HR and IT aren’t natural bedfellows. Historically, a lack of mutual understanding has been the biggest barrier to collaboration between the two. However, amid a mushrooming employee engagement crisis, the two functions are recognising that they must come together to jointly deliver a long-term solution to the problem.

Gallup’s most recent State of the Global Workforce report found that as many as 85 percent of employees are disengaged at work, and a fifth of those are actively disengaged. Any asset operating at just 15 percent capacity is going to present a phenomenal burden, and some business forecasts estimate the issue is costing the global economy as much as $7 trillion a year in lost productivity.

The problem is forcing companies to think seriously about the working experience they create, and with the physical and digital workplace colliding, it has become apparent that a change of perspective is needed. It is time that HR and IT set aside their siloed past and come together to maximise their contribution to the employee experience.

Can HR and IT Truly Work Together?

The sceptics among us will question whether a collaborative relationship between HR and IT is possible. But I would answer, yes. In many ways, it is no longer a matter of choice, because employee experience cuts across all aspects of an organisation, and a joined-up approach is essential.

Wanting to dig a little deeper, the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) recently published a report, sponsored by Citrix, that explored how companies are managing the employee experience and the role of technology in shaping it. The global survey of 1,145 business executives revealed that virtually identical numbers of IT and HR executives (74 percent and 75 percent, respectively) feel personally responsible for improving employee experience, either in their own team or more widely.

Furthermore, it helps when CIOs and CHROs view digital transformation as a shared project, as 45 percent of high performers (organisations who deem their employees to be more engaged and more productive than at industry peers) and 38 percent of the digitally mature group do.

We are already seeing the emergence of job titles such as Head of HR Technology, along with roles designed to provide a liaison between IT and HR. The EIU survey found that 40 percent of high performers and 33 percent of digitally more mature businesses strongly agree they are developing specialists with combined HR and IT expertise in order to reduce barriers between the two functions.

A great role model I would point to is Beth Galetti, Amazon’s Sr. VP of Human Resources. She is the highest-ranking woman at the company and reports directly to founder and CEO Jeff Bezos. Yet prior to joining Amazon, she had no formal HR experience and was a tech veteran by trade.

Technology plays a fundamental role in shaping employee experience. Increasingly, HR needs to think of technology as a way to enhance and support the employee experience, from flexible working through to sustainability, attracting and retaining new talent, and even monitoring and safeguarding mental health.

The Experience of Work Webinar

Despite an urgency to bring about IT and HR collaboration, it is no easy task and formidable barriers stand in the way.

To learn more about the subject of employee experience, which ranks as a high or top priority for 73 percent of businesses, please join us for The Experience of Work webinar on Wednesday, March 4, at 2 p.m. (GMT). I will be joined by industry experts Pete Swabey, EMEA editorial director, thought leadership, at the EIU, and Christian Reilly, Chief Technology Officer, Citrix. Together, we’ll explore the findings of the EIU research and uncover how HR and IT can be working together to help shape employee experience. Register today!

The Experience of Work
Date: Wednesday, March 4
Time: 2 p.m. GMT
Register Now