With hybrid working the next normal , how can the HR function use technology as an enabler for better employee experiences ? Business Chief talks to Andrew Duncan , Infosys Consulting and Brian Kropp , Gartner

WRITTEN BY : KATE BIRCH

But this is starting to change , as HR technology budgets and expectations grow , says Gartner ’ s Group Vice President Brian Kropp , a man known for providing cutting-edge insights to the most progressive HR execs .

“ With the widespread shift to remote work , HR technology leaders quickly had to address how to move a wide array of employee processes , such as performance management , onboarding and learning into a virtual space , sharply illustrating the increasing need to include HR technology input into workforce planning ,” Kropp told Business Chief .

Pre-pandemic , business typically took incremental steps to rolling out digitisation programmes , according to Andrew Duncan , UK CEO at Infosys Consulting , with a phased approach over a number of years , and often held up by the involvement of too many stakeholders , lack of immediate ROI , and overcoming legacy systems and tech stacks .

“ However , over 12 months into the pandemic , we have certainly seen organisations accelerate their HR digital transformation , as a necessity rather than a ‘ nice-to-have ’,” says Duncan , pointing in particular to the cloud , which , in an effort to maintain operations during the pandemic , has been “ a winner of 2020 across all facets of business , including HR ”.

And with hybrid expected to become the next working norm ( Gartner projects that 48 % of employees will keep working remotely at least some of the time postpandemic ) digital transformation of the HR function utilising the cloud , AI , big data , analytics and VR , is expected to accelerate . And fast .

194 June 2021