Why do HR technology projects succeed?

84% of over 1000 global organizations with combined HR technology budgets of $4 billion told us they felt their HR projects were unsuccessful. Yikes.

• Only 22% thought their project adhered to the budgeted costs
• 19% said their projects kept to the original timelines
• 11% believe they improved the employee experience

All this begs the question: what do they need to succeed?

What do we in HR need to do more of in order to implement HR technology that doesn’t just work, but truly makes a difference to the working lives of millions of people – and positively impacts businesses performance and bottom lines?

Your chance to have a say!

Our new research into ‘Why HR projects succeed’ is now open and we’d love it if you could find the time to take part. Launched in partnership with ServiceNow we are looking at the main areas of investment both in terms of time and money, to unpack where we should focus our energy. These include:

• Employee experience
• HR teams and skills
• HR technology and ecosystems
• Digital adoption

Adapt or die in the ‘new normal’?

Almost two years after all our lives changed so dramatically with the onset of COVID-19, we know now that there won’t be a return to ‘normal’ (whatever that was). McKinsey has dubbed the current state of play in the world of work as the ‘Great Adaptation’ which I’m a fan of because there is positivity and opportunity associated with the notion that we can – and will – adapt to what is happening to us.

The ‘Great Resignation’ took so many organizations by surprise, but in addition to being overused (I’d love to keep count of how many times a day it comes up in conversation in my world!) it also feels rather hopeless. As if organizations can do very little to keep their people engaged, motivated and happy – or attract new people in through the (virtual) doors.

But this is where HR technology can be a gamechanger. Yes, I am dyed in the wool, I have been part of this industry my whole career. But I truly, truly believe that a combination of strong company vision and culture can elevate HR tech beyond just automation.

Technology driven flexibility

The number one thing most people want from work according to new research from our friends at LinkedIn is flexibility. Whether that’s down to swapping shifts, working from home, drawing down pay early, self-service or on-demand learning and skills development, these are all driven by having the right technology in place.

HR can pave the path to the promised land here and help organizations deliver the flexibility and employee experience that people are looking for as they resign in their droves. But we might need a map and some directions to follow in order to get there. And the hope is that the insights from this research give us some key markers and sign posts to avoid the pitfalls and reach our destination unscathed.

Help us pave the way together and take the survey here.

I can’t wait to see your responses and share them back with you in the new year – and if you’d like to share more insights as part of the qualitative aspect of the research, please don’t hesitate to drop me a line on kate.graham@unleashgroup.io.