Tech Trends to Watch

Decision-support tools are just one of several HR technology trends that HRshould keep an eye on this year, according to Watson Wyatt, a global consultingfirm specializing in human capital and financial management. Here are some othertrends that HR should follow:

• Enhanced workplace portals and intranets. As enterprise portals evolveinto worker productivity tools, several HR domains will benefit from new onlinesolutions, including e-health tools, defined contribution health care models,compensation systems, and performance management tools.

• Increased technology access to more workforce segments. Companies willcontinue initiatives to get more employees Web-connected, allowing greateraccess to corporate systems and HR information from home or travel.

• Greater reliance on ROI tools. Top management will exert more pressure on HR to justify investments in HR technology through ROI analysis and business case development.

• Growing focus on optimizing current HR systems. Sensibility will be thekey factor as companies seek system optimization and integration solutions.Optimization trends will include improving legacy systems and connectingexisting disparate systems.

• Increased use of virtual workplaces. With an eye toward increasing workerproductivity, approaches such as online meetings, project team workspaces, Webconferences, and video conferencing will continue to gain popularity.

• Demand for better integration and collaboration between vendors. HR willcarefully select technologies to meet overall business needs and examine howvendor services can be bundled.

Workforce, June 2002, p. 53 — Subscribe Now!