Daniel Martín
By Daniel Martín on January 28, 2022

Hybrid working – the big HR and IT challenge

HR has become one of the most important areas to boost Employee Experiencia within the new hybrid model. 

There can be no question that the technology has enabled teams to continue working during the pandemic.

The “Remote Work in Western Europe” report reveals that 44% of businesses are more favourable to let employees work at least two days a week from home, followed by other options, such as one day working from home (29%). 

This article will discuss some ways companies can enhance digital proficiency in HR. Before that, we’ll analyze how to develop a digital transformation process based on the relationship between HR and IT. 

During the last few years, companies began to massively use tools, software and apps that did allow automatic payment processing, inventory control management, “Hot Desking” applications, personnel management or talent management software. Human Resources is joining this digital revolution to create a more efficient and connected workplace.

Our suggestion is to improve the relationship between IT and HR. With that said, let’s dive in and discover with us how these two areas can collaborate and what are the benefits of that.

   

Focus on Employee Experience - not Employee Engagement- in both cases

 

Technology plays a pivotal role in making a positive impact on our employees. HR is using some new technologies to enhance employee engagement and attract, develop and gain the loyalty of talented workers. 

Digital Employee Platforms have become the link between employees and the organization. They enable departments like HR and IT to jointly deliver a robust user experience while maintaining your departmental requirements and workflows.

Technology plays a key role in the employee experience. 

According to a study carried out in 8 countries by The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), it is a fundamental driver of productivity, well-being and engagement. These are some of the main contributions to the employee experience that technology can make:

 

  • Easy access to an amount of relevant employment information. 
  • Easy-to-use platforms with an improved user interface
  • Employees can work on any project from anywhere in any device using cloud computing services 

 

It is also possible for HR and IT to put aside their differences and start collaborating to improve the employee experience (EX) through seamless communication between the two areas.

 

New Talent Management processes 

 

Implementing easy-to-access and intuitive tools will allow Human Resources to manage the available talent.

Communication systems, remote training, onboarding or virtual selection, represent a perfect technical solution for distributed and flexible teams. IT and HR teams can join together to make these tools easy for employees.

With an unprecedented expansion in numbers of new talent management platforms emerging, the user must have the best possible experience. Microlearning platforms incorporate specific content that can reinforce employee training within hybrid environments.

 

Internal Communication

 

IT and Human Resources can jointly design a business plan to improve talent management processes, with an action plan aimed at that goal.

Communication between employees and managers is one of the keys to success. Offering platforms where information flows quickly is one of the common goals of the IT and People management departments. 

This intuitive communication platform will help employees have a great quality experience that they will remember forever. 

 

The IT experience to improve the Employee Experience

 

Cloud computing technology has become the most agile way to work and communicate remotely. HR does not usually value integration between systems, forcing their employees to use many tools that only generates confusion and stress, with the consequent lack of productivity. 

The possibility of using APIs (Application Programming Interface) will allow the technical department to sort out these system interconnection problems, which will significantly boost the quality of the Employee Experience.

IT can continue to help HR choose and integrate SAML 2.0-compliant tools that enable single sign-on; in other words, it will allow the user to use one password for all available tools.

On the other hand, IT can contribute its knowledge and supervise that the software can import and export massive data,  compatible with multiple formats and platforms.

 

Information Security Management System

 

According to a recent survey carried out by Linkedin, the Covid crisis has placed confidence in 34 points, in a range that includes between -100 and +100 points; that is, a decrease of 4 points compared to the previous survey.

With the data collected from this survey, due not exclusively to the way HR manage employee information, misuse of personal data may cause a definitive confidence gap between employees and the company. 

At this point, the mission of the technicians is to supervise that the new tools meet all the basic security requirements. Our software must follow the basic regulatory commitments and have a clear backup and encryption policy. 

Human Resources will use safe and reliable tools, and employees will be sure that their data is fully secure and easily accessible.

 

Analyze Employee Experience

 

A recent report by Gallup titled “The State of the Global Workplace in 2021” says that employee engagement had fallen over the past year. It concluded that work stress reached 43% in 2020.

Technology helps us to understand the perception of employees, as well as to know their experience and their satisfaction status.

Human Resources can analyze all this data to improve the employee experience, attract, retain and develop human talent.

 

People Analytics

 

IT can help with the implementation and integration of these technologies. Data analysis allows HR to look more globally and horizontally and make relevant decisions in the organization. In addition, it will encourage People to demonstrate ROI (return on investment) to the company's management.

Human Resources can obtain measurements and reliable meaningful data series that shows the importance of having the accurate technology to measure them efficiently, after being clear about what type of data we want to obtain.

Some Human Resources metrics allow you to measure the performance of your workforce in different areas. You can monitor various metrics to assess recruiting processes (Time to Hire, Source Channel, or Cost per Hire), monitor the performance of employees who work from home, or those related to revenue (Absenteeism from work, Cost per employee, or Cost per employee turnover).

 

Employees' digital skills

 

Learning new skills and improving as a professional can add value to employees in an essentially digital world like this one. IT can help Human Resources face a dynamic market that demands basic digital skills.

Micro-learning digital platforms are gaining ground as the most effective way to produce content that attracts employees. IT can contribute to creating content within these new platforms, so the tool fits the needs of the company. 

 

New technologies 

 

The key to future success will depend on technologies that will impact the human resources function; Artificial Intelligence, Industry 4.0, Blockchain, bots, etc. will be the bases of a radical change in the sector.

Task automation, data verification in the selection processes or the possibility of maintaining communication with the candidate or employee, would make it possible for HR to put any unresolved, repetitive and low-value processes behind us. In addition to increasing the productivity, security and clarity of those same practices.