It is widely thought that people and performance management skills are amongst the most important tools a leader can have when it comes to running a successful teamA recent Outlook survey conducted by the CIPD has revealed that nearly 50% of professionals working in HR believe that business leaders do not possess adequate people management skills to ensure their team is consistently producing the best work possible.
It is widely thought that people and performance management skills are amongst the most important tools a leader can have when it comes to running a successful team. Unfortunately, of the HR professionals surveyed, 44% do not have faith in business leaders’ abilities to manage people successfully, while 53% believe that business leaders do not have effective performance management skills.
It is not all bad news, as the survey results indicate that financial management, technical skills and operations management skills are strong; however, of these, only financial management skills are included in the top ten list of leadership skills most needed in the workplace environment over the next three years.
Dr Jill Miller, a CIPD research adviser, said that the lack of people management skills is concerning. Technical skills are undoubtedly important, but businesses rely greatly on the people who work within the organisation; therefore, high-quality people skills are of the utmost importance.
To stay at the top of their game, businesses need to evaluate their leadership staff and invest in these key areas to address the current imbalance within their workforce. A leadership team with strong technical and people management skills is vital to guarantee the sustainability and high performance and productivity levels of an organisation. In many cases, this will involve addressing outdated development models, which often result in individuals with a strong technical skillset filling roles that rely on their ability to successfully manage people rather than putting their talents to good use within their specific field of expertise.
The same survey revealed that too many senior figures within organisations do not have access to important HR data that will help them to make informed decisions in the best interests of the business. 26% of senior leaders and almost 50% of line managers do not have access to important business insights, facts and workforce figures.
HR data is a useful tool that has greatly enhanced the abilities of HR professionals. Moving forward, it is increasingly important to share this data with management to help businesses to drive sales and ensure that each member of the workforce has access to development opportunities that will benefit them as individuals and the wider business as a whole.
Join Over 40,000 Recruiters. Get our latest articles weekly, all FREE – SEND ME ARTICLES
Recruiters love this COMPLETE set of Accredited Recruitment & HR Training – View Training Brochure
