HR wins respect of construction sector

Human resources (HR) is shaking off its ‘soft and fluffy’ image within the construction industry to earn the respect of line managers.

New research from Contract Journal’s sister publication Personnel Today shows that construction rates HR more highly than other industries surveyed for its work in the areas of training, occupational health and developing policies and procedures.

The 360-Degree Appraisal of HR surveyed nearly 2,000 line managers across eight business sectors on their views about HR. It also asked HR professionals to rate themselves.

In every instance, line managers were more critical of HR than HR professionals were of themselves. But there were big differences in opinion about the value of HR between business sectors.

Construction was the second-most positive sector (after hospitality) in terms of valuing HR’s contribution to the business. It rated HR better than average on several key metrics, including: HR’s efficiency at recruiting the right people; the approachability of the HR department; and the production of unnecessary red tape.

It considers HR to be a more strategic function than any other sector, and is also the sector least likely to associate HR with bad news.

Some 38% of line managers working in construction believe their HR department offers good value for money, compared to the all-sector average of 31%.

Personnel Today’s group editor Rob Willock said: “HR fared remarkably well among construction professionals, perhaps because it is closely associated with training, occupational health and safety – issues that are extremely important to construction’s line managers.

“Our message to HR is to spend time with and understand the operational side of their business, so they can be true business partners and add real value.”

[Contract Journal, 25 October 2006, p 2]