The findings come from Bloomberg BNA’s HR Department Benchmark and Analysis 2016-2017 report, which has come out every year since 1978. There were 1.4 full-time HR employees per every 100 workers this year, up from 1.3 in 2014 and 2013.
The report also found that recruitment and retention were the top concerns for more than 80% of survey respondents for the fifth consecutive year. Diversity in the workforce, performance management and downsizing were gaining more interest with HR staff as well.
But, median budgets for HR remained the same as last year at 4.2%, and below the 5% HR received pre-2008. HR also spent less per employee at larger firms. Companies with fewer than 250 workers spent about $2,375 per employee for HR operations. That compares to $664 per worker for companies with at least 2,500 employees.