A recent Sage research study has revealed key opportunities for HR leaders. We’ve summarized some of our favourite points below.

Overview

Through interviews with more than 500 global HR leaders, business executives and employees in Canada, the UK, US, and Australia, Sage explored the alignment between HR and business priorities, and the role of People analytics and technology in this process.

On alignment and the use of HR-tech

• Although 81% of C-suite executives believe HR’s priorities are aligned to the overall business, 59% say HR is not playing a leading role.
• While 94% of business leaders have access to some form of People data from HR, 68% are not fully reliant on them.
• 90% of C-suite leaders say HR technology has been vital in supporting business priorities, and 81% say they would not be able to operate effectively without it during the pandemic.

Execution ‘versus’ leadership

• Overall, HR leaders and the C-suite are aligned – both agree that financial performance is the top priority for business, followed closely by leadership, business operations, and digital transformation.
• However, Sage also found that HR leaders appear to be playing more of an execution role, rather than a leadership role – even in areas where they would traditionally be expected to lead.
• For example, more than half of the C-suite say that HR is not playing a leading role in operational excellence (62%), skilling and upskilling (55%) or company culture (54%).
• Moreover, HR and People leaders recognize their own lack of leadership in these critically important areas: 65% of HR leaders do not feel that they are playing a leading role in operational excellence; 52% say they are not playing a leading role in skilling and upskilling; and 53% say the same for company culture.

HR Tech and it’s role

• 90% of C-suite leaders say HR technology has helped them achieve a broad range of business priorities
• 81% say they would not be able to operate effectively without it during the pandemic.
•  82% of HR and People leaders say they had to scale HR technology to manage and operate effectively during the pandemic, as remote working became the pervasive norm across organizations.
• 89% of the C-suite and 83% of HR leaders believe HR technology enabled them to be more flexible and responsive to changing needs, while helping their business become more resilient.