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HR Leadership-Development Study

Only one-third of companies offer formal HR leadership-development programs.

This article accompanies Powered from Within.

By David Shadovitz

Organizations that offer an HR leadership-development program do so to feed the succession pipeline and/or to make HR more strategic -- but few actually offer such a program, according to a recent study by the Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp).

Fewer than one-third (29 percent) of respondents said their organization offers a formal HRLDP.

Of those that do, about six in 10 said that such programs feed -- to a high or very high extent -- their succession pipeline or make HR more strategic (both at 62 percent).

Nearly that many said that such programs improve performance of HR practitioners (58 percent), identify high-potential employees within HR (57 percent) or attract strong HR talent (34 percent).

Nevertheless, most of the respondents acknowledge that participation in the HRLDP is limited.

"It's encouraging that the companies that have HR leadership-development programs are focusing on strategy and performance," says Jay Jamrog, senior vice president of research at i4cp. "But the apparent lack of participation overall is somewhat troubling. Especially in this economy, all companies need to be looking more closely at their existing talent to sustain and grow their business in the long term."

HR leaders in these programs are developed through a variety of means.

Company-developed training is the most common approach, with 60 percent of respondents saying their organization uses the practice to a high or very high degree. Group projects (48 percent), stretch assignments (40 percent), 360-degree feedback (38 percent) and individual coaching (38 percent) are among the other most-utilized development methods.

The HR Leadership Program Pulse Survey was conducted by i4cp in May 2009. A total of 308 respondents participated in the survey.

July 1, 2010

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