Fraction of HR departments effective at project management
Less than a fifth of HR departments are highly effective at project management, a report by McLean & Company has claimed.
The advisory company’s HR Management and Governance Survey 2023-2025 found that just 19% of HR respondents felt their department was highly effective at delivering projects on time, in scope, and with clear impact.
As HR deals with increasingly complex issues and initiatives, it says, structured project management becomes essential.
Its report found that HR teams are dealing with anything from organisational redesign, to employee listening programmes, to HR systems implementations and how the workforce adopts AI.
However, many HR teams lack the project management skills to deliver business outcomes consistently, it added.
This could show up as inadequate project planning, unclear project scope, limited risk assessment, inconsistent shareholder engagement or ineffective communication during projects.
In turn, these issues could turn into missed deadlines, duplicated work and stakeholders having less confidence in HR.
The company suggests a three-stage project management framework to avoid these risks, encompassing set-up and scoping, planning and execution, and project closure.
Lexi Hambides, director of HR research and advisory services at McLean, said successful project outcomes hinged on disciplined execution rather than good intentions.
“Successful HR projects don’t happen by chance. Success results from deliberate planning and execution grounded in project management fundamentals that drive progress, optimise resources, build stakeholder trust, and deliver measurable value to the organisation,” she said.
By applying these project management fundamentals, HR leaders can improve workload management, build key player trust, and deliver stronger outcomes for employees and the company, she added.
More efficient project management could also have positive impacts for the mental wellbeing of HR teams.
A recent survey by HR software company IRIS found that 62% of HR professionals are seriously considering leaving their role due to unsustainable workloads, inefficient systems and a lack of senior support.
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