Hours into days: Breaking the cycle of HR inefficiencies

New research has underlined the all-too-familiar ‘admin burden’ facing HR – but rather than accepting the status quo, many professionals now recognise the role technology plays in improving efficiency and productivity, as Damian Oldham, HR industry expert at Access Group, explains.

A simple task, like updating an employee’s new role on a spreadsheet or logging sickness absence, might only take a few minutes out of the day – but these minutes soon add up. Worse still is when a line manager or payroll officer in another department is completing a similar job, without either of you realising it.

HR is all-too-aware of the time lost every week, as our latest survey¹ makes clear. It will come as no surprise to discover that, for almost 43% of respondents, efficiency, automation and workplace collaboration are the key trends for the coming 12 months, yet they are often notable by their absence.

Counting the cost of disparate processes and systems