfaction, an improvement of 11 percent since 1995.
Training - HR professionals do not feel that they are receiving
the training they need. Only 54 percent, a decline of 6 percent from 1995, feel
that they receive the training that they need to do their job well. |
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