Trends in HR Technology Landscape

Mobilk - In today’s rapidly evolving and dynamic business environment, it is imperative for companies to adapt cutting edge solutions that can enable business growth through empowering their people. The key differentiator between the most successful organisations and the not so successful ones will be the people that work for them and the companies that effectively engage and empower their talent.

The world of HR technology is in a constant flux of innovation. SAP, the global market leader in software applications and leading innovator that enables businesses, has seen specific movements in the socio-economic environment that will shape the MENA regions’ Human Resources Landscape and the way of doing business. 

According to Deniz Kilyar, Head of HCM, SAP MENA, five key trends will shape the HR Tech Landscape in the MENA region.

Firstly, the hottest topic and top priority on the table is managing talent, as companies aim and try to retain employees and get them to perform at their peak. “Talent management systems as a complete area will be a certain requirement as CEOs/CHROs prioritize people and talent management,” stated Kilyar. Talent management systems are those that help in the organizational processes of recruiting, succession, performance management, learning management, career development, workforce planning and employee collaboration to name a few functions.  

Secondly, as economies across the MENA region are slowing down and the nations in the region look to consolidate on a more diversified approach for growth, key emphasis is being laid upon knowledge development.  For businesses, this will be a time to invest in learning management systems (LMS) to equip their people. Learning management will be a game changer in creating a culture of continuous learning and organisational development. Further, the LMS systems can be used for “Knowledge management, skill development and retention across various industries, thereby managing high turnover while retaining experience,’’ opined Kilyar. 

Thirdly, we see traditional HR systems being replaced by comprehensive new age Human Capital Management (HCM) systems that can be integrated into other business functions and ultimately enable the creation of more connected organizations. “Most of the HR solutions are missing a function of HCM, some lack LMS, while some others don’t have On-Boarding and some miss Core-HR. Currently, most HR solutions are in the process of being completed with what they are missing, while SAP Success Factors is the one complete and integrated single platform which is complemented with Multiposting and FieldGlass. “Focus, as far as we at SAP are concerned, to bring the most recent HR Innovations into our solutions and keep our customers at the front line of HR advancement is a part of our enhanced solutions,” noted Kilyar. 

Kilyar also added, “Significant investment in HCM is being made to accommodate the differences of the millennial group and is of very high importance for businesses all over the world. At SAP, as a business strategy, we continue to invest in improving competencies in training and development of millennials as a part of our plans to provide the region with motivated human capital.” 

This trend is due to demographic changes in the MENA region, where roughly about 40% of the population in 2014 were considered millennials (statistics cited in a study conducted by the Centre for Middle Eastern and North African Studies at the University of Michigan), which will increase to about 75% of the workforce by 2025, according to a Deloitte Millennial Study conducted in 2014. The millennial demographic brings with it a different set of values, for example, individuals belonging to this group require greater transparency and communication around their development opportunities. HR will need to take notice of these values and make adjustments to attract and retain the appropriate individuals for the job. 

Lastly and one of the most important trend is to enable more small and medium businesses to flourish and grow in the region, the HCM suite will need to be scalable and flexible to unique customer requirements to ensure early adoption and leveraging of technology to benefit businesses in a challenging environment. These combined with the ability for sustainable localization of HCM solutions make up the last trend.

Speaking on motivation for sponsoring the 2nd annual HR Tech MENA Summit, Kilyar said, “HR Tech is the right platform to showcase SAP’s abilities in leadership. It is a perfect mix of HR business executives and IT executives coming together. Participating in this summit helps us share our vision and learn from our peers in the industry too.”

“SAP is a globally known brand, and a valuable resource and partner to many organizations in the MENA region. As the leading vendor for HCM solutions, we are thrilled to have them on board for the 2nd annual HR Tech Summit and excited to learn about the trends in the market through one of the industry giants at the Summit,” commented Sidh N.C, Director, QnA International

The 2nd annual HR Tech Summit is scheduled to be held from 18-19th May, 2016 in Dubai, UAE.