New research from UNLEASH, the global HR digital media and events business, and ServiceNow has found that 82% of employees believe HR technology is an important part of their everyday work. However, the ‘Why HR Projects Succeed’ research also found less than 24% of respondents find it easy to find the right HR information or access the right system at the right time. Meanwhile, less than half of the respondents were satisfied with the current employee experience in their organisation.

This all comes at a time where organisations are trying to recover from the pandemic as the Great Resignation continues to cause turmoil in the job market, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics revealing there are now two job openings for every one person in the US.

What’s more, 66% of organisations are planning to increase their investment in HR technology in 2022 and beyond, with the top three areas of investment including talent management, payroll, and workforce management. The Great Resignation has led to a jump in investment for talent management, with it making up 35% of all HR tech implemented in organisations.

Marc Coleman, Founder and CEO of UNLEASH Group said:

“From initially keeping the lights on as the pandemic struck, to adapting to hybrid work, battling the “Great Resignation” and now operating against the backdrop of an unfolding humanitarian crisis, HR has stepped up to support the wellbeing and performance of their people and their organisations. And technology has been a great enabler. Embedding HR technology successfully into an organisation can seem to be part science and part magic! Our job is to make HR teams’ day-to-day easier so the goal of this research is to unpack what you really need to succeed in practice.”

Gretchen Alarcon, VP & GM, ServiceNow said:

“Employee experience has emerged from the ‘Why HR Projects Succeed’ research – and the aftershocks of the last two years - as the #1 consideration when considering new HR technology. With so much change happening and the pace of HR tech innovation continuing to accelerate, it can be hard for organisations to know where best to focus their time and investment. Focusing on employee experience as your North Star can guide HR teams successfully through key decisions around solution choice, organizational culture, change management, implementation, digital adoption, and beyond.”

The full report will be shared with those who attend UNLEASH America in Las Vegas, on the 25th and 26th May 2022.

The event will explore how HR leaders are tackling the crunch of challenges facing organisations today, from the Great Resignation, to skills shortages, to implementing the latest HR tech, to employee burnout and beyond.

About the data                    

In partnership with ServiceNow, the research was conducted by UNLEASH Group between November 2020 and March 2021 using two surveys combined with in-depth, qualitative interviews with HR leaders worldwide.

UNLEASH engaged with both a business leadership audience and employees for this research. 1,345 responses were collected from the leadership survey, composed primarily of HR, talent, and learning leaders, with useful input from IT and broader business leaders.                                                      

1,038 responses were generated by the employee survey across a range of roles, levels, industries, and locations worldwide. 

Organisations that took part in the research included Microsoft, Google, Amazon, PwC, NASA, Novartis, and hundreds of others across the enterprise and mid-market space.