Research has revealed that while the vast majority of both IT and HR professionals recognise the value that HR technology can add to the business, this is not reflected by a drive to improve the integration and functionality of HR technology systems.

The Taleo HR Systems Survey examines the relationship between IT and HR departments and the impact this has of organisations’ use of HR technology. The research found that 85 percent of UK respondents, in both HR and IT, think that effective deployment of HR technology can help HR add better value to the business.

However, this is not reflected in organisations’ plans for the future with only 33 percent of UK organisations planning to improve their use of HR technology with further integration within the next two years.

The reason that greater integration is a priority for such a small number of businesses, seems to be due to a difference in expectations between the IT and HR departments. While the majority (73 percent) of IT departments believe that HR technology is sufficiently integrated, this view is not shared by the majority of HR departments, with just 47 percent thinking that no further systems integration is required.

The Taleo HR Systems Survey also examined which HR functions are most commonly supported by technology. The research revealed that HR technology is still not being used to its full potential to deliver truly strategic support to the HR team. More mature processes, such as training and development and external recruiting, were the most likely to be supported by technology.

More strategic HR processes, such as onboarding and succession planning, were the least likely to have a technology system in place.

“The fact that the majority of IT teams think that their work is done when it comes to HR technology, while most HR departments think there is still greater integration required, is a clear sign that expectations over the role of HR systems differ significantly between the two departments,” commented Chris Phillips, vice president, international marketing, Taleo.

“While it is encouraging that so many businesses now realise the added business value that effectively deployed HR technology can provide, greater understanding between the two departments is needed if organisations are to realise the full benefits of these systems.”

“Having technology systems to support individual HR functions such as external recruitment or employee development will improve the efficiency and cost effectiveness of those processes,” continued Chris Phillips, “However, while these systems operate in silos, with limited integration, they will never be able to add the kind of strategic insight and talent intelligence that businesses are now demanding to optimise their workforce.

“A fully unified talent management system, that pools all the data retained and makes it accessible to both managers and HR, can provide this insight, allowing the HR team to add far more to the business by building critical talent pipelines, increasing talent mobility and improving leadership bench strength.”