The past three years have really pushed HR teams to their limits.
COVID-19 placed a limelight on HR and its function within the business – it is no surprise that HR teams are facing sky-high rates of burnout and stress as a result. But challenges didn’t stop as the pandemic eased – now HR teams are grappling with an economic crisis, and resulting budget cuts.
The HR department has not only been on the frontline having difficult conversations with employees being laid off, but it has also faced significant cuts to its own teams.
Research by employee management platform Humaans found that six in ten HR teams have reduced in size in the last 18 months – recruiters have been one of the top job roles to face cuts as recession looms and companies implement hiring freezes.
As a result, HR teams feel understaffed, according to a Humaans survey of 1,000 HR leaders in the US and Europe.
Talking about the findings, Humaans CEO and co-founder Giovanni Luperti shares with UNLEASH: “As cuts to talent functions persist, they’re working at lower capacity, and have to adapt company strategy from aggressive hiring and fast-paced onboarding to a more efficient and strategic one on how to deliver the most value and plan for adjusted org structures.
“The roles of HR and people leaders are now vital in helping an organization plan for their next phase of growth and navigate the downturn.”
For HR teams, the key to doing more with less, and being able to continue supporting the business despite having small teams, is to lean on technology.
In this context, HR teams need to do more with less, and they make sure they only spend their finite capital on good, fit-for-purpose technology. Doing so could significantly save time, according to 55% of the HR leaders surveyed by Humaans.
The Humaans’ report found that the right HR technology is highly secure, and integrates efficiently with the company’s core HR systems. 61% believe that data security in HR tech could be improved, while 56% agreed that having integrated tools would drive value, notably saving the department time and money.
“At the end of the day, the success of any company hinges on the success of its people, and a robust HR tech stack is a powerful component to enable that success”, concludes Luperti.
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