What can HR expect from the ever-changing world of technology this year? Here’s consulting firm Watson Wyatt’s top 10 HR technology trends for 2002.
1. Enhanced workplace portals and intranets. As enterprise portals evolve into worker productivity tools, several HR domains will benefit from new online solutions, including e-health tools, compensation systems and performance management.
2. Increased technology access. Companies will continue initiatives to get more employees Web-connected, allowing greater access to corporate systems and HR information from home or travel.
3. Greater reliance on return-on-investment tools. Top management will exert more pressure on HR to justify investments in HR technology through ROI analysis and business case development.
4. Growing focus on optimizing current HR systems. Sensibility will be the key factor as companies seek system optimization and integration solutions. Trends will include improving legacy systems and connecting existing disparate systems.
5. Virtual workplaces. To increase worker productivity, approaches such as online meetings, project team workspaces, Web conferences and video conferencing will continue to gain popularity.
6. Decision support tools. Traditionally the province of finance, HR will begin using analytical tools to measure the success of HR practices and to predict future results.
7. Business continuance planning. The 2001 terrorist attacks spurred a new understanding of HR’s critical role in helping companies get people back to work by providing space, systems and support employees need. Look for sharpened HR involvement in employee communications and disaster recovery plans.
8. Increased standardization of data schemes and structure. Growing co-operation between organizations will continue the trend of standards for HR domains.
9. Attention to small cost-saving measures that add up. HR will focus on the cumulative effect of additional process improvements and cost-saving initiatives, such as technologies that improve data accuracy and ease data access.
10. Demand for better integration and collaboration between vendors. HR will carefully select technologies to meet overall business needs and examine how vendor services can be bundled. Vendor performance measurement and ease of integration with other solutions will be critical factors.
1. Enhanced workplace portals and intranets. As enterprise portals evolve into worker productivity tools, several HR domains will benefit from new online solutions, including e-health tools, compensation systems and performance management.
2. Increased technology access. Companies will continue initiatives to get more employees Web-connected, allowing greater access to corporate systems and HR information from home or travel.
3. Greater reliance on return-on-investment tools. Top management will exert more pressure on HR to justify investments in HR technology through ROI analysis and business case development.
4. Growing focus on optimizing current HR systems. Sensibility will be the key factor as companies seek system optimization and integration solutions. Trends will include improving legacy systems and connecting existing disparate systems.
5. Virtual workplaces. To increase worker productivity, approaches such as online meetings, project team workspaces, Web conferences and video conferencing will continue to gain popularity.
6. Decision support tools. Traditionally the province of finance, HR will begin using analytical tools to measure the success of HR practices and to predict future results.
7. Business continuance planning. The 2001 terrorist attacks spurred a new understanding of HR’s critical role in helping companies get people back to work by providing space, systems and support employees need. Look for sharpened HR involvement in employee communications and disaster recovery plans.
8. Increased standardization of data schemes and structure. Growing co-operation between organizations will continue the trend of standards for HR domains.
9. Attention to small cost-saving measures that add up. HR will focus on the cumulative effect of additional process improvements and cost-saving initiatives, such as technologies that improve data accuracy and ease data access.
10. Demand for better integration and collaboration between vendors. HR will carefully select technologies to meet overall business needs and examine how vendor services can be bundled. Vendor performance measurement and ease of integration with other solutions will be critical factors.
