More than three-quarters (77 per cent) of CEOs require better insight into their workforce according to research by NGA Human Resources (NGA HR).

However, HR departments need better support to collect, calculate and communicate data within the timeframes needed by the CEO.

Of the business leaders surveyed, having access to real-time, accurate and relevant HR data was high on their agenda. The greatest opportunities for improvement identified in the study were timeliness (69 per cent), accuracy (63 per cent) and relevancy (62 per cent).

However, the research shows that HR teams are often working with unduly admin-intensive processes. Indeed, aspects that can be automated, such as data entry (35 per cent), report generation (30 per cent) and information gathering (19 per cent), came out as the top three drains on time when it comes to reporting.

Difficulty managing the number of tools was also highlighted in the study. Over a quarter (27 per cent) of respondent admitted to using over 4 tools for employee data. One in ten (11 per cent) HR leaders admit to spending a quarter of their working hours on reporting alone.Richard Shinton, Business Intelligence and Analytics Product Manager at NGA HR said:

“While other departments such as finance, sales and marketing and operations are utilising integration, automation and predictive technology, HR seems to be falling behind. HR plays such a vital role in business strategy, we need to ensure HR professionals have the tools they need to excel,”

 

 

 

 

Rebecca joined the HRreview editorial team in January 2016. After graduating from the University of Sheffield Hallam in 2013 with a BA in English Literature, Rebecca has spent five years working in print and online journalism in Manchester and London. In the past she has been part of the editorial teams at Sleeper and Dezeen and has founded her own arts collective.