A recent study* has found that 63% of businesses plan to invest in technology purchases this year, as hybrid working continues to present challenges in the workplace.
Despite the Covid-19 pandemic forcing workers to work from home for over three years, managing remote teams still requires different skills than managing face-to-face teams. In fact, 94% of HR leaders surveyed by Applaud agree on this. Therefore, businesses must ensure that the technology they invest in can cater to both settings, providing flexibility and ease of use for their employees.
The 2023 Digital Employee Experience Trend Report found that 50% of surveyed organisations have improved their levels of digital EX personalisation in the past twelve months. This indicates that work is being done to enhance the hybrid working experience, supporting the growing trend of technology investments.
Managers are currently striving to both personalise and automate processes, which are crucial elements in ensuring the success of hybrid working. Although 59% of businesses surveyed said they have digitised some HR processes, they also agree there is still a lot of manual work that should be automated. This will make the hybrid experience more streamlined for all involved and allow employees to focus on their job responsibilities, rather than administrative HR tasks.
According to the study, 89% of companies agreed that they expect technology to help drive innovation in the HR department, demonstrating a clear commitment to investment despite the financial pressures many businesses are experiencing. Businesses that are looking to invest more in the EX-market to drive innovation can learn from those that have already taken steps, as well as understand the risks associated with ‘bad HR tech’.
Ivan Harding, CEO and Co-Founder of Applaud, said “With budgets becoming increasingly restricted, proving value is more important than ever, so any implementation needs to be done in the right way. This is especially important within the remote setting that this data speaks to, as technology is crucial for achieving team collaboration and cohesiveness. Those that get it right and invest in the right technology will reap the benefits that come from a strong EX strategy.”
*Research by employee experience (EX) and HR tech solution Applaud
