HR Professional - June/July 2008 - (Page 11)

LEADERSHIP M AT T E R S OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS ve said it before—we are facing a period of unprecedented opportunity in human resources. In fact, we have never had so many opportunities to shine. The ﬁndings of a recent C-suite survey by the Gandalf Group published in the Report on Business conﬁrms it. The survey polled 150 executives from the top 1,000 companies in Canada on human resources and skilled labour issues. The study revealed a great sense of urgency in Canadian boardrooms. The top concern for almost one-quarter of senior executives was human resources issues and more than half said the company’s bottom line was being hurt by skilled-labour shortages. Most importantly, 84 per cent of those leaders see a major struggle with their overall recruitment in the next 10 to 15 years. BY DEBBIE BENNETT I’ ‘‘ The solution to all of these problems is talent—having it, acquiring it, training it and keeping it. Executives polled also believe human resources issues, such as on-the-job training, education, immigration and bringing more skilled trades into the workforce, must be bigger priorities for governments, but they also know they have a role to play in the solution. Despite that fact, fewer than half of polled executives say their companies have done anything innovative to address the problem. This is where HR’s opportunity lies. The solution to these problems is talent— having it, acquiring it, training it and keeping it. ’’ HR Leadership This is where HR will show true leadership because only human resources has the expertise to provide solutions to these critical business problems. We can do this by contributing to the development of the business strategy and by ensuring the company’s goals and objectives are consistent with that strategy. Communication of that strategy is key to its success. It is vitally important to keep senior leadership visible and foster engagement by having an open dialogue with employees. But leadership doesn’t just happen at the C-suite. We can’t underestimate the importance of ensuring front-line supervisors understand your organization and their role in communicating the company’s mission, vision and strategy. Ineffective front-line supervisors are the No. 1 reason for employee turnover, or conversely, retention. The C-suite survey helps us understand the issues that keep CEOs and government leaders, up at night. By bringing HR solutions to Canada’s most critical business issues to the table, HR demonstrates again just how vital we are for progressive organizations and governments, and for the future. Debbie Bennett, CHRP, is chair of HRPA’s board of directors. w w w. HRT houghtLeader. c om J u n e / J u l y 2 0 0 8 11 http://www.HRThoughtLeader.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of HR Professional - June/July 2008

HR Professional - June/July 2008 Contents Editor's Letter Contributors Leadership Matters Upfront Legal Compensation The Broad Perspective Leading by Example On Message Strategy Talent Management HR 101 Case Study Interview with J.P. Pawliw-Fry Off the Shelf The Last Word HR Suppliers Guide 2008 Calendar of Events

HR Professional - June/July 2008

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