As businesses face a combination of rising wages, increased taxes, and indirect costs from legislation including the Employment Rights Bill, the need to achieve operational efficiency alongside a great employee experience has never been more important. Organisations may be facing tough choices, but they might also be ignoring ways to reduce costs and keep their key talent.
With the right technology, organisations can stay compliant in the face of change, simplify and automate processes to gain greater control over people costs. Not only that but an efficient system can give HR the real time information they need to make high value data-driven decisions – good for their people and very good for their organisation.
Attendees joined us for a forward-thinking discussion on how to leverage technology to streamline people administration and deliver a supportive and engaging environment for employees.
We reserved a private dining room at Bentley’s Oyster Bar & Grill in the Crustacea Room. The restaurant is part of The Corrigan Collection and offers fine dining, an excellent wine collection and was a great venue to debate key topics facing HR.
The discussions on the evening were led by two inspiring speakers both of whom have direct experience and knowledge of this topic. Our speakers are Emma Harvey, HR Chief Operating Officer at AXA UK and Andrew Collingwood, Director, People at Kroll.
Our sponsors HiBob were able to share real life examples of how their technology is streamlining Human Resources, and our attendees shared their industry experience alongside great food and drinks.
We delved into the challenges posed by financial pressures, offering insights into how automation, AI, and other technological innovations could help. Organisations could not afford to be held back by processes such as payroll, and the opportunity had existed to use these activities to push forward, maximising efficiency and delivering a positive, people-centric workplace. Including:
- Economic uncertainty, rising wages, and limited budgets present challenges in attracting and retaining talent. Many are leveraging data and technology to make informed workforce decisions, aiming to balance employee engagement with financial constraints.
- Efficiency remains a key focus, particularly in talent acquisition, performance management, and compliance. While some organisations have successfully implemented HR platforms to automate tasks and improve workflows, others continue to grapple with manual, time-consuming processes.
- Automation in administrative tasks, such as onboarding, payroll, and policy management, is helping HR teams redirect their efforts toward strategic initiatives.
- Investment in HR technology is recognised as beneficial, though gaining executive buy-in for further tech adoption remains a challenge. Continuous training and cross-functional collaboration are essential to maximise the value of these systems.
- To measure the return on investment (ROI) from HR technology, leaders track key performance indicators (KPIs) like processing time reductions, employee engagement scores, and hiring efficiency. Qualitative feedback from employees and stakeholders also plays a significant role in evaluating the impact of technology adoption.
Overall, most HR leaders agree that HR automation reduces administrative burdens, allowing them to focus on strategic activities like employee development and organisational culture.
However, they caution against over-automation, which can diminish the human aspect of HR. Striking a balance between technological efficiency and personal interaction remains a priority for organisations aiming to elevate their HR functions.
Thank you for organising a superb evening for the roundtable. The venue and food were excellent, and the cohort was ideal for sharing AI experiences. The engaging conversations made the time fly by! I particularly appreciated the opportunity to learn from others’ experiences with AI in HR. Thank you again for a memorable event.
Head of HR
We delved into the challenges posed by financial pressures, offering insights into how automation, AI, and other technological innovations could help. Organisations could not afford to be held back by processes such as payroll, and the opportunity had existed to use these activities to push forward, maximising efficiency and delivering a positive, people-centric workplace.
Brilliant event. Thank you so much for the invitation. It was really interesting to hear from colleagues from different industries and organisation sizes and learn about their experiences and challenges. Some great takeaways – and a great networking opportunity too.
People Director
For HR professionals looking for the most effective way to lead their business through these challenges, this session provided actionable insights on future-proofing the workplace, navigating the changing landscape of employment compliance, and fostering a sustainable, high-performing team.
This was an invitation only dinner for 15 and was attended by HR Directors, Heads of People Operations, Heads of HR & Chief People Officers.
