HR Roles and Responsibilities 2023

The 2023 XpertHR benchmarking survey of HR functions, what they do, and how they do it, including data on HR benchmarks such as: the ratio of HR staff to employees; HR budgets; and HR department effectiveness. The survey is based on responses from HR professionals at 223 organisations, covering a combined workforce of 236,277 employees.

Survey questions

• What is the ratio of employees to HR staff?
• What proportion of your organisation's HR staff are in managerial roles?
• How many HR staff does your organisation employ?
  • How many HR staff does your organisation employ on a permanent basis?
  • How many HR staff does your organisation employ on a temporary basis?
  • How has the number of HR staff at your organisation changed over the past two years?
  • Why has the number of HR staff at your organisation increased over the past two years?
  • Why has the number of HR staff at your organisation decreased over the past two years?
  • How many HR staff does your organisation employ at HR director level?
  • How many HR staff does your organisation employ at head of HR level?
  • How many HR staff does your organisation employ at HR manager (department manager) level?
  • How many HR staff does your organisation employ at HR manager (section manager) level?
  • How many HR staff does your organisation employ at HR business partner level?
  • How many HR staff does your organisation employ at HR advisor level?
  • How many HR staff does your organisation employ at HR officer level?
  • How many HR staff does your organisation employ at HR assistant level?
• What functional specialisms do HR staff in your organisation possess?
• Who has lead responsibility for employee administration at your organisation?
• Who has lead responsibililty for employee relations at your organisation?
• Who has lead responsibililty for diversity and inclusion at your organisation?
• Who has lead responsibililty for handling compliance issues at your organisation?
• Who has lead responsibililty for learning and development at your organisation?
• Who has lead responsibililty for pay and benefits reviews at your organisation?
• Who has lead responsibililty for data analytics at your organisation?
• Who has lead responsibililty for setting HR strategy at your organisation?
• Who has lead responsibililty for managing sickness absence at your organisation?
• Who has lead responsibililty for managing underperformance/performance management at your organisation?
• Who has lead responsibililty for performance review processes at your organisation?
• Who has lead responsibililty for resourcing in your organisation?
• Who has lead responsibililty for employee experience/engagement in your organisation?
• Who has lead responsibililty for employee wellbeing in your organisation?
• Who has lead responsibililty for organisational development in your organisation?
• Who has lead responsibililty for setting HR budgets in your organisation?
• Who has lead responsibililty for succession/workforce planning in your organisation?
• Which people management and HR metrics does your organisation capture?
• Does your HR department gather enough meaningful data to measure HR performance within your organisation?
  • Why doesn't your HR department gather enough meaningful data to measure HR performance within your organisation?
• How effective is your organisation's HR department?
• What percentage of overall HR time is spent on strategic activities?
• What percentage of overall HR time is spent on business consultancy?
• What percentage of overall HR time is spent on administration?
• What percentage of overall HR time is spent on keeping up to date with legislative and other procedural changes?
• What percentage of overall HR time is spent on employee engagement/experience?
• What percentage of overall HR time is spent on employee wellbeing?
• What percentage of overall HR time is spent on recruitment?
• What percentage of overall HR time is spent on training activities?
• What percentage of overall HR time is spent on collecting/analysing HR data?
• What are the key priority areas for your HR department in 2023?
• Does your organisation's HR function have its own budget?
  • What is the annual HR department running costs budget per employee?
  • What is the annual HR department running costs budget per HR staff member?
  • What is the annual HR activities budget per employee?
  • What is the annual HR activities budget per HR staff member?
  • How did last year's actual spend on HR running costs compare with the budget at your organisation?
  • How has your organisation's budget for HR running costs changed over the past two years?
  • How do you expect the level of your organisation's budget for HR running costs to change over the next two years?
  • How did last year's actual spend on all HR activities compare with the budget at your organisation?
  • How has your organisation's budget for all HR activities changed over the past two years?
  • How do you expect the level of your organisation's budget for all HR activities to change over the next two years?
• How has HR's involvement in setting organisational strategy changed over the past two years?