Aconso, a provider of cloud-based software for HR, has released findings today that show current workflow issues leave UK HR teams overwhelmed and unable embrace major trends around an increasingly digital workforce.
aconso commissioned a study of 250 senior HR leaders in order to assess the current state of HR in UK following its recent entry into the market via its partnership with Veritas Prime. The report, Unlocking HR’s Potential through AI and Digital Transformation: Transitioning from Manual To Meaningful, surveyed 650 senior HR leaders worldwide.
According to the data, 73% of UK-based HR leaders struggle to align their strategies with rapidly changing business goals while still focusing on employee needs. The data shows that 73% of UK HR leaders are struggling to align their strategy with rapidly changing business objectives, while maintaining a focus on employee needs.
Manually managing changes to policies and processes can lead to errors (54%) as well as time lost that could have been spent on initiatives that add value for the business (53%) or, more importantly, burnout and a decrease in morale (48%) if not done properly.
Workloads and workflows in HR are inhibiting innovation
It is understandable that UK HR leaders have little time to direct their teams towards the innovation required to keep up with the major trends which they expect to be heading their way.
According to HR leaders, four trends are likely to have a significant impact on the function and the broader workforce in the next three-five years:
- AI (63%)
- Greater focus on employee experience and well-being initiatives (60%)
- Retraining the workforce in order to adopt new technologies (59%)
- The need to quantify the impact of HR initiatives (58%)
In addition to the problem of a stretched team, HR professionals also face a “tech overload”. HR leaders report that fragmented, ineffective solutions increase the workload of their teams (53%), and they are unable to meet HR’s specific demands because the tools used are too generic (64%).
HR leaders, for example, say that their teams spend too much time ensuring compliance with policies changes and addressing employees’ concerns (70%), maintaining materials such as employee documents (60%), and securing signatures from employees (49%).
Ulrich Jaenicke is the Co-Founder and CEO of aconso. He comments: “The rush after pandemic to implement digital technology has left many HR departments with core workflow issues due to disjointed system, siloed information, and manual process. The feeling of being overworked and overwhelmed leaves HR teams little time to focus their efforts on tasks that unlock value for people or businesses, even though it is what they desire.
“Technology is valuable, but only when it enhances the HR team’s experience and not adds more challenges. To unlock HR’s full potential and to drive meaningful change, AI and digital investments are needed.
How HR leaders intend to use technology in order to unlock HR potential
Leaders are aware of the strain HR faces and know that they need to quickly resolve current issues in order to reduce workloads and improve experiences for their teams. According to the research, HR leaders believe that there are four areas where they can have the greatest impact on current workflows and frustrations.
- AI and automation: AI is the top investment for 61% of companies, with 99% using it already in automated document management, payroll, and benefits.
- Self-service tools are a good idea: 58% of respondents see the value in digitizing employee documents, making them available via self-service apps and boosting employee engagement.
- Dedicated HR Solutions: 56% of respondents would prefer to invest in dedicated solutions for HR rather than generic tools, to overcome the problem of technology not meeting their needs.
- A new tech stack – 54% of respondents said that a new stack would help reduce the current issues with ‘tech overload’, disparate processes and data and errors caused by ‘tech overwhelm’.
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The original version of this article UK HR leaders too overwhelmed by technology to meet employee demands and keep up with major trends appeared first on Human Resources News.
