HR trends survey 2016 in just one word #hrblog #cipd #oneword

Introduction to One Word HR Trends Survey

What is the One word HR trends survey 2016? Early in 2015 we ran a simple survey among HR professionals. They were given 10 topics and asked for one word which represented there understanding or meaning for that word or phrase. This produced some interesting results. So twelve months on I thought we could repeat the process. The results are fascinating. In the first survey we had just over 500 responses, in this later version we had just under 400 responses. We limited respondents to one audience only. last years was more widely distributed. So with several hundred respondents the data is reasonably valid.

In January 2016 100s of HR professionals were asked a simple question in a survey… in one word describe what the following means to you.

Participants were invited from the CIPD Members LinkedIn group. 396 participated. Of those, over 70% have been in HR for more than 11 years.

The following was asked:

1. Human Resources – what one word best describes “Human Resources” to you? e.g. Admin, Strategy, etc.
2. Management – what one word best describes “Management” to you? e.g. Consistency, Control, Success etc.
3. Leadership – what one word best describes “Leadership” to you? e.g. Authenticity, Passion etc.
4. Training – what one word best describes “Training” to you? e.g. Conformity, Skills, Progress etc.
5. Organisational Development – what one word best describes “Organisational Development” to you? e.g. Authenticity, Passion etc.
6. Talent Management – what one word best describes “Talent Management” to you? e.g. Strength, Advantage etc.
7. Learning & Development – what one word best describes “Learning & Development” to you? e.g. Self-Development, Competitive-advantage, Skills etc.
8. Change Management – what one word best describes “Change Management” to you? e.g. Different, New, Challenge etc.
9. Gamification – what one word best describes “Gamification” to you? e.g. Play, Learning, Informal etc.
10. Trends for 2016 – what tree things are important for you this year?

The 10th item was new for 2016. In addition, we collected some demographic data. The survey was completely anonymous, and data was obtained for members of the CIPD through the LinkedIn group (CIPD Members on LinkedIn). In both cases the survey was open for just 8 days.

The survey is crude and simple. Its intention is to capture the flavour of what is on people agenda. Being run at the start of the new year, many people are thinking of the year ahead rather than what is on the desk this week.

Demographics for 2016:

years in HR
<1year 10%
2-3 years 5%
4-10 years 17%
11-19years 26%
20+years 41%

Last year’s data set was:

We can see that broadly the spread was the same this year as last year. The main difference being in the 11-19 years experience base, and less of those new to the profession.

Processing of One Word survey data

During data analysis, spellings were corrected, and capitalisation resolved. No words were merged other than plurals, i.e. success=successes, responsibility=responsibilities etc.

The results of the Human Resources Trends for 2016

Human Resources

Responses to the One Word survey for Human Resources (HR) were:

1. people 21 %
2. strategy 8 %
3. support 5 %
4. strategic 3 %
5. engagement 2 %
6. performance 2 %
7. business 2 %
8. admin 2 %
9. development 2 %
10. operational  2 %
11. partner 2 %
12. enabling 2 %

Last year’s top words for human resources (HR) were:

1. People 26%
2. Support 16%
3. Strategy 6%
4. Admin 2%
5. enabler 2%
6. strategic 2%
7. business 2%
8. partner 2%
9. enabling 2%
10. partnership 1%
11. engagement 0.5%

Other words used included:

people, strategy, support, strategic, engagement, performance, business, admin, development, operational, partner, enabling, partnership, value, resourcing, partnering, enabler, planning, process, change, essential, personnel, management, talent, relationships, culture, procedures, transactional, implementation, supportive, guidance, alignment, delivery, procedural, productivity, facilitation, advising, potential, service, clean, human, problemsolver, difficult, helping, transational, empowering, cornerstone, ineffectual, consistency

Management

Responses to the One Word survey for management were:

1. control 13 %
2. leadership  5 %
3. direction 4 %
4. delivery 4 %
5. support 3 %
6. consistency 3 %
7. success 3 %
8. process 2 %
9. guidance 2 %
10. organisation 2 %
11. enabling 1 %

Last year’s top words for management were:

1. control 13%
2. direction 5%
3. leadership 4%
4. consistency 3%
5. delivery 3%
6. process 2%
7. success 2%
8. organisation 2%
9. enabling 1%
10. guidance 1%
11. support 1%

Note, and 11th item was added as some things moved around and I thought it useful to add the data. the 11th item in each case was not necessarily in 11th order. i.e. Support was high this year, but low last year!

Other words used included:

control, leadership, direction, delivery, support, consistency, success, process, guidance, organisation, performance, coordination, motivation, structure, empowerment, results, development, focus, coaching, fairness, controlling, enabling, leading, organised, inconsistent, people, action, strategy, output, inconsistency, management, improvement, ordination, managing, engagement, consistancy, steering, stability, team, operational, enabler, insight, compliance, oversight, progress, planning, order, effectiveness, integrity, responsibility, coach, direct, mediocre, essentials, pressure, clarity, communication, tired, making, enable, maintenance, constraint

Leadership 

Responses to the One Word survey for leadership were:

1. vision 11 %
2. direction 10 %
3. inspiration 9 %
4. inspiring 4 %
5. integrity 3 %
6. visionary 3 %
7. inspirational 2 %
8. authenticity 2 %
9. passion 2 %
10. drive 2 %
11. inspire 1 %

Last year’s top words for leadership were:

1. vision 11%
2. direction 10%
3. inspiration 8%
4. inspiring 4%
5. inspirational 3%
6. passion 3%
7. integrity 3%
8. visionary 2%
9. authenticity 2%
10. inspire 2%
11. drive 1%

Other words used included:

vision, direction, inspiration, inspiring, integrity, visionary, inspirational, authenticity, passion, drive, empowerment, guidance, strategy, purpose, respect, engagement, trust, belief, inspire, example, honesty, motivation, role, success, model, collaboration, authentic, strategic, walk, enablement, commitment, motivator, understanding, control, value, strength, influence, motivating, charisma, serving, mentoring, people, empowering, authority, steer, rare, mediocre, courage, individualism, communications, flexible, guidence, knowing, pathfinder, helpfulness, clarity, hyprocrasy

Training 

Responses to the One Word survey for training were:

1. development 21 %
2. skills 11 %
3. learning 8 %
4. knowledge 4 %
5. growth 3 %
6. progress 3 %
7. improvement 2 %
8. upskilling 2 %
9. capability 2 %
10. performance 1 %

Last year’s top words for training were:

1. development 8%
2. skills 14%
3. learning 10%
4. knowledge 5%
5. improvement 4%
6. progress 3%
7. growth 2%
8. capability 2%
9. developing 2%
10. upskilling 2%

Other words used included:

development, skills, learning, knowledge, growth, progress, improvement, upskilling, capability, performance, enabling, compliance, equipping, essential, developing, progression, competency, necessary, skill, opportunity, develop, understanding, future, teaching, investment, success, empowering, competence, empowerment, input, conformity, value, enlightenment, curiosity, enablement, inspiring, passive, enhancement, encouragement, change, renewal

Organisational Development 

Responses to the One Word survey for organisational development were:

1. progress 8 %
2. growth 7 %
3. change 5 %
4. future 5 %
5. improvement 5 %
6. strategy 4 %
7. structure 3 %
8. progression 3 %
9. effectiveness 2 %
10. planning 2 %

Last year’s top words for organisational development were:

1. change 8%
2. growth 7%
3. progress 6%
4. structure 5%
5. improvement 4%
6. strategy 3%
7. future 2%
8. effectiveness 2%
9. planning 2%
10. alignment 2%

Other words used included:

, progress, growth, change, future, improvement, strategy, structure, progression, effectiveness, planning, culture, alignment, direction, vision, engagement, essential, strategic, agility, advancement, efficiency, enabling, success, forward, transformation, innovation, passion, authenticity, proofing, opportunity, development, people, clarity, flexibility, investment, effective, evolving, efficient, movement, adaptability, evolution, creativity, evolve, learning, sustainability, necessity, capability, building, enabler, evolvement, enhancement, bullshit, happening, drive

Talent Management

Responses to the One Word survey for talent management were:

1. advantage 8 %
2. future  7 %
3. succession 6 %
4. strength 5 %
5. development 4 %
6. potential 3 %
7. retention 3 %
8. growth 3 %
9. planning 3 %
10. competitive 2 %

Last year’s top words for talent management were:

1. advantage 8%
2. future 8%
3. succession 5%
4. potential 4%
5. strength 3%
6. retention 3%
7. growth 3%
8. development 3%
9. planning 3%
10. competitive 2%

Other words used included:

advantage, future, succession, strength, development, potential, retention, growth, planning, competitive, essential, opportunity, capability, nurturing, success, progression, optimisation, proofing, strengths, performance, progress, recognition, sustainability, motivation, foresight, favouritism, strategy, empowerment, confused, resource, divisive, career, sensible, maximising, guidance, aspirational, strategic, engagement, investment, ability, sucession, recruitment, resources, effectiveness, knowledge, progressive, strengthen, optomism, strengthening, sparks, advancing, term, loyalty, proactive, vision, keystone, over, aspiration

Learning & Development 

Responses to the One Word survey for learning and development were:

1. growth 10 %
2. self 9 %
3. skills 9 %
4. development 7 %
5. advantage 4 %
6. progression 4 %
7. competitive 4 %
8. future 3 %
9. improvement 3 %
10. knowledge 3 %

Last year’s top words for learning and development were:

1. growth 11%
2. development 9%
3. skills 8%
4. improvement 5%
5. advantage 4%
6. progression 4%
7. competitive 4%
8. progress 3%
9. knowledge 2%
10. growing 2%

Other words used included:

growth, self, skills, development, advantage, progression, competitive, future, improvement, knowledge, potential, upskilling, capability, progress, essential, investment, engagement, training, competency, learning, continuous, enhancement, advancement, performance, motivation, edge, enhancing, proofing, maximising, necessary, enrichment, competence, life, personal, career, cpd, expansion, retention, growing, education, relevant, standards, talent, driven, success, developing, support, acquisition, lifelonglearning, enabling, value, actualisation, people, empowering

Change Management 

Responses to the One Word survey for change management were:

1. challenge 12%
2. new 4%
3. opportunity 3%
4. challenging 3%
5. future 2%
6. progress 2%
7. communication 2%
8. transition 2%
9. innovation 2%
10. improvement 2%

Last year’s top words for change management were:

1. Challenge 10%
2. challenging 4%
3. evolution 3$
4. exciting 3%
5. progress 3%
6. communication 2%
7. transformation 2%
8. future 2%
9. constant 2%
10. improvement %

Other words used included:

Challenge ,new ,opportunity ,challenging ,future ,progress ,communication ,transition ,innovation ,improvement ,engagement ,dynamic ,evolution ,necessary ,adaptability ,difficult ,ongoing ,transformation ,progression ,better ,flexibility ,challenges ,different ,growth ,evolving ,essential ,people ,process ,strategy ,success ,understanding ,development ,improving ,forward ,leadership ,agility ,critical ,resilience ,exciting ,chaos ,opportunities ,business ,risk ,initiative ,change ,survival ,journey ,constant ,life

Gamification 

Responses to the One Word survey for gamification were:

1. play 12 %
2. learning  11 %
3. informal  7 %
4. fun  7 %
5. engagement  4 %
6. engaging   3 %
7. fad  1 %
8. buzzword  1 %
9. jargon  1 %
10. trendy  1 %
11. Unknown  3 %

Last year’s top words for gamification were:

1. play 12%
2. learning 11%
3. fun 8%
4. informal 7%
5. engagement 4%
6. fad 2%
7. jargon 2%
8. engaging 1%
9. innovation 1%
10. solving 1%
11. Unknown 13%

Other words used included:

play, learning, informal, fun, engagement, engaging, fad, buzzword, jargon, trendy, different, competition, simulation, confused, new, innovation, future, blended, enjoyment, recruitment, out, exciting, playful, relaxing, time, reward, unknown, nothing, competitive, playing, alternative, hype, fashionable, unnecesary, achievement, active, perceptive, leisure, bunkum, unsure, excite, development, competitiveness

HR trends survey 2016

Responses to the One Word survey for HR future trends were:

1. change 13%
2. retention 10%
3. talent 10%
4. growth 10%
5. engagement 8%
6. development 5%
7. recruitment 5%
8. pay 5%
9. skills 5%
10. leadership 4%
11. management 4%
12. strategy 3%
13. technology 3%

Summary conclusions

These are the items in the minds of HR professionals for 2016. It is interesting that change is still an “issue” as opposed to a “business as usual”.

Technology as a priority is very low on the list and did not make the top 10.

Other words used included:

management, strategy, technology, data, innovation, challenge, performance, flexibility, digital, resilience, value, learning, efficiency, competition, budgets, cost, more, reward, productivity, economy, stress, culture, analytics, self, living, motivation, diversity, collaboration, costs, people, wage, less, employee, sustainability, communication, agility, planning, credibility, austerity, pace, resources, succession, wellbeing, social, inclusion, training, levy, success, advantage, apprenticeship, building, business, cuts, competitive, changing, equal, legislation, opportunity, simplicity, progression, apprenticeships, adaptability, structure, balance, working, progress, flexible, stability, global, big, capability, keeping, consistency, time, conflict, new, equality, empowerment, roi, grow, partner, vision, mobile, gamification, potential, rewards, law, financial, millenials, authenticity, work, europe, practice, worklife, income, tech, challenging, volatility, workforce, awareness, improvement, integration, target, out, nlw, marketing, appraisal, nmw, fast, expansion, redundancy, attraction, motivated, continuous, outsourcing, graduates, same, walk, purpose, economics, shortage, picture, keep, acquisition, restructure, absence, morale, alignment, media, future, line, migration, fairness, rights, employment, neuroscience, clarity, digitisation

What do you make of this data from the HR trends survey 2016?

This data is copyright RapidBI 2016 feel free to quote and use but please reference RapidBI HR trends survey 2016 and link to this page – thanks