HR 2012: Predictions and Preparations

What is in store for HR Technology in 2012? Bill Kutik hosted the “Fourth Annual Predict and Prepare Webinar.” Sponsored by Workday, Kutik asked three prominent HR Tech consultants on their view of 2012, especially in light of some of the consolidations happening in the HR Tech world.

Kutik is the co-chair of the HR Technologies  Conference, a technology columnist for Human Resource Executive Magazine and is the host of the Bill Kutik Radio Show as well as “Firing Line with Bill Kutik.” He was joined by Knowledge Infusion CEO Jason Averbook, (Kutik describes him as “the number one consulting firm for HR corporate strategy and landscapes”), HR technology writer Naomi Lee Bloom, and Principal Analyst and CEO of Constellation (a strategy product consultant) and Ray Wang (covering enterprise applications for HR technology, was an analyst at Forrester).

Here is a summary of the 11 predictions and discussions held by Kurtik and the panelists:

• UNIFIED PLATFORMS, SASS and CLOUD COMPUTING IS VALIDATED
  THE SAP ACQUISITION OF SUCCESS FACTOR validates Unified Platforms and HR Cloud Computing. Cloud computing is the future direction for Cloud Computing. 60% of people prefer cloud as the delivery method. We will be merging people data with enterprise data. Enterprise data should include people data. Every organization will go through some reimplementation and deployment of technology in the next 2-3 years. “Worldwide, everyone organization will revisit their technology strategy. They will revisit the strategy. And re-implement their technology stack. (Jason Averbrook, Knowledge Infusion)
• MASSIVE HR REFRESH COMING.
  Most of the transactional HR platforms are 10-12 year old. We are about to go through a massive refresh. Oracle, Peoplesoft and SAP will all be reviewed. The shift is happening quickly, because of cloud, cloud innovations. Secondly, the purchase of SuccessFactors by SAP will highlight a strategic focus on Social, Cloud and Mobile expertise. (Ray Wang, The Constellation Group).

• CONSUMERIZATION OF HR
  HR self-service is dead, replaced by true direct access to knowledge, content, analytics and the transaction. During the next year, HR will prepare itself for the consumerization of HR including Gamification and meaningful business social interactions. (Jason Averbrook, Knowledge Infusion).
• YOU DON’T WANT TO FALL BEHIND.
  If you are not restructuring and re-visioning, you will fall behind 5 years for every 1 year you wait. New software is designed so that 99% of the software is user friendly. Are you delivering value  in every screen and capability to the employee and manager – in their terms? Not in that of HR. Are you thinking about content, knowledge, HR intranets, which are a mess, analytics at the time of the transaction, the transaction. Are you ready for the consumerization of the application? Are you designing for the employee and the manager so that it is BYOD – brining your own device to work, to complete those transactions. (Jason Averbrook, Knowledge Infusion)
• GAMIFICATION MAKES HR INTERESTING
  Gamification will make the new HR interesting. It will motivate people to want to add information. It is how the new workforce is engaged today. (Jason Averbrook, Knowledge Infusion)
• HR NEEDS TO REINVENT (Again?)
  Almost every function is ill-prepared to support the process and technologies that are being demanded by the business to deal with the workforce issues of today. Going forward, HRIS will be replaced with a function that understands process management, change branding and overall outcome-based storytelling. (Jason Averbrook, Knowledge Infusion)
• MOBILE IS IMPORTANT IN HR
  Mobile will become user’s first experience with enterprise software. In two years, half of mobile phone users will have smart phones. In the future, mobile comes first. (Ray Wang, The Constellation Group)
• DISPARATE HR APPLICATIONS will cause Enterprise problems
  There are new implications of newer Cloud architectures on the long-standing challenges of integration across disparate HR applications between HR and non-HR applications (Ray Wang, The Constellation Group).
• MASTER DATA CLEAN UP
  Next year, organizations will have to do Master Data clean-up. Regardless of your systems portfolio, global data standards for the most important objects are required. Doing analytics on a foundation of lousy data is a death wish. (Naomi Wallace, Bloom and Wallace).
• RIP AND REPLACE HR SYSTEMS
  In 2012, HCM/TM/HRMS “rip and replace” will be happening at a very noicy pace. 2011 was a year in which key vendors ramped up to be vendors of choice when “rip and replace” picked up speed, and their investments (if done well) will pay off in 2012. (Naomi Wallace, Bloom and Wallace).
• NEW ROLES IN HR
  In order for HR to be ready for the SASS model, new roles and responsibilities will be needed. To begin with, the old HRIT organization should be renamed the “HR Process and Technology” Department. Ownership of projects should be centralized. There needs to be renewed alignment between HR and the business. And the skill of “program management” needs to be taught to all HR. Each HR organization should have a “data tsar,” quantative story tellers, process designers, marketing capabilities, social skills, gamification skills and the ability to brand their organization.

What other predictions do you have for HR in 2012? Check back in our ongoing dialogue about changes in HR Technology.