2022 has definitely been a year to remember. The UK gained a new Monarch, the first female referee at the mens World Cup match took the field, and the UK has entered what has only been described as an extremely challenging time.
While we have had some positive and exciting changes this year, given the tumultuous nature of our economy, many businesses are being forced to operate on a tighter budget than ever before. And with that comes the need for improved efficiency and cost-effectiveness across all departments.
One area in particular where this is being felt particularly acutely is in the realm of HR and payroll. With companies forced to streamline their processes, minimize overhead costs, and adapt quickly to a rapidly changing business landscape, HR software has emerged as a key priority for many organisations.
But more than often, HR software tends to get a bad rep. Many view it as unwieldy, overly complicated, and difficult to navigate. But the reality is that a HR software is actually a powerful tool that can help businesses optimize their efficiency and streamline their operations.
So we took it up to speaking to HR Leaders and payroll experts, to understand what they want to be on their HR software Christmas wish list year. And here’s what we found:
Less Time Dealing With Employee HR Queries, More Time Making A Difference
As HR professionals, our primary goal is to help employees thrive and grow – by providing the right tools and resources they need in order to succeed.
But unfortunately, HR teams often find themselves spending a large portion of their time simply dealing with queries from employees – whether it’s updating their personal details or submitting leave requests.
So on every HR Leaders wish list this Christmas, there is a well deserved place for a HR software that can not only help them to streamline and automate their HR processes, but also give employees the tools they need in order to quickly and easily find their HR information themselves – from anywhere, at any time.
With features like self-service portals, employee access to HR communications, and intuitive interfaces – all from the palm of their hand – HR teams are looking for technology that can reduce the time they spend dealing with queries, and allow them to focus on building an amazing employee experience.
Easier Access to Data Analysis and Reporting (without being a Statistician)
Let’s face it, as HR professionals, we’re not statisticians. And while we might be able to handle the nitty-gritty of payroll, advanced analytics and running reports is often a real pain point for us.
But with people analytics becoming more important and prevalent than ever, HR departments are looking for a HR software that makes data analysis and reporting a breeze.
Some of the key features HR teams have jotted down on their wish list to the North Pole are a HR software that includes intuitive dashboards and visual reports, to help them make sense of their people data – without needing to understand complex statistical concepts or formulas.
Other features that HR Leaders are looking for, include the ability to configure and export data, so they can easily slice and dice their numbers in order to get insights that are directly relevant to their particular teams. As well as predictive analytics and forecasting tools, that can help them to proactively manage their workforce and avoid any future payroll or workforce management disasters.
Payroll Made Easy
Remember back in July 2022, when fashion store, Next, and grocery store, Asda, made headlines with their payroll fiasco?
Well, many HR departments are now looking for HR software that doesn’t just make payroll easy – but also eliminates any possibility of human error.
Hoping to avoid similar errors going forward, HR teams are looking for an intelligent and intuitive HR platform with built-in tracking and automation, to remove the need for manual intervention and in many cases, HR professionals turning to excel hell to fill the gap.
HR Leaders are looking for a system that has processes in place to fed clean, correct data through to payroll. A system that can pick up new starters, leavers, up-to-date right to work, sickness, holidays, clocking in and out (including geo-tagging and geo-fencing – which is becoming increasingly popular), pay adjustments etc. All wrapped-up with inbuilt approvals, alerts and real-time labour spend, allowing HR leaders to trust their data when signing off payroll.
No More Workforce Management Chaos
As HR Leaders know all too well, workforce management can be a chaotic mess. From scheduling employees correctly, tracking employee hours, to ensuring their workforce is fully compliant with working time regulations – HR teams can often feel overwhelmed and under-supported.
With a HR system that consists of Workforce Management inbuilt, HR teams can easily manage and correctly track employee hours – all while ensuring they’re compliant with local regulations on work hours.
So HR’s wish this Christmas is for an integrated forecasting feature, tracking sales data such as EPOS, footfall and POS, so that they can make accurate projections on workforce demand, and ensure they have the right number of staff on their payroll to meet this need.
HR Technology Built For The Future
The future is now, and HR leaders have made it clear that they want a HR platform that has been built with the future in mind.
With increasing demands from employees, and rapidly evolving technology, HR teams need a solution that is able to adapt and evolve as quickly as their businesses do.
This includes a modern user experience that is scalable and can accommodate their growing workforce, features like predictive analytics that can help them to stay ahead of the curve, and real-time data integrations that can seamlessly connect with other business systems.
They want a HR software that will help them to be more productive, efficient, and adaptive – so that they can focus on what really matters: growing their business and taking care of their people.
A Safe Home for People Data
One of the top priorities for any HR department is data security and protection. In today’s rapidly-evolving business landscape, data is becoming more and more valuable – and it’s crucial that we ensure our sensitive information is secure.
Some of the key features that HR departments are hoping to see in their Christmas stockings, is a HR software that not only has processes in place to ‘authenticate’ all team members (to ensure they are, who they say they are), this can include built-in data encryption, but can also grant ‘authorisation’ levels as required by the business (this controls what employees can see). The cherry on the top is identity management, to keep track of exactly who is accessing the system at any given time.
But of course, with all this people data, HR Leaders are looking for a HR system that assures GDPR compliance and successfully digitises legislative updates and changes. After all, data security isn’t just about keeping our information safe from outside threats – it’s also about making sure that we’re compliant with the latest regulations and guidelines at all times.
To Be Constantly Kept In The Loop
HR leaders want to stay in the loop at all times. This is why on their Christmas HR wish list, they have asked Santa for a HR software that provides them with real-time notifications accessible on mobile phone or other devices, allowing them to stay up to date with any changes or updates with their workforce.
With alerts sent directly to their phones, HR professionals can stay up-to-date on things like new hires, terminations, right to work compliance, employee attendance, and even employee anniversaries. This allows them to quickly and easily keep their finger on the pulse of their workforce at all times, and avoid any potential compliance issues or employee grievances before they happen.
HR at the palm of their hand
There are 6.57 billion smartphone owners in the world. While that may be just under 70% of the population, it is clear that technology is firmly at the forefront of today’s workforce.
And this is why on HR professionals wish list this year, they want a HR software that can provide them with everything they need – directly from their smartphones. Whether it’s having access to all their employee data, communications and day to day needs, or being able to easily make updates and changes to the system, HR teams need a HR system that is mobile-friendly and easy to use.
But they don’t want this mobile accessibility just to themselves. They want to gift it to their employees too, so that they can stay connected and up-to-date on their own time. This can be things like viewing and updating their personal details, submitting availability and leave requests, and viewing pay slips – all from the palm of their hand.
Mobile is the future of HR, and with its constant accessibility and ease-of-use, it’s no wonder that HR professionals are wishing for a mobile-friendly HR software this Christmas.
Embedded Company Brand Throughout The Whole HR function (Including Tech)
It’s all about the brand, and HR professionals know that their HR software is a reflection of the company’s brand.
This is why they have asked Santa for a HR software that not only has clean, modern interface with user-friendly features, but also includes embedded company branding throughout the whole system. Whether it’s using a consistent colour scheme to keep it looking sleek and professional, or using company-branded communications and workflows to keep employees up-to-date on company news, HR teams want a HR system that they can easily make their own.
But company brand goes beyond aesthetics. They want the HR platform to be moulded to support their unique operating models, company culture, and overall business goals.
In short, HR teams want HR technology that is truly an extension of the brand itself – a powerful HR tool that can help them to create an amazing employee experience for all, and keep their entire organization working at its best.
A Workforce of Engaged Employees
Employee Engagement is and always will be one of the top priorities for hr professionals. After all, engaged employees are more productive, more efficient, and simply a joy to work with – making it easier for hr teams to do their job.
So it came to no surprise when HR Leaders made it clear that a HR software that can support the growing need for employee engagement would be on their HR wish list this holiday season.
Whether it’s features like a two-way comms fed, where news from within the company can be shared, to real-time pulse surveys to get quick feedback at any time, or an interactive learning and development platform, so that employees can easily access resources and growth opportunities – it’s clear that HR teams want a HR platform that can not only support the traditional HR functions, but also help them to build and strengthen their employee experience.
And in an age where the best HR tools are expected to lead and support business transformation, HR leaders are looking for a HR system that has real-time data integrations with other business systems, and predictive analytics to help them better manage and anticipate the needs of their ever-changing workforce.
Creating A Positive Employee Experience, From Day One!
In this versatile talent landscape, HR teams are charged with creating a positive employee experience from day one – and keeping it that way throughout their career.
That means from the moment a candidate applies to a job, to the day they leave the business, a positive employee experience should ooze from every interaction. Even down to the HR software that employees and HR teams use.
Whether it be automated messages notifying candidates of the progress of their application, onboarding platforms that allow employees to complete onboarding training prior to their start date, or even electronic employee files that are easily accessible from any device – HR Leaders want a HR system that not only supports them throughout every process, but also provides the tools and resources necessary to create a positive employee experience for all. And all with the click of a button.
No More Death By Systems!
Speaking to HR Leaders, we were flabbergasted to hear that even in 2022, they were drowning under an overwhelming amount of HR systems and platforms – all cluttering their desktops, inboxes, and screens.
From a separate onboarding software, payroll system, workforce management platform, and analytics tools – HR teams are facing a death by systems crisis!
But thankfully, HR teams won’t face this problem any longer. Because on this year’s Christmas wish list, HR leaders are asking for an all-in-one HR software, or a HR system that seamlessly integrates with their other HR and business systems.
A platform with one-single sign in, where they can say goodbye to the endless logins and switching between systems. They want all their people data in one-place, with real time data integrations and reporting analytics that allows them to gain key insights on their workforce – all without having to manually sift through endless HR systems.
They want to eliminate the time, effort and human error of data entry, so they can focus on what really matters – growing and supporting their people.
A Delivery From The North Pole!
After collating the above HR wish list, we sent a first class letter to the North Pole, directly to Santa himself. And because HR have been doing an amazing job taking care of the people at work, Santa was more than happy to give HR the one thing they’ve been wishing for – a state of the art HR software that puts the power in their and their employees hands.
And guess what…
Santa gave us at elementsuite the go-ahead to make this this happen.
And so the elementsuite elves have been working around the clock to develop a HR system that ticks every box on the HR Christmas Wish List. An all-in-one system, packed with 8 modules: recruit, HR, engage, learn, perform, work, time, and pay.
With elementsuite, HR teams finally have a single HR software that can seamlessly manage their operational processes, empower employees, and create a positive employee experience – all without breaking the bank!
And with its ability to integrate with any other business software and built in reporting and analytics tools, HR teams can say good bye to death by systems and lost data – and hello to an integrated HR platform that’s easy to use, and delivers real business value.
So this Christmas, HR leaders will be able to breathe a sigh of relief knowing that they can focus on what they do best – supporting and engaging their people to reach their full potential.
And with elementsuite, you can too! Merry Christmas and happy HR-ing!
