Two new pieces of research I’ve come across should give us pause for thought.

activ8 Intelligence, an innovative new company, is using advanced software to analyse people data and inform HR decision making.

 They’ve just published a research report titled Recruitment Focus: Shaping the Strategic Agenda or Meeting Operational Necessity ?

HR has long said it wants to be a strategic business function. The report looks at whether this is actually happening by comparing HR views on their job with other line managers’ people priorities. The results make interesting reading:

1.  72% of HR professionals said, ‘ anything that gets vacancies filled quickly’ was a priority. By contrast, 72% line managers suggested getting the right person was the most important issue.

2.  The second biggest HR priority was reducing attrition – in other words, companies were recruiting too many people who were not right for the job

3.  Over 2/3 of business directors are dissatisfied with their recruitment process.

4.  1/3 of business managers want more use of psychometric tests. Only 4% of HR managers ( that’s four per cent !!! ) see this as key.

This is a real contradiction. If, as many claim, its costs an organisation at least the first year total package to rectify a wrong recruitment decision, then the emphasis on speed is misplaced. In fact, tests help speed up recruitment by focusing on what’s important.

If HR really wants a strategic role then testing is part of the solution – not the problem.

Do you have a say in organisational strategy from an HR perspective? Do you use testing? Leave a comment…