Cloud, Mobile, ERP integration.
These are the major HR tech driver buzzwords for 2016. We can all agree that after the years of “Training” and “Coaching”, the next large (and fashionable) area of HR consultancy is developing integrated internet/computer based stuff which can help HR to work better.
Dear HR leader, are you fully aware what these buzzwords mean, and why they are useful to you? Is it important for you that you store your data on a server, on your computer, or in the cloud? Is it important for you that your employees are receiving your 360 degrees survey on their mobile or do you want them to stick to the company provided notebooks?
IT and HR remain divided by a large gap. Based on our research, a majority of HRprofessionals are people focused (not a big surprise), while our research also reveals that good IT professionals are process oriented. When IBM acquired Kenexa in 2012 we waited for a miracle to happen: Finally an excellent data management company merges with a highly reputable test provider nothing can be missed, it’s all going to be a huge success. HR processes such as planning for turnover and new hiring just simply can be automated! After three and a half years no major change has been achieved, no miracles happened, IT platforms remained as IT tools, HR continued to use them for administration. Sales figures for the product do not exist. Formerly successful IT consultants are not able to maintain the volume of sales they had attained with their previous products. Only two startups from the HR sector got to the top of the heap, and became unicorns; Qualitrics and Pluralsight. Although the last few months are not supportive for the industry (look at the LinkedIn stock price!) what is the real issue here?
HR Tech cannot be approached with the same sales methods that are productive for the sales of mainframe servers to an IT department. HR Tech providers can only be successful if they apply strong technical knowledge to carefully plan their platforms to focus on people. Their messages should be oriented to solve the obstacles of HR, and they must change their language!
Only companies that are able to combine people from Mars (IT) and Venus (HR) will be able to make it – they will be the ones that will really disrupt this industry and answer the real challenges of HR.
