HR survey: how HR professionals view their jobs

HR software provider Ciphr recently polled 300 HR professionals to find out how they feel about their role and experiences at their current organisation.

On average, most (64%) HR professionals said they found their work to be fulfilling and engaging most or all of the time. Two-fifths (61%) thought their skills and experience were being fully utilised most or all of the time, and over half (56%) said they felt valued and appreciated for their work most or all of the time.

Other HR survey findings, however, proved less positive – with a significant number of HR decision-makers appearing to be less than satisfied with many aspects of their job.

• Over one in four (28%) HR professionals said they thought about leaving their jobs most or all the time. People who rarely or never feel valued and appreciated for their work (11% of all respondents) are the most likely to consider quitting their jobs. Those who aren’t overworked, as well as those who are satisfied with their pay, are among the least likely to be planning their exit.
• HR professionals based at larger organisations are more likely to feel overworked. Over two-fifths (43%) of survey respondents at organisations with over 250 employees said they felt overworked most or all of the time, compared to 36% of those at organisations with 125-249 employees. HR decision-makers at larger organisations are also more likely to consider a job switch – nearly one in five (18%) said they intended to leave their employer this year.
• Older workers are more likely to view their employer more favourably than their younger counterparts. Over half (53%) of HR professionals over 45 years old said they would recommend their company to others, compared to just over a third (37%) of those under 45 years old. Those in the over-45 age group are also more likely to say that their HR team is well-respected and valued at their organisation, compared to the under-45s (43% vs 31%).
• Most HR professionals aren’t happy with their pay or career progression opportunities. Just one in three (34%) said that they were satisfied with their salary and only one in four (27%) think they have career progression opportunities at their organisation. Workers aged 35 to 44 years old are the most likely to be unhappy with their salary – just 27% say it is satisfactory. And those aged 45 to 54 are the least likely to report that they have career advancements available to them (15%).
• Less than a third (30%) of HR professionals think they have clear objectives and receive meaningful feedback on their work. People over 55 are the most likely to say this (40%). 45- to 54-year olds are the least likely to say this (25%).

• Regular training isn't the norm for many HR professionals. Just 48% of those surveyed said that they receive ongoing training and development for their role. This figure rose to 58% for those working at organisations with over 1,500 employees.

↓↓ Scroll down for the full results ↓↓

Ciphr’s research suggests that younger HR professionals – 25 to 34 years old – may be more dissatisfied with their role than those who have been in the workforce for longer.

• Two in five (40%) 25- to 34-year-olds said they would recommend their employer to others (compared to 53% of 45- to 54-year-olds)
• One in five (21%) 25- to 34-year-olds think that their HR team has no real authority to enact change at their organisation (compared to 15% of 45- to 54-year-olds)
• Less than a third (30%) of 25- to 34-year-olds think that the HR team is well-respected and valued at their organisation (compared to 52% of 55- to 64-year-olds)

Older HR professionals are more likely to be concerned about lack of career progression and job security than their younger counterparts:

• One in five (20%) 45- to 54-year-olds said they worry about losing their job (this falls to 9% among 25- to 34-year-olds)
• One in seven (15%) 45- to 54-year-olds think that they have career progression opportunities at their organisation (compared to 29% of 25- to 34-year-olds)
• Just two in five (42%) 45- to 54-year-olds feel valued and appreciated for their work most or all of the time (compared to 61% of those 25 to 34 and over 55, and 53% of those 35 to 44)
• Nearly half (45%) of people aged over 45 said they felt overworked all or most of the time (compared to 36% of those under 45 years old)

What doesn’t tend to vary too much by age is opinions on whether their job provides them with a good work/life balance (one of the most common HR challenges facing UK employers this year).

According to Ciphr’s research, just two-fifths (41%) of HR professionals aged 54 or under think they have a good work/life balance (this rises to 67% among those over 55).

Looking at the data by industry, Ciphr’s researchers discovered that:

• HR professionals working in teaching and education are the most likely to recommend their employers to others – 77% said they would. Those in public services and administration, and engineering and manufacturing, are the least likely to (both 25%)
  
  
• HR professionals working in the legal sector, as well as engineering and manufacturing, are the most likely to believe that their organisation prizes its people as its greatest asset (58% agree). And those in the retail sector are the most likely to receive regular and ongoing training and development for their role (65%)
  
  
• HR professionals working in business, consulting and management, followed by retail, are the most likely to think about leaving their job all or most of the time (45% and 42% respectively)
  
  
• HR professionals working in public services and administration, and hospitality and events management, are the least likely to be satisfied with their salaries – just 13% and 16% respectively are happy with their pay
  
  
• HR professionals working in healthcare are the least likely to agree that their organisation offers a good range of flexible employee benefits and rewards (13%). This compares to 38% of people working in HR at teaching and education establishments
  
  
• HR professionals in transport and logistics, law, and public services and administration are the least likely to think that their organisations fully supports their employees’ mental health and wellbeing – only around a quarter of respondents or fewer agreed with this statement (22%, 25% and 25% respectively)

The chart below highlights how HR professionals working across different industries view their organisations:

Perhaps unsurprisingly, feeling valued and appreciated, being fulfilled and engaged at work, and having a good work/life balance all influence how an individual feels about their job and employer. HR workers who feel valued for, and engaged with, their work, for example, are more likely to endorse their employer and less likely to think about finding another job than those who don't feel valued and engaged.

HR professionals who would recommend their employer to others are more likely to:

• Find their job fulfilling/feel engaged at work all or most of the time (79% of surveyed employees agree)
• Feel valued and appreciated for their work all or most of the time (71%)
• Be satisfied with their salary (42%)
• Receive regular training for their role (60%)
• Have a good work/life balance (58%)
• Rarely or never think about leaving their job (62%)
• Rarely or never feel overworked (34%)

HR professionals who didn’t say they would recommend their employer to others are less likely to:

• Find their job fulfilling/feel engaged at work all or most of the time (53% of surveyed employees agree)
• Feel valued and appreciated for their work all or most of the time (45%)
• Be satisfied with their salary (28%)
• Receive regular training for their role (40%)
• Have a good work/life balance (34%)
• Rarely or never think about leaving their job (33%)
• Rarely or never feel overworked (15%)

Based on the results of Ciphr’s study, a significant proportion of HR professionals don’t think that HR is fully appreciated or understood by their organisations.

Only around a third (39%) of the 300 HR professionals polled say that their HR team has a good working relationship with the wider business. And an even smaller share believes the HR team is well-respected and valued by their organisations (34%) or that they are properly recognised for their vital role in delivering business success (32%).

Worryingly, nearly one in five (18%) HR professionals believe that their own HR team has no real authority to enact change at their organisation.