Spotted at UNLEASH: The 5 biggest challenges facing HR today—and how technology can help
On October 12 and 13, UNLEASH World took place in Paris—the epicenter for HR, recruitment, and training professionals. With leading speakers on the latest trends and developments in HRIT land, a large exhibition floor, and endless networking opportunities. Eveline van Bergen, managing consultant at SuccessDay, attended and lays out the 5 biggest HR challenges for you. Furthermore, she explains what role technology can play in meeting those challenges.
Some 5,000 visitors came to UNLEASH World this year, the first edition that was able to go ahead again after the coronavirus outbreak. Eveline attended the large, international HRIT event together with her colleagues Balázs Székely, Bas Eggelaar and Ruben Stavast. She has been working at SuccessDay for three years now, where she manages a team of business consultants who are based at various clients. She also fulfills various roles with clients during HRIT implementations, such as Project Manager or Functional Lead.
At UNLEASH, 80 to 90 percent of the solutions offered by software vendors focused on recruiting and selecting new talent and mapping the skills of existing talent within organizations. But there were other hot topics as well. Eveline lays them out for you below.
- Finding the right people
Talent acquisition is HR’s biggest challenge today. The shortage on the labor market has never been more palpable. To attract and retain the right people, a good salary and excellent fringe benefits are no longer enough. To be truly competitive, you will have to show potential employees what your organization stands for. Your employer brand can help better convey your purpose through HR technology. “At UNLEASH, I saw many HRIT features that can automate and simplify the recruitment process. For example, with the help of technology you have access to a larger talent pool, you can use video interviews for job applications, applicants can schedule an appointment online at their own convenience, and you can use an AI assistant to answer frequently asked questions about the application process. Make sure your communication and processes are in line with the values and culture of your organization. For example, use personalization and implement your corporate identity in the tooling. Also, make sure not to automate everything. Standard rejection emails (‘Don’t call us, we’ll call you’) are considered not done these days.” - Find your internal talent and skills
Rapid continuing education have become the new normal. Work is constantly evolving and identifying skills already present within the organization was a hot topic at UNLEASH. As many organizations struggle to fill their positions, it is crucial to look at this carefully. However, there is often insufficient insight into the existing skills of current staff. HRIT can support the business by mapping internal skills and mobility opportunities. Eveline: “It sounds simple, but in practice oftentimes it is not. As an organization, how do you ensure that your employees keep their skills up to date in an HRIT system? What happens when new skills are introduced, when further training is completed or when job requirements change? To have good insight into the skills of your staff, your data must be in order. To take full advantage of all this, you need to engage your employees and let them experience the benefits of keeping this data up to date.” Once organizations have up-to-date skills data, they can use both internal and external data sources to identify skills gaps and trends. - Get used to “the new normal”
Organizations will have to get used to the fact that things are always changing and that things are not going to be “plain and ordinary” for a while. To keep employees on board in a constantly changing environment, good communication is not enough. Make sure there is enough focus on change management, use the right tooling and training to help people get used to new situations—and be aware that not everyone reacts the same way to change. “Make use of personas, visualizations, adapt your tooling to different needs, and remove obstacles. And finally: set a good example as management—practice what you preach,” says Eveline. - Focus on sustainability and well-being
Since the beginning of the pandemic, HR has been critical in supporting companies in the shift to remote working and is also heavily involved in protecting the health and safety of employees. Many organizations are working on wellness initiatives and measuring employee satisfaction. “At UNLEASH, I saw a demo of a new digital platform within CEGID Talentsoft that is a social barometer for capturing well-being. It allows organizations to diagnose different indicators of employee engagement and respond accordingly. Employees can also suggest opportunities for improvement that can be turned into an action plan through the tool. Here you can think of exercise during working hours, coaching, as well as ways to reduce workload.” - Working remotely
Companies are finally starting to get used to their models of long-term hybrid or telecommuting, and this is having a significant impact on the way employees interact. Working relationships and trust are more important than ever. Tech solutions are indispensable in a remote culture. “At UNLEASH, I saw many vendors jumping into this gap, for example with a new ‘layer’ on top of Zoom that allows you to look over the shoulder of participants/colleagues during a training or test session, for example. Another example is being able to book a flex desk or meeting room in the office online or a tool that provides insight into who is physically present on a given day.”
SuccessDay unburdens organizations during HR transformations. It provides independent advice and practical support before, during, and after the transition to a new digital HRIT/HCM system. Furthermore, it makes HR data insightful with People Analytics and helps organizations improve their employee experience.
In the following blog read what Balázs Székely, AMS agent at SuccessDay, learned from UNLEASH.
