{"id":865,"date":"2019-10-30T10:00:10","date_gmt":"2019-10-29T23:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sage-people-scraping-ca.local\/?p=865"},"modified":"2026-02-05T20:12:17","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T09:12:17","slug":"whats-driving-change-in-hr","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-au\/blog\/whats-driving-change-in-hr\/","title":{"rendered":"Three external factors driving change in the HR sector, and what it means for HR and People leaders"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPeople & Leadership<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tThree external factors driving change in the HR sector, and what it means for HR and People leaders\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t

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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\tJessica Leyshon<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

The internet. Smartphones. Social media. All things that weren\u2019t around, or commonplace, around 30 years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The world of work has drastically changed over the last few decades \u2013 in ways that couldn\u2019t have been imagined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those changes show no sign of stopping, either.  New technologies like AI, automation and machine learning are now too becoming used increasingly more in workplaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a result, the way people work is transforming. Employees can work anywhere, anytime. New ways of working have given rise to the gig and freelance economy. Remote and flexible working, coupled with high employment, have given workers choice. At the same time, however, productivity and engagement remain obstinately low.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No sector is having to keep up, let alone get ahead, more than that of the one tasked with managing the working population: HR.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sage People polled 500 HR leaders on the changing world of work<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Sage People\u2019s new research set out to understand how these changes are impacting HR and People leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The report, \u2018The changing face of HR\u2019, found that over a third have adopted new ways of working. Yet, 43% of HR leaders feel they won\u2019t be able to keep up with changes in technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Free research report: The changing face of HR<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Seismic shifts in the way organisations operate, work, and manage their people are occurring. We surveyed 500+ HR leaders to discover how they are responding.<\/p>\n

Uncover insights on how to stay ahead and transform HR from a process focused function to a people driven business.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDownload Report<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

The HR to People transformation: What external factors are driving change?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Just as HR evolved to Personnel in the 1980s, it\u2019s now transforming into a \u2018People\u2019 function. 94% of HR leaders we polled agreed and said they expect to make changes as part of their own \u2018HR to People\u2019 journey. Just 18% of HR leaders felt they\u2019d made the transition already.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So we also asked HR and People leaders: what do they think specifically is driving these changes? Here\u2019s the top three external drivers they cited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Technology<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

79% of HR leaders we polled ranked technology and its impact on the workforce as one of the main drivers for change in the HR sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not only does it enable employees to work differently \u2013 flexibly, remotely, globally \u2013 but it also offers new opportunities for HR and People leaders in how they attract, retain, manage and engage their workforces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Employees are so used to using technology in their personal life that\u2019s easy to use and helps them do things more easily, that they expect the same in the workplace. Organizations need technology that frees up employees\u2019 time and enables them to work smarter and more efficiently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consider employees in your workplace: do systems work intuitively, enabling your people to get work done easily? Or, are they hard to navigate and a constant source of frustration? If the latter, consider what would free up time \u2013 for both employees and HR teams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Technology like a cloud HR and People system, for example, can automate core admin and processes for HR teams and employees alike, enabling both to concentrate on what\u2019s important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. The rise of the gig economy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The rise of the gig economy was cited by 75% of respondents also as a powerful driver of change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A staggering 43% of US workers are expected to be part of the gig economy in 2020 \u2013 that\u2019s nearing half of the working population.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This presents new challenges in sourcing and managing talent, yet, often the same expectations apply. They still need to feel valued and empowered in the workforce. Accessible technology and clear communication is even more vital for gig and freelance workers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Equip gig workers to stay connected. Provide all workers with great mobile experiences so they can check and edit documents on the go, share up to date information immediately and communicate with each other effectively wherever they are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Use technology and analytics to gain visibility of all your workers \u2013 permanent or gig \u2013 enabling you to manage your projects and staffing easily and effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. The war for talent<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

74% of HR leaders continue to see the war for talent as a driver of change in the sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gone are the days when companies could simply post a vacancy to a job board and wait for the applicants to come rolling in. High employment has given workers choice and today, if organisations want to attract the best, they must be the best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Companies must position themselves as an employer of choice. Pay, their organizational purpose, flexible working, company values and career progression are just some of the things that candidates consider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a result, it\u2019s no surprise 78% of HR leaders noted the importance of social media and sites such as Glassdoor as having a strong influence over HR policy and recruitment strategies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To get ahead, HR and People teams must consider today\u2019s new basics in their recruitment strategies; things like employer branding, their approach to employee advocacy and sites like Glassdoor. It also means going further than this, however.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Companies who want to get ahead must apply consumer marketing techniques to market themselves successfully to candidates. They need to grow candidate relationships and deliver great experiences throughout the entire recruitment process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It goes beyond free lunches, great workspaces and unlimited holiday. It means know your people and what drives them \u2013 and using this information to create an employer journey that constantly continues to energise your workforce and get the best from them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can HR be the face of change in organisations?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Internally, HR leaders also rated expectations of the employee experience, the need to gain a competitive advantage, and operational excellence as vital in influencing change \u2013 demonstrating the value placed on creating great workforce experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ultimately, in today\u2019s changing world of work, people want to be part of an organisation that they believe in and creates great workforce experiences for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To do that, a company needs to know this right at the top \u2013 and that\u2019s where HR come in. Not only can HR and People leaders demonstrate the value of becoming people-focused on the bottom line, but they can drive these people-focused changes across the business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Only, however, if they\u2019re able to take up this mantle and lead these changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you ready to be the face of change in your organisation?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Free research report: The changing face of HR<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Seismic shifts in the way organisations operate, work, and manage their people are occurring. We surveyed 500+ HR leaders to discover how they are responding.<\/p>\n

Uncover insights on how to stay ahead and transform HR from a process focused function to a people driven business.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDownload Report<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Subscribe to the Sage Advice Newsletter<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Get a roundup of our best business advice in your inbox every month<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSubscribe<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The world of work, and HR, is changing. We asked 500 HR leaders what\u2019s driving these changes for them \u2013 here\u2019s what they said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1118,"featured_media":2158,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sage_video":false,"post_featured_image_hide":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[74],"tags":[222],"business_type":[9],"context":[],"industry":[],"persona":[107],"imagine_tag":[65,263,25,40,262,264],"coauthors":[283],"class_list":["post-865","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-people-leadership","tag-hr","business_type-medium-sized-business"],"sage_meta":{"region":"en-au","author_name":"Jessica Leyshon","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/11\/JERUSALEM_Univ_019.jpg","imagine_tags":{"65":"HR and Payroll","263":"HR processes","25":"HR software","40":"Mid-sized business","262":"Recruitment","264":"Top HR resources"}},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Sage Advice Australia","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-au\/blog","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-au\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/865","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-au\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-au\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-au\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/1118"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-au\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=865"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-au\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/865\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-au\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/2158"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-au\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=865"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-au\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=865"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-au\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=865"},{"taxonomy":"business_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-au\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/business_type?post=865"},{"taxonomy":"context","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-au\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/context?post=865"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-au\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=865"},{"taxonomy":"persona","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-au\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/persona?post=865"},{"taxonomy":"imagine_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-au\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/imagine_tag?post=865"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-au\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=865"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}