Leathwaite Survey Reveals 1 in 5 HR Leaders Could Leave

Talent retention and acquisition, cultural change, vaccine mandates and hybrid work plans are top of HR leaders’ minds, according to research from executive search firm Leathwaite. The Annual Global HR survey from Leathwaite gathered input from 350 global HR leaders, the majority being CHRO’s. The report found that hybrid working is here to stay with 47 percent of respondents back in the office two to three days on average.

“People got a taste of remote work during the pandemic, and while it has changed expectations more broadly, we are seeing a fairly consistent hybrid work schedule emerge overall with an even split between office and home working,” said Chris Rowe, head of the global HR practice and partner at Leathwaite. “Seventy-seven percent of HR leaders said they felt their organizations listened to their employees’ preferences around working arrangements, suggesting they’ve demanded some aspects of flexible working remain in play.”

The issue of an equitable culture in a hybrid workforce is not new, but HR leaders are feeling less valued than they did in 2020, leading to 20 percent admitting they’re likely to resign without another job lined up.

On the vaccine front, perhaps unsurprisingly the United States leads the way with nearly 60 percent of HR leaders stating that new starters must be vaccinated, while the rest of the world sits at just 8 percent.

In alternative investments, 66 percent said their sector mandates vaccination as a condition of joining, the highest of any industry sector.

HR leaders continue to battle an intensifying talent market, ranking retention and acquisition as their top challenges for 2022, followed by cultural change as a result of the ongoing hybrid workplace.

The report also covers data around budgets and headcounts, mental health, the great resignation. Download the full report: https://www.leathwaite.com/news-insights/leathwaite-insights/the-2022-global-hr-survey/