Poor collaboration and internal communication between departments is costing businesses at least 15 hours every week, a third of HR professionals have warned.
Research from HR technology specialist, Access Group found that 23 per cent of people in the sector see ‘inefficiency and excess administration’ as the biggest challenge to productivity over the next 12 months, while another 11 per cent say ‘departmental silos’ are their main barrier.
The poll suggests that current HR processes are at odds with the three top trends for the coming year, which respondents identify as ‘workplace connectivity and collaboration’ (22 per cent), ‘people data and analytics’ (22 per cent) and ‘efficiency and automation’ (21 per cent).
Damian Oldham, divisional director, HCM, Access Group, said:
“Our survey shows a real disconnect between what HR professionals think the future will look like, and the reality. Losing two working days a week simply because departments are not working together is alarming, and could easily equate to the salary of another part-time employee. Worse still, HR teams often spend a great deal of time chasing what could be out-of-date information from other departments, which may result in poor decision-making.
“The majority of those we interviewed said they see technology as an integral part of their people strategy, yet few believe their existing HR systems, which may only integrate with basic payroll, are up to the job.”
Damian added that the findings reflected some of the key trends outlined in a recent report, The rise of the social enterprise: 2018 Deloitte Global Human Capital Trends.
“As outlined in the report, we’re witnessing a sea change in the way a company’s success is measured,” he said.
“Traditional businesses are being replaced with ‘social enterprises’ that align commercial growth with the needs of all their stakeholders, including employees, customers and the wider community. Digital technology is one of the driving forces behind this transformation, giving businesses data on what their teams want and value, and creating platforms for teams to collaborate.”
Rebecca joined the HRreview editorial team in January 2016. After graduating from the University of Sheffield Hallam in 2013 with a BA in English Literature, Rebecca has spent five years working in print and online journalism in Manchester and London. In the past she has been part of the editorial teams at Sleeper and Dezeen and has founded her own arts collective.
