Recruitment Retention and Strategic Planning Are HR Priorities

Recruitment/retention, strategic planning and cost containment are among HR's top priorities for 2007, according to preliminary results from The Bureau of National Affairs' HR Department Benchmarks and Analysis 2006 Draft. The survey of U.S. employers reported that 38% of respondents selected issues related to recruitment or retention as their top priority for 2007. Another 19% chose strategic planning and management, which included such issues as talent management, succession planning and measurement. Cost containment, especially for benefits, was noted as the top priority for 14% of respondents, and 22% noted other priorities for 2007, including regulatory compliance and productivity/quality improvements. (HR Department Benchmarks and Analysis 2006 Draft [Bureau of National Affairs, Inc.], 2006, Ch. 5, pp. 4-5)