HR technology challenges
Technology – HR’s challenge
Maria Black, Managing director at ADP UK, reviews recent research results and explains why one of HR’s great challenges could become its greatest strength
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s UK companies prepare for economic recovery and business confidence continues to grow, it seems employees are ready to embrace technology – believing it helps them achieve a better work-life balance and work more effectively.
Indeed, ADP’s own recent research –
the Workforce View 2013 – highlighted the continued impact technology is having on the workplace, with almost half (45%) saying it had changed their role or career in the past year. Contrary to fears about technology blurring the lines between work and home life, many employees actually welcome the ability technology gives them to take greater responsibility in managing their working life, with 21% asserting it helps them achieve a better work-life balance.
One in ten also say technology helps them do their job better, enabling them to work more flexibly. Appropriate and supplied tools are an aspect of work that has evolved from being solely a perk to an expectation, and one that will only become more important as flexible working rights for all employees are introduced this year. Although flexible working has become part of the mainstream discussion regarding the working environment, clearly there is still progress to be made. Around a quarter of employees currently have some degree of flexibility over their working hours, despite a call from a much greater proportion of employees (37%) who want complete flexibility. Interestingly, the issue can also play an important role in how staff view their organisation, as employees are significantly more likely to see their employer as ‘dynamic’ when they are equipped with the tools for flexible working. While older workers are more positive about the role of technology in working
life, the research reveals a degree of intergenerational tension around IT. Some older workers believe their younger peers expect to get promoted more quickly because they are tech-savvy – a warning shot for human resources (HR) professionals, who will have to manage a workforce with an increasingly diverse set of needs, goals and expectations. But a greater diversity in the age mix could in turn present opportunities for businesses in the form of more diverse knowledge, experience and attitudes. This diversity is a source of strength for the multi- generational organisation, and HR teams need to consider how they can make the most of it.
among 205 UK HR directors (HRDs), it was found that 63% say technology has changed how they communicate with staff – citing improved collaboration as the chief benefit, followed closely by two-way communication. The research also revealed a strong
degree of alignment on employee engagement, with HRDs and employees agreeing that ‘praise and recognition’ is the number one driver for motivating people. Both sets of people surveyed also agreed that flexible working conditions are the second most important factor in motivation. HRDs also ranked talent management and retention as the top ‘talent threat’
...RESEARCH REVEALS A DEGREE OF INTERGENERATIONAL TENSION AROUND IT...
The research, based on a survey of more than 2,500 employees around the country, painted a picture of a positive workforce on the whole – almost half of the respondents believe that ‘the worst is over’, and 64% of employees are optimistic about their career prospects in the decade ahead. Perhaps the most positive aspect of all, from an HR perspective, is that the research found that HR-related industries are the most enthusiastic about embracing technology, with employees in recruitment (38%) and HR (32%) positive about the impact of technology on working life. In contrast, only 15% of workers in legal roles and 20% in customer services cite technology as helping them achieve a better work-life balance. The general workforce was not alone in recognising the positive impact of technology.
In fact, in parallel research conducted
to their organisation for 2014, followed by succession planning and employee engagement. With the growing use of workforce
analytics as more HR departments look to harness the power of ‘big data’, it is certainly not unrealistic to suggest that technology could play a growing role in tackling all of these issues. Above all, it is hugely encouraging to see that HRDs are in tune with the needs and expectations of a modern workforce, but the real challenge lies ahead. As the ‘war for talent’ continues – and with recent research suggesting as many as one in five are looking to change jobs this year – identifying, retaining and developing the best talent will be key. Key to achieving best-in-class performance for HR departments, and central to the HR function’s impact on the business as a whole.
PP PayrollProfessional 43
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