PPMA Members Priorities and Challenges 2023

INSIGHT, COMMUNITY, CAREER ENHANCEMENT

PPMA MEMBERS

PRIORITIES AND CHALLENGES

INTRODUCTION

I’m pleased to be able to share the findings from our survey of our membership. Our aim was to find out more about the priorities and key challenges for our members in the year ahead so we can better understand how to focus the PPMA offer. It’s also helpful to understand the positioning of HR teams and the value placed on them. Looking at the results, it’s no surprise that we’re tackling such a wide range of strategic and operational issues. It’s encouraging to see that many of you feel that more time will be spent in the next year on strategic workforce planning – despite many of the priorities having required short-term and immediate responses in the last year.

Thank you to all who contributed.

Many thanks

Gordon McFarlane PPMA President

Of the wide range of workforce issues that we’re all facing, what do you see as the top 3 challenges in your organisation?

Which of these HR/OD work areas does your organisation see as most important for HR/OD in the next year?

Thinking about time spent by HR/OD on Strategic Workforce planning in the next year, do you expect it to increase, stay the same or decrease compared to this last year?

Thinking about time spent by HR/OD on transformational change in the next year, do you expect it to increase, stay the same or decrease compared to this last year?

Thinking about time spent by HR/OD on recruitment and retention change in the next year, do you expect it to increase, stay the same or decrease compared to this last year?

Thinking about time spent by HR/OD on leadership development in the next year, do you expect it to increase, stay the same or decrease compared to this last year?

Thinking about time spent by HR/OD on Management Development in the next year, do you expect it to increase, stay the same or decrease compared to this last year?

Thinking about time spent by HR/OD on reviewing pay and benefits in the next year, do you expect it to increase, stay the same or decrease compared to this last year?

Thinking about time spent by HR/OD on embedding new ways of working in the next year, do you expect it to increase, stay the same or decrease compared to this last year?

Thinking about time spent by HR/OD on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the next year, do you expect it to increase, stay the same or decrease compared to this last year?

Thinking about time spent by HR/OD on wellbeing in the next year, do you expect it to increase, stay the same or decrease compared to this last year?

We’d like to understand attitudes to HR/OD in your organisation and the way you work with colleagues across the organisation - which of these statements apply?

Which issues represent the biggest threat to the success of your HR/OD strategy in the next year?

What would you change to ensure HR/OD made a more significant impact on your organisation?

1. Of the wide range of workforce issues that we’re all facing, what do you see as the top 3 challenges in your organisation?

Recruitment & retention

Strategic workforce planning

Transformation

Skills gap/ shortages

Budgets

EDI Managing hybrid working

Cost of living crisis

Talent development

Leadership & development

Culture & unitary integration

Reward and recognition

2. Which of these HR/OD work areas does your organisation see as most important for HR/OD in the next year?

3. Thinking about time spent by HR/OD on strategic workforce planning in the next year, do you expect it to increase, stay the same or decrease compared to this last year?

4. Thinking about time spent by HR/OD on transformational change in the next year, do you expect it to increase, stay the same or decrease compared to this last year?

5. Thinking about time spent by HR/OD on recruitment and retention change in the next year, do you expect it to increase, stay the same or decrease compared to this last year?

6. Thinking about time spent by HR/OD on leadership development in the next year, do you expect it to increase, stay the same or decrease compared to this last year?

7. Thinking about time spent by HR/OD on management development in the next year, do you expect it to increase, stay the same or decrease compared to this last year?

8. Thinking about time spent by HR/OD on reviewing pay and benefits in the next year, do you expect it to increase, stay the same or decrease compared to this last year?

9. Thinking about time spent by HR/OD on embedding new ways of working in the next year, do you expect it to increase, stay the same or decrease compared to this last year?

10. Thinking about time spent by HR/OD on equality, diversity and inclusion in the next year, do you expect it to increase, stay the same or decrease compared to this last year?

11. Thinking about time spent by HR/OD on wellbeing in the next year, do you expect it to increase, stay the same or decrease compared to this last year?

12. We’d like to understand attitudes to HR/OD in your organisation and the way you work with colleagues across the organisation - which of these statements apply?

13. Which issues represent the biggest threat to the success of your HR/OD strategy in the next year?

Other:

“Lack of capacity/resource in the HR team”

14. What would you change to ensure HR/OD made a more significant impact on your organisation?

"Structural change to the HR organisation to more specific customer facing "

“Increase capacity and resources”

"Impossible I know but, increased resources to allow us to focus on the strategic as much as the operational "

"Seat on the Senior Leadership Team, Ambitious HR strategy work viewed as major projects - with appropriate levels of budget and resource"

"Better planned and activities sequenced rather than trying to do everything at once "

"Ensure we have professionally trained HR & OD staff to deliver the scale of change required by the business. "

"Leadership team

"More cohesive approach of HR OD working together to provide solutions"

"Employee engagement resources to support embedding change"

"More appetite for dealing with the tough issues, culture change from our top team and politicians

to as

"Utilise coaching and mentoring more. Offer more opportunities to achieve greater financial support. Case studies to show the strategic impact of a cohesive HR/ OD/L&D function linked to business performance"

"Earlier involvement in business planning”

”Councils understanding that people really are the main asset and give as much importance to it as finance. Get it right and money flows through as performance increase, sickness reduces, retention improves etc"

"HR needs to show its business focus and commercial thinking to challenge leadership and embed top working practices. We have an issue longer term with enough capability to succession plan in HR"

team listening and buying in"

"Better accountability of the decision made by leaders and managers"

"I think the OD element of the team will need to increase it's profile as it is currently under-utilised so I think further communication is required across the management teams."

issues, e.g. politicians "

"We've been on a journey to get HR/OD out of the purely operational and delivery space and into the leadership discussion and we need to continue this journey"