How technology can help businesses attract and retain top talent

HR professionals know how important it is for businesses to be able to attract and retain the best people. In the current environment, businesses need to embrace technology in order to do this.

The generation of potential employees that they are trying to attract is used to using technology in every aspect of life. This means that they expect to benefit from the use of technology while they are at work. There are some areas where this is especially apparent.

Flexible working

The topic of flexible working is high on the agenda for many businesses. This often involves providing employees with the option to work remotely. This can only happen if businesses have the right technology in place to enable remote workers to connect with each other and the main office, securely and instantly. This enables all employees to have the same level of inclusion and communication no matter where they are located.

Providing remote working opportunities makes an employer more attractive as it allows employees to have flexibility in the way they work. This makes it easier for them to develop a career around other responsibilities that they may have.

Employee well-being

Employee well-being should be at the forefront of planning for every business because employees are a valuable resource. The happier and healthier that an employee is, the more productive they are likely to be. Developing a good well-being program also helps to turn a business into a more attractive place to work.

Prospective employees are able to see that the business is invested in the mental and physical well-being of their employees. This makes them more likely to want to work there.

In order to develop a meaningful well-being programme, businesses need to use technology to help them gain a better understanding of employees. For instance, technology can help with the measuring of sickness absence and provide data that can then be used to inform programmes and plans.

Career development

Most people who are looking for an employer to work for value the opportunity to develop their career. This is the reason why businesses need to put career development opportunities close to the top of their list of priorities.

In order to do this, they need to move away from traditional but tired appraisal systems. More and more businesses are now embracing performance assessment and planning that involves regular one-to-one discussions between managers and employees.

Using HR technology helps businesses to keep a real-time record of these discussions. This allows managers and employees to keep track of agreed actions and goals that are set. This is important for employees who want to develop their performance and their career.

In summary

HR professionals can see the value of embracing technology in these areas, with a view to making a business more attractive to potential employees. This technology is becoming an integral part of the HR-related processes of many businesses and organisations.

Systems are also being linked so that the impact that developments in one area have on other areas can be measured and assessed. This helps to improve the overall HR function and improves the ability that a business has to attract and retain top talent.

If you an HR professional looking for the next step in your career, register with us. If you are an employer looking for an HR professional, contact us.