Almost all companies have felt the impact of changing technologies in various areas of their business. These days, the ability of businesses to adapt or even pay attention to new tech often makes the difference between falling behind or enjoying a competitive advantage. Very often human resources serves as the backbone of a company's ability to cope. In this dynamic and ultra-competitive environment the HR department has the burden of finding, managing, and retaining the best people to support business goals.
In this way, HR should lead the way in understanding how integrative tech developments can enhance workforce strategies, support overall business goals, and work more efficiently. The right tech stack will improve a company's ability to engage, hire, manage, and retain the right people in an effective, efficient, and attractive way. What integrative technology do successful HR departments need to understand?
what do we mean by integrated technology?
In the old days, technology tended to exist in silos. For instance, software development, hardware operations, and networking tended to work in their own isolated departments. Very often, they also worked quite independently of the business departments they were meant to serve.
These days, successful businesses have brought their tech in closer alignment with the objectives that it serves and with other kinds of technology. Progressive companies use their drive, processes, and technology to share and communicate with each other too.
consider some integrative technology examples
For example, we reported earlier upon our Randstad investment in talent analytics to help optimize the workforce based upon existing resources, business goals, and procurement requirements. While talent analytics can make it easier to make informed hiring or promotion decisions, it may rely upon sophisticated and diverse technology that could include big data, cloud storage, analytics software, mobile tech, networking, and even AI.
The HR Tech Weekly also emphasized the crucial nature of HR and how important it was for this department to take the lead in exploiting new technology to support both recruiting and the many other functions this department is usually responsible for.
These are some examples the HR Tech Weekly article highlighted:
1. Cloud computing offers a secure, efficient, and reliable way for departments to store and access reams of information about job candidates and current employees.
2. HR departments can use social networks, mobile computing, and other platforms to further engage prospects and employees in proven ways.
3. Big data, analytics, and AI can help companies make good decisions about which prospects to hire and which to promote.
how do companies and their HR departments benefit?
Of course, the first benefit of understanding and using integrative technology is that it can help HR support their company through better decision making. HR departments have access to technology that makes it efficient to build their brand, bring in prospects, keep track of information, and make better predictions.
Companies also shouldn't overlook the second obvious benefit of using technology to work more efficiently and to turn that efficiency into savings and improved profits. This integrated suite of technology offers a better alternative to reams of paper files and even many distributed computer systems that have been patched together in the past to offer a fraction of the benefits.
take the next step to use integrative technologies to support workforce strategies
At Randstad, we fuel innovation in HR tech in order to take the lead in our industry, so we can pass the benefits of our investments to you. We provide state-of-the art platforms for recruiting, engagement, and vetting job candidates. Learn more about our HR technology portfolio.
If you want to know more about the HR trends driving change in 2018, request our annual trends report here.