By Debbie Bolla

Editor-in-Chief

Everyone faces challenges in their roles and HR is no exception. As I read through this month’s issue, three concerns appeared in not just one but multiple stories, suggesting a trio of pressing matters for HR executives across the board.

A new survey by Consero Group asked HR leaders what was keeping them up at night, and two of the top concerns were around talent -no surprise there -but not in the most traditional way.

More than half (55 percent) of survey respondents report that their internal HR department has insufficient talent to achieve its goals. This basically translates into HR -who leads the charge in hiring for the entire organization -doesn’t have enough talent to execute. Lisa Buckingham, Lincoln Financial’s EVP and CHRO, warns HR of this very issue on page 40. One of her key pieces of advice is to build the right team. “Hiring great talent is your job for your team,” she says. “I think you must be the leader you ask other leaders to be.”

Buckingham is also aligned with another top concern from Consero’s survey around succession management and planning. She advises HR leaders to remember to take charge of their own careers. “HR counsels people every day on their careers. Do you ever take a step back to assess how you are doing and if you are doing what you want? If you don’t help navigate your career, it’s your fault,” she says.

But the survey finds that when chief HR officers are actually ready to make a move, their own internal HR department isn’t. Forty-four percent of respondents report that they have not identified a successor to replace them. This carries a high risk for HR and the organization at large. HR needs to lead by example even in the case of replacing themselves. Learn more on page 44.

We also address 2015’s hot button issue: employee engagement. It continues to be a main concern: Deloitte’s 2014 Global Human Capital Trends research finds 78 percent of business leaders rate engagement as urgent or important. But we’ve got you covered: HRO Today Forum keynote speaker and all around employee engagement guru Beverly Kaye offers her three key strategies for building a productive and loyal workforce. Dive in on page 10. Plus, there’s an interesting case study of how one packaging supplier addressed their engagement concerns by successfully applying Net Promoter Score methodology to measure employee feedback and make changes. See Scoring Big on page 52.

And if you let us know what is challenging you, we’ll bring the topic to the stage of the HRO Today Forum, May 4-6, in Philadelphia -and get the answers you need.

Tags: Employee Engagement, Enabling Technology, Evidence-Based HR, Innovation, Payroll & Compensation, Sourcing, Talent Acquisition

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