UK REPORT: Integrating HR and IT becoming critical relationship for greater organisation effectiveness

“… The research revealed that HR technology is still not being used to its full potential to deliver truly strategic support to the HR team…”

LONDON — IT and HR professionals recognise the value that HR technology can add to the business but this is not reflected by a drive to improve the integration and functionality of HR technology systems.

www.hrmagazine.co.uk reported that a study by Taleo HR Systems examines the relationship between IT and HR departments and the impact this has on organisations’ use of HR technology. The research found that 85% of UK respondents, in both HR and IT, think that effective deployment of HR technology can help HR add better value to the business.

But only 33% of UK organisations are 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%) of IT departments believe that HR technology is sufficiently integrated, this view is not shared by the majority of HR departments, with just 47% 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.

Currently HR technology is being used for training and development (72%), external recruiting (67%), compensation (62%), performance management (55%), internal mobility (54%), onboarding (43%) and succession planning (40%).

Chris Phillips, vice president, international marketing at Taleo, said: “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.

Chris Phillips concluded by saying: “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.”