HR professionals…how savvy are you?

A fresh debate arose last month regarding the importance and effectiveness of HR teams within organisations across the globe.

A KPMG-sponsored survey of 418 worldwide business leaders reportedly highlighted that HR functions consistently fail to add any value to their organisations. Particular concerns were expressed when it comes to HR sourcing and retaining international talent, and managing a virtual and flexible workforce.

A CIPD report said in response that HR professionals need to be ‘business savvy’, to “…identify people-related improvement points which drive value and enhance organisational performance.”

We concur and would like to add that we feel HR teams, certainly in the UK, are really working hard to embrace opportunities that make strategic differences to the companies they work for.

Cascade is now attracting 100 new clients per year, illustrating that an increasing number of HR departments are choosing to invest in proactive technology that is not simply a HR database; it is a business-wide management tool.

The more forward-thinking HR managers and executives acknowledge that the workplace environment is ever-evolving, and they need to devise long-term plans to:

·         Develop and engage with employees so that they remain committed

·         Nurture a culture receptive to change and encouraging of innovation

·         Help organisations work smarter

·         Continually raise the profile of HR and highlight the demonstrable benefits they achieve

·         Impact positively on companies’ bottom lines.

It seems that the HR profession faces a continued struggle in many organisations, for its voice to be heard. At Cascade, we have therefore developed an innovative system that supports change and achieves a number of powerful operational and strategic benefits, quickly and easily.

The software can be deployed throughout an entire organisation, whilst HR controls who has access to the functionality and at what level. For instance Cascade allows HR to empower line managers to better coordinate, monitor and care for their teams, by understanding and taking responsibility for departmental absences to name just one example.

Cascade also encourages HR teams to investigate numerous ‘what if’ scenarios, so that they can be proactive or ‘savvy’ in their approach to business and look for long-term risks and opportunities that may otherwise have remained unidentified.

Here is just a short selection of the areas where we can add value to organisations with between 25 and several thousand employees:

·         Recruitment of the most talented individuals within the industry, and effective management of the ensuing selection and appointment process

·         Formation of learning and development plans that aid career progression, employee morale levels and retention rates

·         Identification of skills gaps and succession planning

·         Engagement, using tools such as surveys and self-service functionality

·         Reporting – illustrates the considered measurements and analysis that HR continually carry out, and prompts positive action to be taken.

We could go on and on, but what we really want to emphasise is that we truly believe that HR is a business savvy profession, and we fully support the direction that this exciting industry is moving in. If you would like to speak to a member of the Cascade team to discuss how you can raise the profile of HR in your own organisation, and achieve a number of strategic benefits incredibly quickly, then please contact us today.