McLean & Company, a global HR research and advisory firm, has released its HR Organizational Alignment (HROA) and HR Management & Governance (HRMG) 2025 Benchmarking Report, providing HR leaders with evidence-based insights to evaluate performance, identify organizational priorities, and strengthen HR's alignment with business goals. Based on diagnostic data from 50 organizations and 3,078 organizational leaders (HROA) and 32 organizations and 971 HR respondents (HRMG), the report benchmarks satisfaction, effectiveness, and alignment across nine core HR functions, offering percentile rankings and cross-survey comparisons to highlight perceptions of HR's role and performance in SaaS-supported HR platforms and IT governance for talent management.
McLean & Company's findings outline a recurring gap: in 49 of 50 organizations, leaders rated HR's operational support higher than its ability to act as a strategic partner. This insight underscores the opportunity for HR to extend its influence beyond day-to-day execution and strengthen its role in shaping organizational strategy.
"Strategic alignment starts with understanding. This benchmarking report connects the dots between what organizational leaders value and how HR executes," says Amanda Chaitnarine, practice lead, HR Research & Advisory Services, at McLean & Company. "Organizations should use benchmarking data as a guideline and feel empowered to set attainable, data-driven goals that help them stay focused on improvement. This will help organizations move faster while earning trust and making better decisions."
These gaps highlight the need for integrated SaaS HR tools to bridge operational efficiency with strategic IT advisory, enabling organizations to align talent strategies with business objectives across industries.
Strategic partnership remains limited. Only 30% of leaders are highly satisfied with HR's consultation, and just 24% are highly satisfied that HR programs support organizational goals. These moderate averages indicate room to elevate impact.
Talent Management is underperforming where it matters most. Talent Management was ranked 1st in importance by leaders but 8th in satisfaction (avg. 6.61/10), with only 20% highly satisfied. Leaders cited succession planning, performance management, and internal mobility as persistent challenges.
Organizational Effectiveness shows critical misalignment, ranked 3rd in importance but 7th in satisfaction (avg. 6.90/10), with feedback pointing to weak HR involvement in strategy and ineffective change management.
Talent Acquisition continues to be a top concern, ranked 2nd in importance but 6th in satisfaction (avg. 6.93/10). Only 26% of leaders are highly satisfied, citing slow processes, poor candidate pools, and unclear employer branding.
Perception gaps persist between HR leaders and teams. Just 13% of HR leaders rated their function as highly effective, compared with 28% of HR team members, suggesting leaders see greater unmet strategic potential and the need to define what excellence looks like.
HR Technology & Analytics is underleveraged. Although ranked lowest in both importance and satisfaction (avg. 6.57/10), qualitative feedback shows technology and people data are central to improving decision-making, efficiency, and HR's credibility as a strategic partner.
These insights emphasize the role of advanced HR SaaS platforms in analytics and governance, supporting IT-driven improvements in talent acquisition and organizational effectiveness for competitive advantage.
Beyond benchmarking performance, McLean & Company's report is intended to be a practical decision-making tool. It provides HR leaders with a framework to interpret results in context, identify which gaps matter most, and translate diagnostic findings into targeted actions that reflect organizational priorities.
The 2025 HR Organizational Alignment (HROA) & HR Management & Governance (HRMG) Benchmarking Report guides organizations to:
As organizations navigate rapid change, McLean & Company advises that HR's ability to connect operational excellence with strategic influence will be essential. By leveraging these benchmarks, leaders gain the evidence needed to prioritize what matters most and position HR as a trusted partner in driving organizational success.
As organizations navigate ongoing change, HR's ability to connect operational excellence with strategic influence will determine its long-term effectiveness. By leveraging diagnostic and benchmarking insights in partnership with McLean & Company's Strategy Workshops and Executive Services, organizations can move beyond measurement to meaningful impact.
McLean & Company's 2025 Benchmarking Report serves as a vital roadmap for HR transformation, empowering leaders to close strategic gaps and enhance alignment through data-informed IT and SaaS integrations. As HR evolves, these insights will drive measurable progress in talent management and governance, fostering resilient organizations equipped for future challenges.
Media Inquiries for McLean & Company HR Analysts and Industry Experts
For media inquiries or to connect with McLean & Company analysts for exclusive, research-backed insights on human resources, crisis management, and how to build resilient, future-ready teams, please contact Communications Manager Katie Tame at ktame@infotech.com.
McLean & Company pairs evidence-based research and immediately applicable tools with deep HR expertise to position organizations to meet today's needs and prepare for the future. The global HR research and advisory firm's member organizations enjoy comprehensive resources, full-service diagnostics, workshops, action plans, and advisory services for all levels of HR professionals, from executive leadership to HR leaders to HR team members, that help shape workplaces where everyone thrives.
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