Many HR professionals see little respect at top - Executive Briefing: Strategic Intelligence - Brief Article

HR Magazine, Nov, 2002 by Steve Bates

Even though top HR people are in demand, many HR professionals don't feel quite as wanted, according to a new report. More than half of senior HR professionals feel that management does not respect what HR does, according to the Discovery Group, a Sharon, Mass.-based consulting firm.

The organization says an independent study of 425 HR professionals conducted earlier this year found that only 48 percent believe that HR has the respect of company leaders, down from 63 percent who felt that way in 1995.

This year "has been a particularly challenging time for HR professionals," says Bruce Katcher, an industrial/organizational psychologist and author of the study. "The falling economy, hiring freezes, layoffs, the aftermath of Sept. 11 and the post-Enron erosion of confidence in management have made the job of managing human resources particularly difficult."

Katcher notes that "most employees, including senior HR executives, don't feel as respected as they did in the past."

In addition, the survey found that only 54 percent of HR people believe that they have the decisionmaking authority they need to do their job, compared with 71 percent of respondents in 1995. In fact, HR professionals feel less confident in their decision-making authority this year than do employees in general.

Steve Bates is senior writer for HR Magazine.