Dive Brief:

• If technology is driving up company sales, why isn’t it driving up productivity, too? In an interview with Diginomica, HR industry analyst Josh Bersin said that despite what HR technology can do, people don’t know how to manage it. He added that companies might be drawn into buying the latest platform or app, but unless they know how to use it to raise productivity and engagement, the purchase has little value to workers.
• Bersin says HR must take over the management of technology and perform "design thinking." This requires HR professionals to study and monitor employees’ activities and behavior to discover what makes them happier and more productive. He’s against buying technology and injecting it into the workplace without planning how employees will use it.
• Going digital isn’t just about building apps, said Bersin. It’s also about creating experiences at work that employees will find useful, he adds.

Dive Insight:

Bersin notes that design thinking often takes companies out of their comfort zone, and that effect is even greater for HR. He says the profession has been slow to learn about, and therefore adopt, the digital economy. He points outb that some companies keep HR technology for 20 years and that seeing in offices outdated technology, such as Oracle, PeopleSoft and old payroll systems, isn’t uncommon.

At the same time, there's a clear need for HR departments to integrate their systems with mobile technologies as well as social media platforms. Such initiatives have allowed companies to increase engagement while building a virtual community of employees. Besides, 84% of employers and employees have said that digital transformation is important to staying competitive in HR.