What Will 2016 Hold for HR Technology?

Technology is becoming a key part of successful HR departments around the globe.

Heading into next year, innovations will change the very nature of this department and improvements in HRIS software will spur a new perspective when it comes to managing employees.

Technology to become focused on employees

A report from Bersin by Deloitte predicts that the overall aim of technology use in 2016 will be to capture productivity from improved performance management. Rather than simply boosting the capabilities of HR professionals, platforms will focus on the employee and how firms encourage collaboration, maintain high satisfaction levels, and even help workers become more effective leaders.

One of the key trends is the emergence of mobile HR platforms. Bersin stated that these will go beyond mobile-enabled web applications into their own standalone systems.

A good solution will be easy to use, location-enabled and take advantage of an array of different features and services. Through new platforms, all HR managers can more effectively get feedback on staff productivity and deliver information quickly.

The move to mobile platforms makes sense when you consider how often Australians use their devices in a typical day. According to Deloitte’s 2015 Mobile Consumer Survey, the average person will check their smartphone around 30 times per day. After waking up, 81 per cent of users check their smartphone within the hour and 72 per cent will do so an hour before falling sleep.

How can firms better manage technology adoption?

According to Gartner, IT leaders have an opportunity to contribute to HR efforts through carefully selecting an effective platform for the unique needs of their business.

The organisation explained that CIOs need to consider whether they have the required elements in the current internal structure.This includes:

• A strong team of senior leaders
• A robust system for IT governance that can prioritise organisational requirements
• The required human capital management technology strategy that covers the next three to five years
• A business strategy which has clear outcomes and links to all HR plans

If managers are unsure of their internal capabilities, seeking assistance from HR consulting may be a wise option to ensure your business is ready to use technology to unlock the full potential of employees.