Whether it’s social networks big data, cloud platforms, or SaaS, technology has changed HR forever—& for the better. 

By alleviating the administrative burden, uncovering data-driven insights, and enabling the delivery of truly personalized employee services, technology has helped to elevate and redefine the strategic capabilities of HR.

Technology now touches every phase of the talent lifecycle, from recruitment to succession planning. As tech-powered HR becomes the norm, more and more organizations are making a bigger investment in high-tech solutions to help them align HR with strategic business goals.

A 2015 HR technology survey conducted by ISG (Information Services Group) found that 70 percent of respondents have implemented or plan to implement SaaS-based HR solutions within the next two years.

According to the Sierra-Cedar 2015-2016 HR Systems Survey, the last three years has also seen a 30 percent increase in the number of organizations incorporating digital wearables into their HR strategy, and a 70 percent increase in major initiatives to make HR systems mobile-friendly.

HR tech may be trendy, but it’s also effective. According to research from Bersin, companies with newly upgraded HR systems see cost savings of 22 percent per employee. This week, we round up some of HRSG’s recent posts on HR technologies to explore some of the interesting possibilities:

Online pre-screening

Web-based screening technologies offer many advantages over traditional, in-person methods. They dramatically reduce the time and effort required to identify qualified candidates, result in better hiring outcomes, and leave candidates with a more positive view of the organization—whether they’re hired or not.

Read “Improving Hiring Outcomes with Pre-Screening” to see how sophisticated these pre-screening technologies have become, and learn five best practices for achieving optimal outcomes when you pre-screen candidates online.

High-tech wellness

Employees and job-seekers are increasingly placing health and wellness high on their list of job priorities, and organizations are recognizing that it’s in their best interests to follow suit. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) reported that more than two in three organizations (70 percent) offered wellness programs in 2015.

Enhancing workplace wellness can be a resource-intensive endeavor, but a new wave of technologies aimed at improving employee health are making the job easier

Read “Workplace Wellness Goes High Tech” to see three of the biggest technology breakthroughs that are transforming the way we stay well at work.

Tech-enabled workers

Technology has impacted the workplace in many ways, including facilitating the growth of a remote workforce. Since 2005, the number of employees working from home in the US has more than doubled, and that trend is expected to accelerate in the years to come.

While enabling remote work opportunities can help an organization attract talent, improve employee satisfaction, and save money, it poses some new challenges for those in charge of HR.

Read “Competencies for Managing Remote Workers” to explore some of the benefits and drawbacks created by the new world of remote work. This post also looks at three ways to improve productivity among tech-enabled employees who work from home some or all of the time.

Competency management software

Technology has also changed the way organizations develop and deploy competency content. See how our clients manage their competency content more efficiently and automate competency-based talent-management processes using CompetencyCore software.